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YSU gets off to fast start and beats Butler
By Brandon Judeh
NILES
The Youngstown State University baseball team heated things up in the chilly weather by scoring four first-inning runs on its way to a 9-3 victory over Butler.
Two errors and a hit batter led to a two-RBI single by Craig Goubeaux. The inning was capped off by a run scored off of a passed ball to give the Penguins the early lead.
“We had a great start today with the offense, we scored runs and weren’t leaving guys on base,” YSU coach Rich Pasquale said. “It was a very good effort all the way around with the pitching and the offense.”
Pasquale also added that he got on his team after Friday’s game because their offensive approach was not working out well.
The Penguins put the game away in the third inning when Drew Dosch picked up two RBIs when he hit a rocket down the first-base line, pushing the lead to 7-0. His hit chased Butler pitcher Joel Leichty out of the game after only 22/3 innings pitched.
Leichty allowed seven runs, but only one was earned.
Penguins starting pitcher Patrick O’Brien pitched his best game of the season while picking up his first win. He allowed one earned run and scattered five hits over six innings.
His progress is something Pasquale is pleased to see.
“The thing that I really liked seeing with him today was he kept attacking hitters, we wanted to pound their hitters inside and he did a great job of that.”
Pasquale also said that O’Brien had a slight shoulder sprain this week so he let him get extra rest.
Phil Lipari tripled in the bottom of the fourth to push the lead to 8-1, but the Bulldogs answered back with a run in the fifth and one in the seventh to cut the lead to five.
Dosch capped the game off for the Penguins by picking up his third hit and fourth RBI in the seventh inning when he singled up the middle.
David Leon chipped in for YSU with a hit, three walks and two runs scored. Jason Shirley added two hits, an RBI and scored twice.