Gattozzi's pinch-hit blast powers Youngstown State past Cleveland State
May 25, 2007
Box Score
Youngstown State 15, Cleveland State 9Chicago, Ill. - Lou Gattozzi's pinch-hit, two-run home run in the top of the eighth inning put sixth-seeded Youngstown State ahead to stay and the Penguins added seventh runs in the ninth inning to defeat fourth seed Cleveland State 15-9 in an elimination game of the 2007 U.S. Army Horizon League Baseball Championship at Les Miller Field.
Gattozzi's two-run blast over the left field fence, his first homer of the season, snapped a 6-6 tie and made a winner of Penguin reliever Adam Swenson (3-2). Josh Hungerman took the loss for Cleveland State, falling to 2-9.
Cleveland State (14-44) had taken a 6-4 lead on Matt Madrid's two-run homer in the sixth inning, but Youngstown State (19-36) rallied for three runs to keep its season alive. Lee Bainbridge drew a lead-off walk and advanced on a sacrifice bunt before Brent Parks hit an RBI double to right-center field to tie the game for the fourth time. Michael Babin came on to relieve Hungerman and YSU coach Mike Florak called on Gattozzi, who hit Babin's second pitch over the left-field fence for his first home run of the season.
Swenson pitched 1.2 innings of scoreless relief for the victory and Andy Svitak recorded the final six outs for his ninth save of the year. Hungerman allowed seven runs (five earned) on eight hits in 7.1 innings.
The Penguins opened the scoring on a Bainbridge sacrifice fly in the top of the second inning, but CSU answered in the bottom half on Ryan Baechel's RBI groundout. Each team added two runs in the fourth with another Bainbridge sacrifice fly keying the YSU flurry, and back-to-back doubles by John Westra and Josh Geric along with a Penguin error producing the two Viking tallies for a 3-3 tie.
Youngstown State jumped back in front in the top of the fifth when Josh Page doubled home John Koehnlein with two outs, staking the Penguins to a 4-3 advantage before Cleveland State's three-run rally in the bottom of the sixth. Parks added a bases-clearing double and Rayce Robinson followed with an RBI two-bagger in a seven-run ninth, sending 12 batters to the plate to put the game out of reach.
Parks doubled twice in four at-bats, scoring three runs and driving in four. Page had three of the Penguins' 16 hits.
Cleveland State committed five errors in the game, with Viking pitchers throwing three wild pitches and committing two balks in the final two innings. Youngstown State scored 11 runs in the final three frames against Hungerman and four relievers.
Youngstown State continues in comeback-bracket play, facing third-seeded UW-Milwaukee at 3 p.m. (Central time) in another elimination contest. Friday's schedule concludes with a winner's-bracket showdown between second-seeded Wright State and host/top seed UIC. First pitch in that game is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Les Miller Field.
