May 9, 2009 | Game One | Game Two

Klein Fans 12 in Leading Penguins to Split With Valparaiso

    Niles, Ohio -- Sophomore Phil Klein allowed two hits and struck out a career-high 12 batters to lead the Youngstown State baseball team to a doubleheader split with Valparaiso on Saturday at Eastwood Field.

    Behind Klein, the Penguins outhit the Crusaders 11-5 in game one to win 8-4. Valparaiso jumped out to an early lead and hung on to win game two 6-5.

    YSU has now concluded its Horizon League schedule, finishing with a 10-14 record. Each of the other six teams have at least three games remaining, so the Penguins will have to wait to see what seed they will receive in the Horizon League Tournament.
    Senior John Koehnlein followed up a his "senior day" recognition with a memorable doubleheader that included five hits. Koehnlein batted .625 and slugged .938 in the four games at Eastwood Field over the weekend.
    Klein was just as impressive and pitched arguably the best game of his career. He allowed two hits, a wind-aided homer that broke up a shutout in the fifth and a soft single to right, and fanned 12. More Crusaders struck out than put the ball in play against the 6-foot-7 righty.
    The other run Klein surrendered came in the sixth when he lost his command. He beaned two batters, walked another and threw two wild pitches without allowing a hit. It was his only two wild pitches and only walk of the game.
    By then, the Penguins had built a 6-1 lead for Klein, who improved to 4-0 in Horizon League contests.
    Koehnlein doubled and scored on an error in the first, and the Penguins broke the game open with four runs in the second. YSU had five hits in the inning and scored all of its runs after Valpo didn't turn what would have been an inning-ending double play. Derek Carr hit a two-run single, and Koehnlein followed with a triple.
    With a steady wind of 14 miles per hour blowing out to right at first pitch and much heavier gusts, No. 9 batter Kyle Gaedele drove a ball into the jet stream that carried over the wall in right center for Valpo's first hit in the fifth. He also singled in the seventh for the Crusaders' only other hit off Klein.
    Anthony Porter drove in a run in the seventh to put YSU up 8-2, and Valpo finished the scoring with back-to-back solo homers in the eighth.
    In game two, the Crusaders got help from four Penguins errors that resulted in two unearned runs. After Valpo built a 6-2 lead in the fifth, the Penguins' bullpen did not surrender a run and allowed just two hits in the final five frames.
    The Crusaders had nine hits and scored all six runs off YSU starter Matt Tucker. Two of their first three runs were unearned, but they led 3-1 after two innings. Valpo added a run in the fourth and two more in the fifth to take a 6-2 lead.
    YSU struck back in the bottom of the fifth with three runs on two hits and an error. Koehnlein and Jeremy Banks hit back-to-back RBI singles, and Joe Iacobucci drove in Koehnlein on a sacrifice fly.
    That ended the scoring, but the Penguins had a chance to tie the score in the ninth. Pinch hitter Tom Clayton flew out to deep left when Steven Scoby caught the drive with his back to the wall to start the inning. Koehnlein then triple to right center, but that's where he finished the game. With the infield in, Banks' hit a hard grounder to second that Koehnlein had to hold on, and Iacobucci flew out to left.
    Jarad Miller earned his 14th save for the Crusaders, and starter Tyler Deetjen improved to 2-1.
    YSU plays three games next week, beginning with Monday's 7 p.m. contest at West Virginia.