By William Staten / The Jambar
With its first series win of the 2025-26 season, the Youngstown State University men’s baseball team defeated the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on April 3 after a nonconference loss against the University of Akron on March 31.
Against Akron, juniors Luke Rossi and Nathan Beckley hit consecutive doubles in the first inning to record one RBI each. The Zips’ response included loaded bases and a four-pitch walk RBI, along with a throwing error by YSU, to give Akron a one-run lead in the second.
Junior Brady Shannon and senior Brayden Kuriger hit consecutive RBIs, with Kuriger’s hit bringing two runners to home plate, as YSU retook the lead in the third inning. Freshman Alex Jang recorded another RBI to extend the Penguins’ lead to 7-3.
Senior Sloan Ulrich gave up a grand slam to Akron which tied the game 7-7, and Ulrich was taken out of the game. The Zips took the lead after a bunt led to a score for Akron on a throwing error.
Youngstown State took the lead in the fourth when junior Ryan Schummer tied the game with an RBI, and senior Teddy Ruffner reached home plate on a throwing error by Akron. A scoring drought by both teams ensued before the Zips took back the lead in the seventh inning with a double RBI.
Shannon tied the game with a RBI groundout in the top of the ninth before a walkoff RBI single from Akron ended the game 11-10.
In conference play, the team continued its road trip to Milwaukee to face Horizon League opponent UWM in a three-game series.
Both teams went scoreless in the first three innings before the Panthers scored two RBIs and a score on a caught steal in the fourth and fifth innings. The Penguins and the Panthers remained scoreless until the seventh inning before Beckley doubled for two unearned runs.
Youngstown State closed out the game with RBIs by Beckley and senior Garrett Cutting to seal its first win in two weeks at 5-3.
In Game Two, UWM opened the game with three RBIs in the first inning. Shannon responded with one in the second before the Panthers hit a fourth RBI.
After this, the Panthers entered a scoring drought courtesy of senior Jack Messmore. The Penguins won the game after several ’Guins scored runs, which included two RBIs by Beckley and a home run by Shannon. The final score favored the Penguins at 7-4.
In Game Three, the Penguins fell after the Panthers held YSU to no runs. This allowed the Panthers to run up the score early in the first two innings with four runs.
The Panthers scored a fifth run in the sixth inning and extended the lead for UWM. A walk RBI by Schummer proved to be too little too late, as the Penguins dropped their chance to sweep the series with the Panthers’ win at 5-1.
Jang and Beckley place on top of YSU’s batting charts with averages of .283 and .281, RBIs of 12 and 14, and home runs with three and two, respectively.
Beckley remains the team’s top fielder, with a team-leading 147 putouts and three errors and a field percentage of .981.
The Penguins will travel to Struthers on April 10 to face Wright State University at Bob Cene Park.