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Flames ace conquers cold, Penguins
By Steve Wilaj
NILES
Hitting University of Illinois-Chicago starting pitcher Jake Dahlberg was a tough task in 20-degree temperatures and snow flurries.
But from what Youngstown State coach Steve Gillispie saw on Friday at Eastwood Field, Dahlberg would have been a headache even in perfect weather conditions.
The Penguins fell to UIC, 2-1, in the three-game series opener as the Flames sophomore lefty stifled YSU in a complete-game performance.
With a game-time temperature of 28 degrees, Dahlberg (3-1, 2.54 ERA) allowed just two hits and a walk on 107 pitches in nine innings. At one point, he retired 21-straight Penguins batters.
“Obviously it’s not a good day to hit with those kinds of conditions,“ Gillispie said. “But he was gonna be successful on most days.
“He threw the ball to both sides of the plate,” Gillispie said. “He threw a breaking ball for a strike. He could throw it down-and-in and change speeds.
“He was very, very effective.”
The Flames (9-10-1, 5-2 Horizon League) jumped ahead, 2-0, in the top of the first inning when Jeff Boehm notched a run-scoring double off of YSU starter Jeremy Quinlan.
Alex Lee then followed with an RBI groundout.
Quinlan (2-3, 3.33 ERA) settled down after that as he didn’t allow a run the rest of his outing. The sophomore went six innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits. He walked two and logged 90 pitches.
“It was about two pitches that got away from him,” Gillispie said. “He had the leadoff walk ... And then he left the ball up to Boehm and that kind of was the ball game right there.”
The Penguins (5-13, 1-6) cracked the scoreboard in the eighth inning when they got their first base runner since Frank Califano’s leadoff bunt single in the first.
Ryan Cordova’s double to right field snapped Dahlberg’s streak of 21 consecutive retired batters. Pinch-runner Anthony Rohan came around to score on Lorenzo Arcuri’s sacrifice fly.
But that was all the YSU offense could muster against Dalhberg, who was assisted by a fine performance from the Flames’ top-ranked Horizon League defense.
“They’re athletic, they move around well and they throw well,” Gillispie said. “When you get a guy that’s throwing a lot of ground balls, that’s a nice team to have behind you.
“But we didn’t do enough early in the game to run up his pitch count and have more opportunities. We just got beat.”
YSU’s Austin Lujano also had a good day on the mound. He followed up Quinlan’s strong outing with three scoreless innings of relief. The lefty struck out two and allowed two hits.
Today’s contest was postponed because of cold temperatures. Instead, YSU and UIC will play a doubleheader on Sunday, beginning at 10 a.m.
“It’s big because we’re in a little bit of a hole, “ Gillispie said. “It’s important that we find ways to win games like this and it’s important that we start winning some games in the league to keep from falling too far behind.”