YSU offense breaks out against Raiders

Staff report

Dayton

The Youngstown State baseball team scored a season-high 10 runs over the first four innings, and withstood a late charge to earn a 10-8 win over Wright State on Saturday at Nischwitz Stadium.

Chase Slone walked to drive home a run and cut the YSU lead 10-8 in the bottom of the ninth inning. However, Dalton Earich came out of the bullpen and struck out Connor Regan to end the game and even the series at a game apiece.

The Penguins have won two of their last three contests. Saturday’s victory also snapped a 10-game losing streak to Wright State, and was YSU’s first win over the Raiders in Dayton since April 2015.

The Raiders (17-8, 5-3 Horizon League) hit four home runs, scored in seven different innings, and scored the final six runs of the game in five of the last six innings.

Wright State scored the first run of the game, but YSU (4-22, 2-5) led 10-2 after the top of the fourth.

Eight different Penguins had a hit, and Jeff Wehler, Steven D’Eusanio and Dylan Swarmer each had two. Wehler was 2-for-4 with a double, two runs scored, three RBIs and a career-high four stolen bases. Phillip Glasser drove in a pair of runs and scored twice while D’Eusanio, Blaze Glenn and Cameron Murray also had an RBI.

In addition to their season-high 10 runs, the Penguins also matched a season high with 11 hits.

Wehler became just the third player in YSU history to steal at least four bases in a game, and the first since Nick Gesacion stole four bags against Alliance on April 27, 1968. The sophomore’s four steals were one shy of the school record (five), set by Ron Aulet in 1964.

YSU starter Marco DeFalco allowed four runs, three of them earned, on five hits over 52/3 innings to earn his first collegiate win. Earich was awarded his first save of the season.

Peyton Burdick had three hits including a solo home run and scored three runs to lead Wright State offensively. Tyler Black, Seth Gray and Zane Harris also hit solo homers, and Gray added two RBIs.

Wright State starter Zane Collins was responsible for eight runs — seven earned — on seven hits over three innings.

The Penguins will play the Raiders today at 2 p.m.