Pitching Dominates Doubleheader as YSU and Oakland Split

by YSU

Sunday, Apr 24, 2016 11:18 am

Youngstown State and Oakland each got outstanding pitching in one game of a doubleheader as YSU won game one 7-2 and Oakland prevailed in game two 9-1.

Joe King carried the Penguins to victory in the opener by pitching the first complete game of his career. He allowed two runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out two batters. Oakland used five pitchers in the nightcap, and YSU did not get its first hit until there was one out in the eighth inning.

King got three runs of support in the bottom of the first inning, which was all he needed for the entire game. Andrew Kendrick hit a two-out double, and Gerrad Rohan followed with an RBI single to give YSU a 1-0 advantage. Rohan then scored on Trey Bridis' double, and Billy Salem plated Bridis with a single.

YSU went ahead 4-0 in the third inning when Alex Larivee singled and scored on another RBI single by Rohan.

Oakland had a chance to take a chunk out of the deficit in the seventh before King worked out of a jam allowing just one run. Tyler Pagano and Ian Yetsko led off with back-to-back singles to put runners at the corners, and Pagono scored on a sacrifice fly to left that Anthony Rohan made a sliding catch on. King then caught Yetsko taking off on first movement and retired him trying to advance to second, and Connor Fannon flied out to center for the third out.

Youngstown State backed King by posting three runs in the bottom of the seventh to go up 7-1. Gerrad Rohan walked with the bases loaded to bring in a run, and two more runs scored on a single by Bridis.

King allowed a run on a sacrifice fly then got an inning-ending double play in the eighth, and he worked around a one-out walk in the ninth to finish the win.

Gerrad Rohan and Bridis both had a pair of hits and three RBIs to lead YSU's offense in the opener.

In the nightcap, Oakland took a 1-0 lead in the third inning when a leadoff walk came around to score on a fielder's choice.

That's what the score remained until the sixth inning when Oakland scored four times on three hits and three walks. Zach Sterry and Mark Brosseau hit back-to-back one-out singles, and Jeremy Quinlan walked Tyler Pagano to load the bases. YSU closer Kevin Yarabinec was called upon to work out of the jam, and he walked the first batter to force in a run and allowed a two-run single to Ben Hart as Oakland went up 4-0. Oakland's final run of the inning scored on a two-out passed ball.

Oakland added two runs on three straight hits in the seventh to go up 7-1.

Collin Gee, making his second start of the year for the Golden Grizzlies, did not allow a hit and walked two batters in five innings before handing the baton to the bullpen. Nate Schweers and Lucas Scocchia followed with hitless innings before YSU got its first hit off Logan Sparkman. Nico Padovan broke up the no-hitter with a single up the middle, and Lorenzo Arcuri and Larivee followed with singles to left that allowed Padovan to score.

Oakland added two runs in the ninth on Hart's two-out double to left.

Youngstown State will continue its nine-game home-stand on Wednesday when it hosts Bowling Green at 5:30 p.m.