YSU baseball swept at Butler

Staff report

INDIANAPOLIS

Butler got a walk-off single from Luke Duncan in game one and scored twice in the eighth inning of game two to sweep a doubleheader from Youngstown State, 2-1 and 8-6, on Friday.

The Penguins got an outstanding effort from starting pitcher Phil Klein in game one, but the offense could not give the senior right-hander enough support. Klein allowed one run on five hits while striking out nine in six innings.

Butler’s Dom Silvestri (6-3), a Boardman High graduate, was equally solid, allowing one run on six hits in seven innings.

Craig Goubeaux had two of YSU’s six hits, and Mike Hoscheit had three of Butler’s seven hits.

Youngstown State took an early 3-0 lead in game two with a three-run third.

Butler had five hits in its three-run fifth to tie the score, but YSU answered by scoring two runs in the sixth. The Penguins did not record a hit in the inning as they benefitted from a passed ball and an error. Two walks and a passed ball put runners at the corners with nobody out, and Dan Hurlimann scored on an error. Jeremy Banks then brought in David Leon with a sacrifice fly.

Butler scored an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth to cut the margin to one, and the Bulldogs reclaimed the lead with two unearned runs in the seventh. Banks singled in Armani Johnson with the tying run in the eighth, but Butler scored twice in the bottom of the inning.

YSU starter Robert Switka allowed three earned runs while surrendering 12 hits in five innings. Kevin McCulloh suffered the loss, allowing four runs in three innings.

Banks was 2-for-3 with two RBIs for YSU.