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Valpo bloops overwhelm YSU
By Steve Wilaj
NILES
For every lineout and warning-track fly ball for Youngstown State on Saturday, it seemed Valparaiso countered with a blooper or infield hit at Eastwood Field.
Frustrating for coach Steve Gillispie and the Penguins? No doubt.
“There are a lot of things in the game that are not going to go your way even when you do it correctly,” he said.
Still, Gillispie knows it’s not all about sheer luck.
“You also kind of make your opportunity,” he said. “And they did a much better job of that today than we did.”
Behind 13 hits and some obvious good fortune, Valpo defeated YSU for the second consecutive day, 6-3.
“It’s frustrating,” Penguins catcher Josh White said. “Our pitchers go out there and make good pitches and then they just dink one over our second baseman or get an infield single.
“It’s really a rally killer and kind of ruins it,” White said. “It just seemed like luck was on their side.”
Using that deemed “luck,” the Crusaders (13-19, 4-7 Horizon League) jumped out to an early 3-0 lead through six innings. It was another slow start for YSU — something Gillispie said is becoming all too familiar.
“The problem has been early on, not gaining a lead,” he said. “But then we do a good job of keep coming back at it when we’re behind.”
Trailing 3-0 entering the bottom of the seventh inning, Neil Schroth led-off with a single into right field. Following a Drew Dosch fielder’s choice, White doubled and Phil Lipari hit a RBI single.
With one out, Nick Dinello walked to load the bases. Devin Higgins then made it 3-2 with a sacrifice fly. The Penguins (9-25, 5-6) finally pulled even when Lipari trotted home as Dinello safely stole second base.
But the Crusaders wasted no time in reclaiming the lead, as a two-out RBI single by Andy Burns gave Valpo a 4-3 advantage.
“We haven’t been able to sustain and a hold a team where it is,” Gillispie said. “If you look at the last five or six games, the late innings have been a real problem and we have to find a way to fix that.”
Relieving YSU starter Patrick O’Brien, who went 72/3 innings and allowed four runs (three earned) on 11 hits, Nic Manupelli allowed two runs in the ninth inning as the Crusaders took a commanding 6-3 lead.
“I though O’Brien pitched real well,” said White, who went 2 for 4 at the plate. “They just had a lot of bloop hits. They maybe barreled three or four balls up off him.”
As lucky as Valpo may have been, Gillispie also gave credit where it was due.
“I think they had a more solid approach at the plate than we did,” he said. “They beat a lot of balls in the dirt and got some hits. They were very clean.”
Going 61/3 innings, Chris DeBoo earned the victory for the Crusaders.
YSU has lost four consecutive games, but still leads Valpo by one game in the standings, making today’s series finale that much more important.
“You have to take it like any other game,” White said. “But it’d be nice to get a ‘W’ so they don’t sweep us. If we come and play our style of baseball, we’ll be fine.”