March 14, 2007

Penguins Squander Eighth Inning Lead in 4-3 Loss at Marshall

    Huntington, W.Va. -- Marshall scored three runs with two outs in the eighth inning to rally to a 4-3 victory over Youngstown State on Wednesday afternoon at University Heights.
    Four outs from a two-game sweep, YSU surrendered a tying two-run home run and an unearned run to fall to 1-9.
    After a perfect seventh inning, YSU reliever Corey Vukovic allowed a one-out single  to Brendan Murphy that started the rally. Andy Svitak came on and struck out Jeff Rowley, but Brandon Casamassima lined the first pitch over the left centerfield fence to tie the game. Josh Valle then reached on an error at short by Anthony Munoz, advanced on a wild pitch and beat the throw to the plate on Matt Helm's single to left.
    Svitak, who had not allowed a run in his first four outings, suffered his first loss of the season. Eric Marzec allowed one run on two hits and five walks over four innings in his first collegiate start, and Joe Antinone threw two scoreless innings.
    Andrew Hancock go the win in relief for the Thundering Herd, and Nick Wolle earned his sixth save after retiring the Penguins in order in the ninth.
    The Penguins got on the board with two outs in the fourth after Brent Parks reached on a bunt single and scored on Josh Page's double, but Marshall scored in the bottom of the inning to make the score 1-1.
    YSU then struck for two runs on three hits and an error in the fifth to go up 3-1. John Koehnlein hit a leadoff single and scored when Sean Lucas followed with a double down the left field line. Lucas then advanced on a Mike Turjanica single and scored when pitcher Adam Dobies' pickoff attempt at first was wild.
    Parks finished with two hits to lead YSU while Murphy and Helm had two hits for Marshall.
    The Penguins will begin a three-game series with Morehead State tomorrow at 6 p.m.