April 3, 2008 | Box Score

Errors, Walks Doom Penguins to 11-7 Setback

    Niles, Ohio -- Eight errors that led to six unearned runs helped Tiffin to an 11-7 victory over Youngstown State at Eastwood Field on Thursday afternoon.
    Erich Diedrich tied the YSU record for career RBIs in the contest by driving in his 138th run in the sixth inning on a sacrifice fly.
    Diedrich, C.J. Morris and David Leon all had two hits while Eric Marzec had a game-high three.
    The Penguins are scheduled to play their Horizon League home opener on Friday at 7 p.m. against Valparaiso.
    Seven of YSU's errors came in the first four innings as the Dragons scored six unearned runs to take a 6-1 lead. They got a run across in each of the first two innings before scoring four times without recording a hit in the fourth.

    Trailing 2-0, the Penguins got their first run in the bottom of the second when Sean Lucas cleared the left field wall just inside the foul pole for his first career home run.
    The Penguins cut the margin to 6-4 with a three-run fifth as Josh Page scored on a fielder's choice and Anthony Porter had a two-run double. Tiffin answered with four runs on three hits and four walks to make the score 10-4. Tiffin drew nine bases on balls during the contest.
    YSU loaded the bases with nobody out in the sixth but only scored one, and Tiffin countered with a run in the top of the seventh. YSU added two in the ninth on RBI singles from Marzec and Morris.
    Even with the loss, YSU is 3-1 at home and will play 13 of its next 15 games at Cene Park and Eastwood Field.
    Lucas Engle was tagged with the loss despite not allowing an earned run in four innings. Don Smith got the win for Tiffin, allowing three runs on six hits in 4.1 innings of work.
    Leadoff hitter Devin Rudolph tripled, singled and scored twice to lead the Dragons.
    After Friday's game, the Penguins and Crusaders will play a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m.