The University of Akron Athletics
Baseball Holds off Penguins, 4-3
March 26 | Baseball
The University of Akron baseball team scored twice in the third
and fourth innings to rally to a 4-3 victory over Youngstown State
Wednesday afternoon at Lee Jackson Field.
Phil
Bednar's (Monore Falls, Ohio/Stow/Ball State) two-run single in
the fourth inning broke a 2-all tie and proved to be the difference
maker as the Zips (11-8) received a host of strong individual
performances from their pitching staff. Jared
Patterson (Coshocton, Ohio/Coshocton) picked up his first win
with two shutout innings in relief of starter Benjamin
Danziger (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/Cleveland Heights) as the
Zips closed the gap.
Kevin
Kumazec (Euclid, Ohio/St. Ignatius) allowed just two hits and
one run over two innings to bridge the gap to Garrett
Knoll (Amherst, Ohio/Amherst Steele), who pitched around a
ninth-inning fielding error to earn his first career save.
It was an especially impressive outing for Knoll, who turned in two
hitless innings. The big left-hander struck out a pair of walked
none in his seventh appearance of the year.
Danziger allowed the first run of the game in the second inning on
an RBI double to left off the bat of Anthony Munoz, but limited the
damage by inducing a fly out to left the bases loaded. The Penguins
struck again in the following frame thanks to a sacrifice fly from
Tom Clayton that make it 2-0.
But Akron scored a pair in the third inning to pull even. Brian
Kordal (Twinsburg, Ohio/Twinsburg) and John Turk
(Kirtland, Ohio/Kirtland) each drew walks to start the rally and
with one out, Kevin Haas (North Olmstead, Ohio/St. Ignatius)
laced a single to right to plate Kordal. Freshman Drew
Turocy (Canfield, Ohio/Canfield) followed with a sacrifice fly
to center.
Haas, who finished the game 1-for-2 at the plate with a sacrifice
bunt and a walk, has now hit safely in all 19 games this season for
the Zips.
Bednar then put Akron on top for good in the fourth with a clutch,
two-out knock. Following a pop up and a strikeout, Kordal singled
to right and Turk doubled to left to place runners on second and
third. Bednar made the Penguins pay by pulling a 1-0 offering
through the left side of the infield give the Zips a 4-2 lead.
YSU scratched out a run in the sixth on a ground out by C.J.
Morris, but could get no closer.
The Zips will next head to Toledo to open their Mid-American
Conference schedule after having their home series with Ball State
wiped out last weekend because of unplayable field conditions. The
teams will play a three-games set, starting with a single contest
Friday at 3 p.m.
Zips Notebook: Danziger used just nine pitches to
breeze through a 1-2-3 first inning ... Akron is 4-3 in one-run
games this season ... Vince Chiera (Akron, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit),
who was a defensive replacement late in the game, singled in his
only at-bat to extend his hitting streak to 10 games, matching a
career high ... UA won despite being out-hit 10-6 ... Knoll is one
of four different Akron pitchers to have recorded a save this
year.
