March 18, 2009 | Box Score

Penguins Fall in Home Run Derby at Akron, 18-11

    Akron, Ohio -- The Youngstown State baseball team hit four home runs to cut a 10-run deficit to two, but Akron hit four homers of its own and benefitted from 13 walks to win 18-11 on Wednesday afternoon at Lee Jackson Field.
    Joe Iacobucci and C.J. Morris both had three hits and homered for YSU, which trailed 11-1 before getting within 13-11 in the seventh. Akron hit two of its homers in a four-run bottom of the seventh and added a run in the eighth.
    The Guins equaled the Zips with 13 hits, but YSU committed three more errors (4-1), had three more passed balls (3-0), hit two more batters (2-0) and walked 10 more hitters (13-3).
    No. 9 hitter Phil Bednar hit a grand slam, a three-run homer and a double to lead Akron.
    It was a very similar game to YSU's contest Tuesday against Pittsburgh where the Penguins found themselves in an early hole and fought back from a large deficit.
    After YSU starter Ryan Messmer worked around two walks in the first and a one-out double in the second, Akron broke through with four runs in the third. John Turk and Matt Roberts hit back-to-back one-out singles, and Jake Plata walked to load the bases. No. 5 hitter Brandon White was then hit to force in a run after being down 1-2 in the count, and Kyle Hallett drove in a run on a ground out. Brett Savage then hit a two-run double down the right field line to plate two more runs.
    Morris hit the first home run of the day, and one of the only ones with the wind blowing in from right, with one out in the fourth to put YSU on the board. His homer was the first hit for YSU and the first base runner allowed by starter Scott Foster.
    Tom Clayton made his collegiate debut on the mound for YSU in the fourth and walked three and had another batter reach on a dropped fly ball. Matt Tucker came in and walked two batters, and Bednar hit the first pitch he saw over the fence in left center  for a grand slam. Akron ended up with seven runs in the inning despite Bednar's homer being the only hit.
    The Penguins got two more hits off Foster in the fifth and scored their second run when Brian Solitario brought in Casey Holland on a two-out, bloop single to center.
    With Foster out of the game to start the sixth, YSU jumped back into the contest in the sixth by scoring five runs on six hits off of Akron's bullpen. Eric Marzec hit a one-out, solo homer to center after Morris was thrown out at third trying to advance on a single and an error. Jacke Healey and Derek Carr followed with run-scoring hits, and Jeremy Banks hit a two-run homer for his first career round-tripper to make the score 11-7.
    Ryan Frazee led off the bottom of the sixth with a homer for Akron, and Bednar doubled and scored on a fielder's choice to put Akron ahead 13-7.
    The Penguins, though, struck for four more runs without recording an out in the seventh to cut the margin to 13-11. John Koehnlein drew a leadoff walk and scored a batter later when Morris doubled. Marzec doubled in Morris, and Iacobucci followed with a two-run homer to right. That was YSU's last hit of the game as Chris Bassitt came in to retire six of the seven batters he faced, and Ryne Romick mowed the Guins down in order in the ninth.
    White homered to lead off the bottom of the seventh for Akron, and Bednar hit a three-run homer later in the inning to put the Zips back up by six. They added a run in the eighth for the final tally.
    The Penguins will open Horizon League play this weekend with a three-game series at Wright State. First pitch on Friday at Nischwitz Stadium is set for 6:30 p.m. The teams will also play a doubleheader Saturday starting at 1:30 p.m.