Youngstown State Slips by UW-Milwaukee 4-3 in 11 innings in Horizon League Baseball Championship

May 26, 2005

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Brent Parks' walk-off single in the 11th pushed second-seed Youngstown State University to a 4-3 victory over third-seed University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in Thursday's second game of the 2005 Horizon League Baseball Championship at Victory Field.


With Justin Banks on second and two out, Parks' line shot up the middle was fielded cleanly by Panthers' centerfielder Mike Goetz whose throw to the plate appeared to be on line but bounced off the back of the pitcher's mound as Banks slid home with the winning run.


Banks had reached base on a single to deep third and advanced to second when Panthers third baseman Charlie Reschke threw the ball into the stands.


Parks' heroics spoiled an outstanding effort by UWM starter Rick Cavaiani, who threw all 10 2/3 innings on an efficient 110 pitchers but suffered the hard-luck loss to fall to 2-9 on the season. The 10 2/3 innings broke the Horizon League Championship record of 10 held by former Butler University pitchers Aaron Phillips (2003) and Steve Magill (1998). After allowing three runs in the third, Cavaiani pitched 7 2/3 scoreless innings before allowing the game-winning run.


The Penguins' Kevin Libeg (4-3) earned the victory with three shutout innings in relief of Horizon League Pitcher of the Year Justin Thomas, who allowed three runs on six hits in eight innings.


Blake Kangas gave UW-Milwaukee (23-30) an early lead with a two-run home run off a trash can beyond the left field wall in the top of the first. But Youngstown State (29-25) tallied three in the third as Mike Turjanica tripled to open the inning and scored on Josh Page's single to center. One out later, Page scored on a triple by Brendon Caipen who then came home on Erich Diedrich's RBI ground out to second.


UW-Milwaukee tied it in the fifth when Goetz scored on a shot to the wall in right center by Brooks Graff . But Graff was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple with one out and the Panthers only advanced one runner to third the rest of the game.


With the win, Youngstown State advances in the championship bracket to play the winner of Thursday night's Wright State University-University of Illinois at Chicago game Friday at 7 p.m. Indianapolis local time. UW-Milwaukee will play Friday at 3 p.m. against an opponent to be determined.

Game 41234567891011RHE#3 UW-Milwaukee20001000000--372#2 Youngstown State00300000001--4110

WP-Kevin Libeg (4-3)LP-Rick Cavaiani (2-9)HR-UWM Blake Kangas (2)Time-2:40