Blaze-ing hot bats, pitching lift YSU baseball team

Staff report

NILES

Blaze Glenn had six RBIs in the first five innings, and four pitchers combined for a three-hit shutout as the Youngstown State baseball team beat St. Bonaventure 10-0 on Wednesday at Eastwood Field.

Glenn was a triple shy of the cycle, and he became the first Penguin in two years to drive in six runs in a game. The junior third baseman was 3 for 5 with a two-run homer and Jeff Wehler also had three hits and a two-run bomb.

On the mound, Gary Clift Jr., Chad Coles, Zach Lopatka and Grant Kersh combined to blank the Bonnies on just three hits. The Penguins (10-32) recorded their first shutout since May 8, 2016, at UIC and their first shutout at home since April 15, 2015, against Kent State.

Coles did the bulk of the work out of the bullpen, pitching a career-high five innings and striking out a career-best seven. The sophomore right-hander came on in the second and surrendered a two-out single in the third and a leadoff single in the fifth for the only two hits by the Bonnies (8-22) in the first eight innings.

Coles allowed just three baserunners and retired 10 of the final 11 batters he faced. Clift Jr. allowed a one-out walk in the first in his lone inning, Lopatka pitched the seventh and eighth innings, and Kersh came on to pitch the ninth.

It was the second straight strong effort for the Penguins, who held Ohio to two hits on Tuesday.

Glenn gave the Penguins the early lead with a two-run single up the middle in the bottom of the first that plated Lucas Nasonti and Phillip Glasser. Wehler quickly doubled the lead to 4-0 when he hit the first pitch of his at bat over the second wall in left field for his fifth home run.

YSU opens a series at Oakland at 3 p.m. Friday.