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May 23, 2003
Penguins Squander Leads, Fall to Butler 9-6
Fairborn, Ohio -- The Youngstown State baseball team
allowed two three-run leads to slip
away as Butler scored six unanswered
runs in a 9-6 Bulldogs win on Friday
night at Nischwitz Stadium during
the second day of action of the
Horizon League Tournament.
With the loss, the Penguins (27-27) play an elimination game
at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday against
Cleveland State. Butler and UIC will
meet at 10:30 a.m.
YSU had leads of 3-0 and 6-3, but the Bulldogs (33-25) came
back to tie the game at three in the
third and overcame their second
three-run deficit scoring four runs
in the sixth and two more in the
seventh. Reliever Corey Kugle (2-2)
was untouchable retiring all 13 YSU
batters he faced in 4.1 innings of
work.
Justin Banks highlighted the Penguins' offensive effort with
a two-run homer and a two-RBI
triple, but Youngstown State could
not muster anything against Kugle
after he entered the game.
YSU built its lead back up to three runs and knocked BU
starter Luke Behning from the game
in the fifth inning. After Behning
retired the first two batters, the
Penguins peppered him for three
straight solid hits.
Charles Schultz singled and scored on a double off the
right-field wall by Adam Cox. Banks
ripped his third homer of the season
over the left-field fence putting
Youngstown State in front 6-3.
But again, Butler came back in the bottom half of the inning
to take its first lead of the game
and never trailed again.
Jon Freeman and Jeff Brown reached on singles and when Jon
Mueller laid down a bunt, Corey
Ohalek (6-5) overthrew Jim Lipinski
allowing the two runners to score as
Mueller raced to third. Albert
singled back up the middle scoring
Mueller tying the contest at six.
Tim Marks then scored Albert with
the go-ahead run on a single to
center.
In the seventh, the Bulldogs tacked on another run when Jared
Lowe led off with a single and
scored on a double to left by Paul
Beck. An Albert sacrifice bunt moved
Beck to third and Ohalek was
replaced by Josh Wells. Justin
McKinley greeted Wells with an RBI
single up the middle.
For the game, Ohalek pitched 6.1 innings, allowing nine runs
-- six earned -- on 12 hits while
striking out six.
The Penguins jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the top of
the first off Behning. With one out,
Brandon Caipen reached on an error
and scored on a double by Schultz.
Cox followed with a walk and Banks
belted a triple to left center
plating both runners to put the
Penguins in front 3-0.
Butler escaped more damage when Banks was thrown out at home
on a grounder to second by Lipinski.
After retiring Jim Phillips to end
the inning, Behning retired nine
straight hitters before Phillips
doubled in the fourth.
The Bulldogs took advantage of two Penguins errors in the
bottom of the inning to push across
two runs. With two outs, Lowe and
Beck crossed the plate for Butler.
Lowe scored when a fly ball to right
hit off Caipen's glove in right and
Beck scored on a ground-rule double
by Albert.
In the third, Mueller led off the inning with a single and
scored on a sacrifice fly by Beck
tying the game at three. |
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