YSU, Aquadro stun Wright State to advance

Staff report

CHICAGO

Behind a memorable performance by pitcher Blake Aquadro, the Youngstown State baseball team knocked off Wright State 5-4 to stay alive in the 2012 Horizon League Baseball Tournament at Illinois-Chicago’s Les Miller Field on Friday afternoon.

Aquadro allowed three runs in the first inning and a solo homer in the second. The junior left-hander from Memphis then put up all zeroes on the scoreboard the rest of the game.

The Penguins rallied, with Jason Shirley’s RBI double in the sixth scoring Jeremy Banks with the winning run.

Today at noon, Youngstown State plays Illinois-Chicago.

Wright State’s season ends with a record of 37-21 while YSU is guaranteed to finish at least third in the tournament.

The Penguins were 9-42 during the regular season and 0-6 against Wright State. Three of those lopsided games, including a 32-4 decision on April 5.

“For what we went through against Wright State, in particular earlier in the year, and to be able to have a game like this is great,” YSU head coach Rich Pasquale said. “That was a clutch performance by a big-time pitcher.

“Blake settled in and kept them off balance. We had some good defense behind him, and he was able to get them to chase some pitches,” Pasquale said. “I cannot say enough about his effort.”

Aquadro allowed just one earned run on 10 hits in 8 2/3 innings to earn his third win of the season and second in as many tournaments. Nic Manuppelli came in to record the final out and record his first career save.

Banks finished 2-for-4, and Craig Goubeaux walked and scored twice.