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Penguins rally past Akron on bases-loaded walk in ninth inning
By STEVE WILAJ
AKRON
Youngstown State coach Steve Gillispie has watched his team play in too much of a rush at times this season.
“Things haven’t really gone our way too much,” the third-year coach said. “So we’ve been in a hurry to score or get outs or knock someone in rather than taking what the game gives us.”
For eight innings against Akron on Tuesday, Gillispie saw much of the same. However, the ninth was a refreshingly different story.
Trailing by a run entering the final frame, the Penguins rallied for two and held off Akron, 8-7, at Lee R. Jackson Field.
Designated hitter Joe King delivered the game-tying single before pinch-hitter Alex Core walked with the bases loaded to force home the go-ahead run. Ryan Krokos (2-2) then tossed a scoreless bottom of the ninth to earn the victory and snap YSU’s three-game losing streak.
“My team really picked me up,” said Krokos, who struck out three in three innings. “They played good defense and they got me that lead in the eighth inning, so I just wanted to close it out for the team.”
Krokos, a senior, came on in the seventh with the Penguins (4-11) ahead, 6-5, but lost that lead in the eighth.
Akron’s Mason Mamarella reached base on a one-out single off the glove of YSU shortstop Shane Willoughby. Matt Rembielak then delivered a clutch hit, as his two-out single scored two to give Akron (10-11) a one-run lead.
“We got the lead and then gave it back in sort of a strange fashion,” Gillispie said. “Normally Shane will catch that ball all day. But we did respond well.”
Jake Fryman — who homered in the fifth inning — started YSU’s rally with a single off of Evan Jensen (0-1). Then, with one out, Josh Fitch singled before King’s single tied the contest. That set up back-to-back walks by Lorenzo Arcuri and the freshman Core.
“We were able to get a couple on base,” said King, a sophomore who went 2-for-4 with three RBIs. “And then I got the right pitch and was able to knock them in.”
YSU pounded out 13 hits, as Fryman paced the team with three. Frank Califano, Jason Shirley and Fitch each added two hits.
The Penguins led 3-0 after the first inning, but trailed 5-3 after three innings thanks in part to Akron junior infielder Gerrad Rohan. The South Range grad finished 2-for-5 with a double and three RBIs.
YSU fought back to take a 6-5 lead in the sixth on a Brent Gillespie RBI single and a Califano steal and error. From there, the Penguins battled their own errors and base-running mistakes until a clean ninth inning.
“We really need to minimize those types of mistakes because many times that’s the difference between winning and losing,” King said.
With one out in the bottom of the ninth, Krokos plunked Kris Simonton — who then narrowly stole second base. However, the senior pitcher regrouped to make a fine diving play before retiring Rohan for the final out.
“It’s definitely a momentum win,” Krokos said. “Now we have a big game with Pittsburgh next and we want to take one from them, too.”