May 10, 2008 | Game One Box | Game Two Box

Penguins Rally in Ninth to Give Swenson Sixth Horizon League Victory

    Valparaiso, Ind. -- Youngstown State scored two runs in the top of the ninth to help Aaron Swenson to his sixth victory in Horizon League play on Saturday at Valparaiso.
    Swenson allowed one run on five hits and a walk to improve to 6-2 overall and 6-0 in conference games. Valpo starter Elliot Gibbs did not allow a run through the first eight innings before YSU scored twice in the ninth to win 2-1.
    The Penguins nearly had ninth-inning heroics again in the nightcap. They cut a 3-0 lead to one and had the tying run at first before falling 3-2.
    Swenson retired 10 straight batters until No. 9 hitter John Giusti singled to start the sixth inning. Dan DeBruin sacrificed him to second, and Giusti scored three batters later on Josh Wallace's single through the right side.
    Gibbs allowed only three runners to reach scoring position - two in the first and one in the fourth - before the Penguins finally broke through in the ninth. Sean Lucas led off with a single, and he went to third on Erich Diedrich's sacrifice and Joe Iacobucci's ground out. Anthony Porter tied the game with a single to right, and pinch runner Jason Reitenbach scored the eventual game-winner when a throw in to the infield on Tom Clayton's single was wild.
    In game two, Valpo scored twice in the second and once in the third to take an early 3-0 lead. That, however, was all they would muster against starter Chuck Schiffhauer. He allowed only three hits and did not walk a batter over the next five innings.
    Valpo starter Jon Gulbransen retired the first six Penguins of the game, and only two players reached second base in the first eight innings. In the ninth, Lucas led off with a single and Diedrich followed with a double to put runners on second and third with nobody out. Jay Clites came on to induce Iacobucci and Porter into RBI groundouts, and Jarad Miller retired Tom Clayton after beaning Mike Turjanica to earn his seventh save.
    The split keeps YSU at an even 11-11 record in Horizon League games while Valpo falls to 8-10.
    The Penguins have a busy final week of the regular season coming up. They play a doubleheader at West Virginia on Monday, a game Tuesday against Kent State at Cene Park and three games at Milwaukee on Thursday and Friday.