Youngstown, Ohio – Rounding out their season series with the Penguins, the Golden Grizzlies traveled approximately 260 miles southeast to Youngstown State for a doubleheader on Friday, April 22.
With both games ending in a 2-1 score, the Penguins were able to claim the daily sweep, moving their season record to 14-24 (7-7 Horizon League). Oakland is now 17-20 with an identical mark in league play.
The first game of this twinbill was only seven innings in length, but the second was the traditional nine.
Game 1 – Youngstown State 2, Oakland 1 (7 innings)
Making his seventh start of the year, redshirt junior right-hander
Brett Hagen lasted 4.1 innings, giving up just a lone run on three hits with a trio of free passes and four strikeouts.
Fellow righty
Brandon Decker, a sophomore, allowed the other run and took the loss, dropping him to 3-4. He worked the remaining 1.2 innings and gave up two hits.
His second complete game of the campaign, junior right-hander Matt Brosky earned his fourth win for the Penguins by scattering six hits with a walk and seven strikeouts.
Senior designated hitter Dom Bucko started the scoring for Youngstown State in the second, and Oakland third baseman
Luke Malmanger, a fellow senior, tied the contest with his own RBI single in the fourth.
The Penguins' top hitter this season, junior second baseman Braeden O'Shaughnessy drove in the game-winning run with a single in the sixth.
Game 2 – Youngstown State 2, Oakland 1
While he was the losing pitcher of record, junior southpaw
Travis Densmore turned in an extremely strong start for the Golden Grizzlies, allowing two runs on five hits with a walk and five strikeouts over 7.1 innings.
Over his last five starts, which date to the March 30 victory over Michigan, Densmore has lowered his ERA by 1.89 from 7.94 to 6.05.
Decker accomplished the impressive feat of appearing in both games on the day, recording the last two outs of the eighth.
Senior righty Travis Perry moved his ledger to 2-1, navigating 5.2 frames and giving up just an unearned run on five hits with three walks and five strikeouts.
A trio of relievers handled the final 10 outs, culminating in junior lefty Nathan Ball leaving with his eighth save.
The Golden Grizzlies struck first in this one, plating their run in the first when senior first baseman
Gabe Lux came home on junior left fielder
Ian Cleary's groundout.
Both of Youngstown State's runs would come in the fourth, the first on a groundout by Bucko and the second on a double off the bat of junior left fielder Andre Good.
Up next
Looking to move back above .500 in conference play, Oakland will complete their five-game road swing with a doubleheader against Purdue Fort Wayne on Sunday, April 24.
The first game will begin at 11:30 a.m., followed by the second at approximately 2:30 p.m.
The Golden Grizzlies previously took two of three from the Mastodons on March 25 and 26.
