April 7, 2013

Box Score

NILES, Ohio - Youngstown State University broke a 2-2 tie in the sixth inning with a pair of runs and added two more the next inning to take a 6-2 victory over the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team Sunday afternoon at Eastwood Field.

The Panthers (12-14, 8-4 Horizon League) had two runners on base in each of the final three innings against the Penguins (9-21, 5-4 Horizon League), but could not find a way to keep scoring rallies extended in dropping the weekend series, two games to one.

"When you swing the bats the way we did today and yesterday, it's going to be tough to win," UWM head coach Scott Doffek said. "Mike kept us in the game early and I thought Tyler Thicke and Josh Uhen did a wonderful job out of the bullpen. We had some chances late but just could not capitalize."

Senior Jonathan Capasso (2-for-3) and freshman Mitch Ghelfi (2-for-4) led the offense with multi-hit efforts. Phil Lipari was the star for YSU with three hits and five runs batted in.

Junior Mike Schneider (4-2) suffered the loss, allowing four runs - just two earned - in 5.0 innings, striking out three but walking four.

UWM led in the second inning on a home run by Ghelfi, but found itself down by a run after Youngstown batted, scoring a pair of runs on two hits to lead 2-1.

The Panthers manufactured a run in the third. Senior Will Fadness was hit by a pitch, went to second on a single, third on a walk and scored on a sacrifice fly to tie it.

The score remained that way until the bottom of the sixth, when YSU scored a pair on three hits and was helped along by a UWM error. They doubled that lead an inning later despite hitting just one ball out of the infield.

Milwaukee tried to rally, putting runners on second and third with one out in the seventh, but Alex Frey closed out the inning with a pair of huge strikeouts. It also had two on and nobody out in the eighth but could not extend it and had two on with one out in the ninth before Nic Manuppelli worked out of trouble for his fifth save of the season.

Milwaukee looks to finally get a chance to play at home in 2013, hosting Chicago State and Parkside this coming Tuesday and Wednesday. Tuesday's home opener is set for a 3 p.m. first pitch.