Penguins Hold On for 10-9 Win at Radford

by YSU

Thursday, Mar 12, 2015 8:04 am

Radford, Va. -- Shane Willoughby hit a go-ahead triple in the top of the eighth, and Josh Fitch came on to pitch out of a jam in the ninth to lift the Youngstown State baseball team to a 10-9 win at Radford on Tuesday afternoon.

The Penguins had a seven-run fourth inning to go up 8-3, but they had to rally in the final three innings to win for the second time in as many days.

Willoughby was one of five Penguins who posted two hits, and Ryan Cordova had two hits, two RBIs and scored twice.

Cordova singled and scored on an error in the top of the third to tie the score at 1-1, and he hit a two-run single in YSU's seven-run fourth after Radford had gone up 3-1. The Penguins sent 10 batters to the plate in the inning and posted eight hits, including two by Alex Larivee.

Patrick Marshall hit his second two-run homer of the afternoon in the fifth to make the score 8-5, and the Highlanders took the lead with four runs in the sixth. Hunter Higgerson delivered a three-run double with two outs in the sixth as Radford went ahead 9-8.

Jason Shirley singled in Jake Fryman in the seventh to tie the score, and Willoughby tripled in Califano with one out in the eighth with what turned out to be the winning run.

Radford loaded the bases with one out in the ninth, but Fitch came in to slam the door by striking out leadoff batter Josh Gardiner and getting Shane Johnsonbaugh to ground out.

YSU starting pitcher D.J. Carr allowed four earned runs in 4.2 innings in a no decision. Ryan Krokos allowed the go-ahead triple to Higgerson, but he was not charged with a run in 2.1 innings of relief to earn the victory. Daniel Bridgeman was charged with the loss for Radford.

Youngstown State had season highs of 14 hits and 10 runs.

The Penguins and Highlanders will conclude their two-game series on Tuesday at 4 p.m.

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