The Youngstown State baseball team scored six runs in the top of the eighth inning to overcome a five-run deficit and earn a 6-5 victory over New Orleans in the series opener on Friday at Maestri Field in New Orleans, La.
Youngstown State won its second straight game to improve to 4-8 overall. New Orleans dropped to 8-3 overall after having its three-game winning streak snapped.
Dylan Swarmer went 4-for-4 at the plate, and he had two hits including the go-ahead RBI single during YSU's furious eighth-inning rally.
Alex Cardona, Brandon Mikos, Casey Marshalwitz and Nathan Ball combined to limit New Orleans to one hit over four scoreless innings of relief to help facilitate the Penguins' comeback. Each tossed a scoreless inning of relief after the Privateers scored five unearned runs off YSU starter Jon Snyder in the bottom of the fifth. Mikos earned the win in his first collegiate appearance while Ball picked up his fourth save of the season.
In the top of the eighth inning, Swarmer, Austin Earl and Lucas Nasonti hit three straight singles to load bases. Swarmer scored on a wild pitch before Braeden O'Shaughnessy greeted New Orleans reliever Collin Kulivan with an RBI single to right field. After Dominick Bucko brought home Nasonti with an RBI groundout, Padraig O'Shaughnessy drove in his brother Braeden O'Shaughnessy with a sacrifice fly to center field. After Steven D'Eusanio smacked a two-out double, Seth Lucero and Swarmer each came through with an RBI single to put YSU ahead 6-5.
Swarmer finished the game 4-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored to lead Youngstown State offensively. Lucero went 2-for-4 with an RBI single and a run scored while Nasonti, Braeden O'Shaughnessy, D'Eusanio and Earl also added hits for the Penguins. YSU outhit UNO 10-4 for the contest and it sent 10 batters to the plate during the deciding eighth inning.
The Privateers broke a scoreless tie with five runs on two hits in the home half of the fifth inning. After Snyder issued a pair of walks and a hit a batter to load the bases, Amani Larry delivered a two-out RBI single and Pearce Howard followed with a grand slam to right field that put New Orleans in front 5-0.
Snyder surrendered five unearned runs on three hits and three walks and struck out five batters over five innings. He retired the first eight batters he faced before issuing a two-out walk in the third. Snyder retired the side in order in the first, second and fourth frames.
New Orleans starter Tyler LeBlanc scattered three hits and struck out six batters over six scoreless innings of work in a no-decision. He retired the side in order in the first, fourth and sixth frames. Caleb Seroski suffered the loss after allowing the go-ahead run in the eighth inning.
Larry went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored to pace the Privateers offensively. Howard drove in UNO's other four runs with his fifth-inning grand slam.
Youngstown State and New Orleans will continue this weekend's four-game series on Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. ET. Both games will be broadcast live on YSNLive.com and UNOPrivateers.com.
