YSU ROUNDUP Results of Saturday’’s other games

SOFTBALL

Lusk homers in loss to No. 14 S. Carolina

Columbia, S.C.

Junior Maddi Lusk hit a solo home run in the top of the fourth inning but the Youngstown State softball team dropped a 10-1 decision to No. 14 South Carolina on Saturday afternoon at Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham.

With the loss, the Penguins fall to 0-5 on the year while South Carolina improves to 9-2.

The Gamecocks scored twice in the bottom half of the second and USC pitcher was tossing a no-hitter through 3.2 innings. Lusk belted a first-pitch home run, her first of the year, with two outs to left field to cut the Gamecocks lead to 2-1.

South Carolina posted eight runs in the bottom of the fifth to enforce the eight-run mercy rule.

Elizabeth Birkbeck had a double for the Penguins, YSU’s only other hit.

The Penguins take on Charlotte and Winthrop at noon and 2 p.m. today, respectively.

MEN’S TENNIS

Penguins take down Colgate to reach .500

SYRACUSE, N.Y.

The Youngstown State men’s tennis team picked up a 6-1 victory over Colgate on Saturday afternoon in a match played at the Drumlin Tennis Club.

YSU (4-4) won at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles and won five of the six singles matches against the Raiders.

In No. 1 doubles, Joao Garretto and Vasilis Vardakis picked up a 6-3 win over Noah Rosenblat and Tyler Krantz. At No. 2 doubles, Danylo Veremeichuk and Erik Gran earned a 6-3 win over Alec Dardis and Rohan Gupta.

In singles play, YSU won in straight sets at No. 1, No. 3. No. 4, No. 5 and No. 6.

At No. 1, Veremeichuk defeated Scott Bickel by a score of 6-1, 6-2. At No. 3, Vardakis beat Dardis by a 6-1, 7-5 margin. Luke Purser was victorious over Gupta at No. 4 by a 6-1, 6-2 score. Gran beat Peter Hartman 7-5, 7-6 at No. 5 while at No. 6, Pol Virgili Blanco was a 6-3, 6-3 winner over Krantz.

The Penguins are next in action on March 10 when they take on Northern Illinois in Orlando, Fla.

BASEBALL

Penguins drop twinbill against Seminoles

Tallahassee, Fla.

YSU fell to Florida State in both games of a doubleheader Saturday. The Seminoles beat the Penguins 24-2 in the opener and 7-4 in the nightcap.

Florida State (7-0) recorded 18 hits in the first game, including 11 extra-base hits and six home runs. The Seminoles’ Robby Martin who went 4 for 4 with a single, two doubles, a home run and six RBIs.

Blaze Glenn drove in both YSU runs with a sacrifice fly in the top of the first and an RBI single in fourth. The Penguins were held to four hits as Jeff Wehler doubled and Phillip Glasser and Steven D’Eusanio each singled.

The Penguins’ second run came in the top of the fourth when Wehler hit a lead-off double down the left-field line and was driven home by Glenn. Later in the inning, Glenn was caught stealing for the first time in YSU career. He had been 16 for 16 in steal attempts dating back to last season.

The junior actually beat the throw easily but was tagged as the momentum from his slide took him off second base.

Jon Snyder suffered his second loss of the season while FSU starter CJ Van Eyk earned his second win. Van Eyk allowed two runs on three hits and fanned six batters over five innings.

YSU (0-6) took a 4-2 lead into the sixth inning of the second game before Florida State rallied to remain unbeaten.

YSU starter Chad Coles provided a solid effort, allowing three runs and scattering four hits over four innings in a no-decision.

After scoring three runs on three hits in the top of the first, YSU was held hitless the rest of the game. The Penguins drew seven walks but struck out 12 times and were retired in order in five different innings.

Cody Dennis drew a lead-off walk to begin the game and scored on the next pitch as Wehler put the Penguins ahead with a two-run home run to left field. Glenn followed with a double and scored on a throwing error to push the lead to 3-0.

In six road games against two top-10 nationally ranked opponents to begin the season, YSU held leads in five of them.

The Penguins will return to action Friday in the opener of a a three-game series at Tennessee Tech.

Staff reports