Penguins Bounce Back to Even Series With Wright State, 13-3

by YSU

Sunday, Apr 26, 2015 8:44 am

The Youngstown State baseball team rebounded in a big way against Wright State on Saturday with a 13-3 victory over the Raiders in game two of a three game series at Eastwood Field.

Shane Willoughby hit a three-run homer and had four RBIs, and Frank Califano had four hits to help the Penguins win for the sixth time in their last eight home games. Califano, Lorenzo Arcuri, Kevin Hix, Matt Sullivan, and Jonny Miller all scored twice.

The Penguins and the Raiders went three scoreless innings before Wright State put up two runs in the top of the fourth off Jeremy Quinlan. Sean Murphy hit a bloop single that fell in between three Penguins to put runners at the corners, and Matt Morrow followed with an RBI single for the game's first run. Murphy later scored on a ground out to give Wright State a 2-0 lead.

But YSU quickly answered back in the bottom of the inning to take the lead 3-2, and the Penguins held the upper hand for the rest of the game. Califano drew a leadoff walk, and Arcuri followed with a bunt single. After a strikeout, Willoughby hit his first career home run into the left field bullpen to put YSU up 3-2.

The Penguins added three more runs in the bottom of the fifth. Miller hit a double down the left field line, and Califano hit a bunt single. Miller scored on another bunt by Arcuri, and Califano scored on Willoughby's groundout. Arcuri scored YSU's third run of the inning on a passed ball to make the score 6-2.

The Raiders' third run came in the top of the seventh, and they had two at bats with the tying run at the plate. But Ryan Krokos got out of the inning with minimal damage, and YSU swiftly distanced itself by putting up four more runs in the bottom of the inning to make the score 10-3. Kevin Hix got hit by a pitch with one out, and YSU got some good fortune when a double-play grounder turned into a bad-hop single by Dominic Farina. Matt Sullivan capitalized with a two-run double to left center to plate Hix and Farina, and Sullivan scored on Califano's single to right field. Miller scored the Penguins' fourth run of the inning on a passed ball.

The Guins tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the eighth with the help of five walks as Hix, Anthony Rohan and Sullivan all scored.

Quinlan allowed just two runs in the fourth inning, and he surrendered four hits and three walks over six innings to earn his third victory. Ryan Krokos allowed a run over the final three innings to earn his second save of the season.

Wright State starter Luke Mamer retired the first nine batters he faced, but YSU ended up scoring six runs on five hits and two walks against him. The right-hander came into the game with a 1.91 ERA.

YSU and Wright State return for the last game of the series on Sunday at 1 p.m.

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