“The Akron Zips came from behind to pull out a 9-8 win against the Youngstown State Penguins. Pitcher Zach Yike was the starter for the Zips against the Penguins. In the second inning the Penguins’ Eric Marzec hit a homerun to let the Penguins take the early 1-0 lead.”
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The Akron Zips came from behind to pull out a 9-8 win against the Youngstown State Penguins.

Pitcher Zach Yike was the starter for the Zips against the Penguins.

In the second inning the Penguins’ Eric Marzec hit a homerun to let the Penguins take the early 1-0 lead.

The Penguins kept things rolling with a big third inning bringing in four runs. Catcher Anthony Porter flied out to left field but brought in Armani Johnson to score. Then Marzec hit a three run home run to left field.

In the third inning, Zips shortstop Kevin Haas got the Zips on the board with a three run home run bringing in Nick Solitario and James Sheltrown.

Haas would bring the game within reach even though the Zips would still be losing but with a score of 5-3.

Kevin is a senior, we expect him to come up with big hits like that, Zips head coach Pat Bangtson said. Certainly that was a good moment in the time of the game and to let the opposing team know that we were coming to getting the game close again.

In the top of the fifth inning the Penguins ‘Marzec hit a single to left field making the score 6-3.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, the Zips Drew Turocy would hit a grounder to the Penguins’ shortstop C.J. Morris to get an RBI and bring home Sheltrown.

Yike would leave the game in the sixth inning after pitching a total of 102 pitches.

I felt his fourth and fifth innings he got determined and got after it, Bangtson said. His first three innings he was just feeling around and just pitching cautiously, instead of pitching aggressively and I was pleased with his last two innings..

Yike would leave the game with seven hits, five strike outs, seven hits against 23 batters.

In the top of the sixth inning, the Penguins’ Neil Schroth scored on a questionable call at home where he appeared to be out. Bangston questioned the call but the call stayed and the Penguins took a bigger lead taking the game to 7-4.

The bottom line is the catcher could not or a position player cannot block the base that the runner is going to without the baseball, Bangtson said. He has to have the ball before he blocks the bases.

A pitching change was due in the bottom of the sixth inning for the Penguins as southpaw Alex Oles was called onto the mound.

Facing only his second hitter, Oles hit Turk in the head with a pitch.

The next hitter Brandon White would take a hit to his left thigh.

Oles was replaced, after hitting two of three batters, by right handed pitcher Kevin McCulloh.

Solitario hit a two-run double to left field in the bottom of the sixth inning, which would bring the game closer with the Penguins still in the lead seven to six.

The Zips would take the lead in the seventh inning with an RBI single to left field by Brandon White and a wild pitch by the pitcher which brought in right field Jake Plata.

The score at the bottom of the seventh inning was the Zips in the lead eight to seven.

In the top of the eighth inning pinch hitter Tom Clayton of the Penguins had an RBI to left center to tie the game up at eight.

The Zips would seal the game in the bottom of the eighth inning when Solitario hit a homerun to left field to put the Zips up 9-8.

Very happy to see the team come back and get another come from behind win, Bangtson said.

Benjamin Danziger closed out the game for the Zips.

The Zips had nine hits, eight RBI, six strikeouts, and 33 at-bats against the Penguins.

The Zips rotated and had five pitching changes against the Penguins as Yike, Sam Watkins, Jared Turocy, Alex Loftin and Danziger saw the field.

All would pitch one inning except for Yike who pitched the first five innings.

We do this almost every midweek, Bangtson said. We got to keep weekend guys sharp and get some other guys that aren’t pitching as much for us to keep them sharp and get them work.

The Zips will return home to Lee Jackson field April 30 to take on the Buffalo Bulls.

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