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Valpo sweeps YSU in baseball
By Ryan buck
NILES
The Youngstown State baseball team was unable to capitalize on a strong pitching performance and solid defense on Sunday against Valparaiso at Eastwood Field.
Penguins starter Blake Aquadro went 61/3 innings, surrendering six hits and only two earned runs in a 5-4 loss. The junior lefty kept the Valparaiso offense off-balance for most of the afternoon and was consistently ahead in the count.
“It helps me out when I get ahead with strikes,” Aquadro said. “They have to try and put the ball in play and it doesn’t always work out for them.”
The Crusaders (15-19, 9-6) swept the Horizon League weekend series with the Penguins (4-30, 2-13), who suffered their sixth one-run loss.
While Aquadro was not overpowering, 46 of his 68 pitches went for strikes and kept his team in a position to win.
“It was his best outing of the year,” Youngstown State coach Rich Pasquale said. “He minimized some innings. A lot of this year we haven’t minimized innings, which led to some big innings.”
Unfortunately for the Penguins, Valparaiso starter Kyle Wormington was on his game as well. The tall right-hander went eight innings, striking out four and matching Aquadro with two earned runs.
The YSU offense had to work hard to manufacture runs as the game was tight throughout.
Trailing 1-0 in the second inning, Penguin left fielder Dan Hurlimann reached on an error and advanced to third base. Facing two strikes and with two outs in the inning, first baseman David Leon smacked a double to left field, scoring Hurlimann.
The Penguins grabbed their only lead the following inning when clean-up hitter Jeremy Banks doubled home center fielder Jason Shirley, who was on second with a stolen base.
Valparaiso responded in the fifth when short stop Spencer Mahoney came home on a fielder’s choice. The Crusaders perfected a squeeze play on the very next pitch as Tanner Vavra bunted home Bobby Martin, who had a running start from third base.
“It puts a lot of pressure on because when they bunt, it puts us in a tough spot to throw over,” Aquadro elaborated on his opponents’ aggression on the base paths. “It makes it easier for them to get on base and it’s what they need to score.”
Second baseman Phil Lipari and short stop Padraic Williams made consecutive diving catches on line drives, preventing what could have been more Crusader runs.
“It gives you a little more confidence to do better, especially when the defense is performing behind you,” Aquadro said.
In the bottom-half of the inning, Youngstown State responded again. Rightfielder Marcus Heath tripled off the left field wall to lead off. His run on a Jason Shirley ground out tied the game at three.
After Aquadro gave way to the YSU bullpen, Vavra singled home Martin again in the seventh, giving Valparaiso the lead it would not relinquish.
They added a run in the top of the ninth, extending the lead to 5-3.
Catcher Craig Goubeaux led off the bottom of the ninth with a double. Two consecutive ground outs to second base brought him home before Valparaiso closer Jarad Miller was able to finish off the Penguins.