NILES, Ohio - The Golden Grizzlies baseball team ended the weekend on a high note as it defeated the Youngstown State Penguins, 11-2, this afternoon on Eastwood Field.
 
The Golden Grizzlies (23-20, 12-9 HL) were led by Ian Cleary who tallied four RBI on the day off one hit, as four Oakland players tallied two hits on the day. Brandon Decker turned aside nine batters with just two earned as he grabbed his team-high fifth win of the season.
 
The Penguins (10-33, 7-14 HL) pair of runs came off the bat of Brett Stanley who tallied one hit with two RBI, as Sloan Ulrich dropped his eighth game of the season.
 
John Lauinger got the game started in the third as Reggie Bussey continued his on-base streak at 42 games off a single, followed by Lauinger who sent one out of the park. Each team's defense came up as Decker was dealing through five innings, as Oakland added a pair more in the top of the sixth. Brandon Nigh singled through the left side and made his way to third off a balk and a Carter Hain single, followed by a rare steal home off a walk to make it 3-0. Brandon Heidal, who made his way to first off that walk, went around the bases and scored after a Lucas Day fielder's choice.
 
Trent Rice added the sole extra-base hit that wasn't a home run on the day as he raced to third off a triple as Bussey brought him home with a single to extend the Golden Grizzlies lead.
 
Oakland's bats got hot in the eighth as the bases were juiced off a pair of walks and a hit by pitch which brought Cleary up to the dish. He saw his second pitch of the at-bat and sent one deep towards center for a grand slam. With no outs, the Golden Grizzlies kept it up as Sam Griffith singled through the middle to bring Gavin Arseneau home as Griffith found home off an error moments later.
 
The Penguins had three outs to grab at least two runs to extend the game due to the league's run rule and answered as a two-run single with two outs kept the game going into the ninth. Oakland held strong though in the ninth and tallied the final three outs to take the final game of the series, 11-2.
 
The Golden Grizzlies outhit the Penguins, 14-3, as the Penguins went three up and three down in five of the nine innings, with its three hits only coming in two innings. Oakland totaled 11 strikeouts between three pitchers as Youngstown State turned aside six with five pitchers. The Golden Grizzlies tallied three extra-base hits with a pair of home runs as 10 players recorded at least a hit.
 
The Golden Grizzlies return to the diamond Wednesday (May 1) as it will finish it game against Bowling Green from April 2, followed by a nine-inning game against the Falcons in Bowling Green.