May 18, 2007

Game 1 Stats | Game 2 Stats

Contact: Josh Rattray

LORAIN, Ohio - Cleveland State and Youngstown split a doubleheader Friday, setting up a final-day duel on Saturday at the Pipe Yard. CSU committed five errors in a 7-3 loss in game one before rallying for a 10-3 win in the nightcap. The Vikings have won three of four this season against the Penguins.

Needing to split the season's final four games to avoid last place in the Horizon League standings, CSU didn't come out with the urgency that one would expect. YSU tallied two first-inning runs and another in the third to take a 3-0 lead early. The Penguins added two unearned runs in the sixth to go ahead 5-0 and a solo home run by Lee Bainbridge in the seventh extended the YSU lead to 6-0.

Tom Clayton doubled and scored in the eighth before CSU put some runs on the board in the bottom of the ninth. Junior Vasili Pahoulis lifted an RBI double to left and senior Rich Ranells reached on a Penguin error to set the table for a two-run double by sophomore Josh Hungerman.

Senior Stephen Procner (3-9) went seven innings for the Vikings, allowing six runs (three earned) on 11 hits while striking out seven. Pahoulis and junior Bobby Cash each had two hits for CSU.

Game two of the doubleheader started very similar to the first contest, as YSU's John Koehnlein and Josh Page each singled and scored in the top of the first to give the Penguins a 2-0 lead. CSU answered with one run in each of its first three innings at bat, beginning with Ranells scoring on an RBI single by sophomore Ryan Baechel in the bottom of the first. Sophomore Nate Radtke smacked an RBI single in the second and Hungerman added a sac fly in the third to give the Vikings a 3-2 lead.

Radtke would add an unearned run in the fourth when he reached on a fielder's choice and later scored on a Pahoulis sac fly to put CSU ahead 4-2.

Koehnlein scored on a wild pitch in the top of the sixth to pull Youngstown State within 4-3 before the Vikings scored four runs in the bottom half of the inning. Cash's two-run single was the big blow, followed by an RBI double by Ranells, who would score on a single by Hungerman to make the score 8-3.

Cash and Radtke each scored a run in the bottom of the seventh to put the game away.

Youngstown State committed six errors in the game and CSU made the Penguins pay for those mistakes to the tune of four unearned runs and many other opportunities to keep innings alive. Senior Brandon Hewitt (2-9) picked up his second victory of the year, giving up two earned runs over seven innings, He struck out six and walked five.

Baechel went 3-for-5 and Cash and Hungerman each had two RBI.

"We were more aggressive tonight," head coach Kevin Kocks said. "We didn't play well defensively in the first game but we gave a good effort behind Brandon to get the next game back. There is still a lot to play for in this series."

A Saturday split would pull CSU out of the league cellar and into fifth place. There is still a chance CSU can finish fourth, but it will need a sweep and a UW-Milwaukee sweep over Butler. Saturday's doubleheader at the Pipe Yard is set for noon.