April 4, 2008 | Box Score

Schiffhauer's Strong Start Not Enough as Guins Fall in 11th

    Niles, Ohio -- Youngstown State got 7.2 solid innings from starter Chuck Schiffhauer before Valparaiso's run in the 11th inning lifted the Crusaders to a 4-3 victory on Friday evening.
    Schiffhauer allowed three runs, only one of which was earned, on six hits and struck out four. Valpo starter Elliott Gibbs held a 3-1 lead before allowing the Penguins to tie the score in the eighth.
    John Koehnlein had four hits while Eric Marzec singled, doubled and had two RBIs. YSU held an 11-9 advantage in hits but stranded 15 and went 2-for-17 with runners in scoring position. They left at least one runner on in every inning but the 10th, stranded two in the sixth, eighth and ninth, and they left the bases juiced in the 11th.
    Valpo, on the other hand, was 3-for-10 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11. Two of its runs also came after the Penguins were unable to convert on potential double plays.
    The Crusaders got their lone earned run off of Schiffhauer in the fourth when Zach Rodeghero hit a leadoff double and scored two batters later on Andrew Quinnette's single.
    Erich Diedrich led off the bottom of the fourth with a double, moved on Sean Lucas' sacrifice and scored on Marzec's groundout to tie the game.
    Valpo cashed in on Penguins errors in the sixth and eighth innings to take a 3-1 lead, but YSU got two runs on three hits in the eighth to tie it.
    Lucas drew a one out walk, and Anthony Porter, Marzec and Dustin Wachter banged out three-straight singles to knock Gibbs from the game. Reliever Jay Clites entered and threw a wild pitch to put runners on second and third, but he escaped with back-to-back ground outs to second base.
    In the 11th the Crusaders were almost retired after three hitters when David Leon made a highlight-reel catch to his right at short  and nearly doubled up Jason Brunelli at first. Damon McCormick then singled, Dan DeBruin took a pitch just off the plate on a full count to load the bass, and Matt Lenski was hit by a pitch to bring in the run.
    Koehnlein led off the 11th with his third infield hit and stole second. After Josh Page's sacrifice moved Koehnlein to third, Cory Hornyak was hit by a pitch and stole second. Diedrich was intentionally walked, and reliever Jarad Miller was able to strike out Lucas on a high fastball and get Morris to ground out to second to end the game.
    Miller earned his third save despite the nail-biter in the 11th, and Steve Godawa improved to 2-1 after throwing 1.2 perfect innings of relief.
    Joe Antinone was charged with the loss for YSU after allowing the run in the 11th.
    The Penguins and Crusaders will play a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m.

    Quinnette finished with two hits and two RBIs while Rodeghero had three hits and scored three times.