YSU baseball sweeps Oakland

Staff report

NILES

The Youngstown State baseball team swept a doubleheader from Oakland on Saturday at Eastwood Field.

The Penguins used a Nico Padovan home run in game one to win 5-4 before opening game two with seven runs in the first en route to a 12-3 victory.

It marked the first doubleheader sweep for the Penguins (4-16, 2-4 Horizon) in Horizon League play since April 29, 2012 (vs. Illinois-Chicago).

Padovan belted a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning. The Penguins trailed 4-3 when Kyle Benyo walked with one out. Padovan then hit his first home run of the season launching a T.J. Shook pitch into the Oakland (2-18, 1-2) bullpen in left field.

Reliever Alex Bellardini, who worked out of a jam in the top of the seventh, worked through the eighth and Joe King earned the save in the ninth, stranding the tying run at second base.

In the second game, Willoughby had four RBI, including a two-run homer for the Penguins.

In game two, Shane Willoughby, Anthony Rohan and Alex Larivee all had two hits. Willoughby also had four RBIs and Larivee scored three runs.

Leading 9-3 in the seventh inning, Willoughby belted a two-run homer and Benyo had an RBI single as the Penguins tied their season-high for runs (12 at Georgia Tech).

Jeremy Quinlan pitched five innings to earn the win. Bellardini, Gino DiVincenzo and Joe King pitched the final four frames. The trio combined to allow one earned run.