May 23, 2014

Box Score

MEQUON, Wis. - The Cinderella run for the Youngstown State University baseball team continued in the Horizon League Tournament, handing the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team an 11-5 loss at Kapco Park Friday evening.

The sixth-seeded Penguins (15-36) pulled off their third-straight upset, scoring seven runs in the second inning to derail the Panthers' (21-28) hope of reaching the tournament championship without a loss.

Milwaukee had a disastrous inning in the field in the second inning and could never recover. YSU posted five hits and plated seven runs, but was helped along by three UWM miscues in the field that continued to extend the inning and a call that was reversed by the umpires to bring the players back on the field as well.

"Essentially that was the game," UWM head coach Scott Doffek said. "I think we gave them seven outs in that inning and you just can't do that. Our offense is so predicated on pressure and when you fall behind like that it just shuts down the run game completely."

The Penguins have now played three games this week and upset top-seeded Wright State 7-1, No. 3 Valparaiso 7-3, and now No. 4 Milwaukee.

The UWM offense could never figure out YSU starter Patrick O'Brien (2-10). The Panthers touched him up for 10 hits in the first seven innings, but could only plate one run.

"He made some big pitches, but when you can't pressure - when a single is just a single - it's just easier to pitch to and there is no threat of running," Doffek said. "That allows him to really lock in on location and Patrick O'Brien did a great job of that."

The bats finally came alive in the ninth, but the rally only lasted for four runs as the deficit was just too much.

Redshirt freshman Eric Solberg led the offense with a perfect 3-for-3 night. Juniors Mike Porcaro (2-for-4) and Tyler Hermann (2-for-4) and senior Pat Wilson (2-for-5) each added multi-hit efforts.

Youngstown roughed up junior Cody Peterson (4-3) for six runs - just three earned - and he did not make it out of the second inning. The team also pounded out 15 hits, led by a 4-for-5 night by Josh White and a 3-for-4, 2 RBI performance from Matt Sullivan.

The loss drops the Panthers into the loser's bracket. They will play the Wright State Raiders in an elimination contest starting at 11 a.m. Saturday morning.

"It's not supposed to be easy," Doffek said. "Hopefully it won't be this hard but tomorrow is a new day."