The Youngstown State Penguins baseball team (5-24, 3-6 Horizon) snapped an eight-game losing streak by winning their first series of the 2026 season after taking two out of three over the Milwaukee Panthers (6-23, 3-6 Horizon) this past weekend at Franklin Field in Franklin, WI. The Penguins swept the Friday doubleheader before the Panthers took the last game of the set on Saturday.
Friday’s Game 1 line
Youngstown State (R-H-E-LOB): 5-13-0-9
Milwaukee (R-H-E-LOB): 3-8-2-9
W: Braden Gebhardt (2-1)
L: Lucas Watson (0-1)
SV: Sumner Estes (1)
The Panthers broke a scoreless tie when Dominic Kibler led off the bottom of the fourth inning with a base hit down the right-field line, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and scored on an RBI single to left from Bradyn Horn for the first run of the day.
Milwaukee’s offense didn’t stop there as Christian Holmes led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a triple deep to right field. Grant Ross then walked and stole second when Tate Schmidt reached on a fielder’s choice to first, allowing Holmes to score easily. Ross would end up scoring from third when Schmidt was out on a caught stealing that went 2-4-3-6 for the second out. Nevertheless, the home team scored twice more in the frame and ended up with a 3-0 lead.
The score remained the same until the Penguins put on their rally caps in the top of the seventh inning when Teddy Ruffner walked with one out and advanced to second on Alex Jang’s base hit to center, which prompted Panthers head coach Shaun Wegner to make a change by taking out starter Gavin Theis in favor of Lucas Watson. Then, Misael Uriepero reached on a fielder’s choice and a throwing error by Schmidt at second base, which loaded the bases before Luke Rossi struck out looking for the second out. Nathan Beckley then stepped up to the plate and, on a payoff pitch, slapped a base hit into left field and reached third after the ball bounced off Horn’s glove – which cleared the bases. Jang and Ruffner both scored on the Beckley hit, with Uriepero scoring on the error to tie it up at 3-3. Then, Gabe Cutting’s RBI single to center brought in Beckley to give YSU the one-run advantage at 4-3.
Youngstown State added an insurance run in the top of the ninth with back-to-back one-out singles from Uriepero and Rossi, followed by Beckley’s RBI single to center field to make it 5-3, which closed out the scoring in the first game.
YSU ace Braden Gebhardt threw six solid innings, allowing all three Panther runs on six hits with a pair of walks and five strikeouts to earn his second victory of the season in the first half of the twin bill. The bullpen quintet of Braedon Davis, Jake Ferretti, Tyler Heflin, Bryce Palms, and Sumner Estes combined to throw three innings in two-hit shutout fashion to slam the door shut. Estes also earned his first save of the year.
Theis was solid as well on the mound for Milwaukee in game one, allowing two unearned runs on seven hits with five strikeouts over 6⅓ innings. Watson suffered the loss after allowing a pair of unearned runs while recording one out in the seventh inning. Camden Kuhnke took over from that point and gave up one run on four hits while tossing the last 2⅓ innings.
Jang went 3-for-5 with a triple, while Beckley, Cutting, Kuriger, and Uriepero all added two hits each as the Penguins outhit the Panthers 13-8. Horn led the home team offensively, going 3-for-4.
Friday’s Game 2 line
Youngstown State (R-H-E-LOB): 7-9-1-9
Milwaukee (R-H-E-LOB): 4-10-0-8
W: Jack Messmore (1-5)
L: Mason Weckler (0-3)
SV: Brevin Smith (1)
In game two, Milwaukee drew first blood yet again with two on and two out in the bottom of the first inning when Horn doubled down the right field line for the first two runs. Horn then scored after Charlie Marion singled through the right side to cap off UWM’s three-run frame.
The Penguins got on the scoreboard with a single tally in the top of the second inning when Kuriger was hit by a pitch, advanced to third on Ryan Schummer’s single through the right side, and scored on a sacrifice fly from Brady Shannon to make it a 3-1 deficit.
Milwaukee got the run back in the home half of the second inning as Cade Palkowski reached on a one-out infield hit to short, advanced to third on a single through the right side from Ross, and scored on a line-out sacrifice fly to left from Max Glusick to give the home team the 4-1 edge.
Youngstown State then tried for another comeback with two outs in the third inning when Rossi singled to left and immediately scored on Beckley’s double down the left field line to cut the deficit in half at 4-2.
The Penguins scored again in the top of the fourth when Shannon hit a two-out solo homer deep to left-center field, his seventh of the season, to make it a one-run game at 4-3.
Then, Uriepero led off the fifth inning with a single through the right side, stole second after Rossi struck out looking, went to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a sacrifice fly from Beckley to knot it up at 4-4.
Kuriger then led off the sixth with a walk, reached third on Schummer’s base hit through the right side, and scored on a wild pitch to give YSU the lead. Schummer would go to third on Nic Goodwin’s single through the left side and scored when Jang reached on a 4-6 RBI fielder’s choice to give YSU the lead at 6-4. That ended a streak of YSU scoring a run in five straight innings.
Youngstown State scored again in the top of the eighth inning on an RBI sacrifice bunt from Goodwin, making it 7-4 to close out the scoring.
YSU game two starting pitcher Jack Messmore earned his first win of the season after allowing four runs on eight hits with three strikeouts and tying his season-high of 6⅓ innings. Banks Cox came in and got one out in the sixth, while Sloan Ulrich threw a scoreless inning and a third. Brevin Smith pitched a perfect bottom of the ninth to earn his first save of the season.
Milwaukee game two starting pitcher Aric Ehmke went five innings, allowing four runs on five hits with four strikeouts. Mason Weckler suffered the loss after inheriting three runs in as many hits with four walks over three innings out of the bullpen. Cullen Reil took over from there and threw a one-hit scoreless ninth inning.
Milwaukee outhit YSU 10-9, with Marion and Ross both going 2-for-4. Schummer went 3-for-4 with a run scored for the ‘Guins.
Saturday’s line
Youngstown State (R-H-E-LOB): 1-2-1-5
Milwaukee (R-H-E-LOB): 5-7-0-5
W: Riley Peterson (2-3)
L: Brandon Mikos (0-5)
On Saturday, the Panthers were ready to pounce yet again when Ross started off the bottom of the first inning with a single to center, went to second on a walk to Schmidt, and went to third after Dylan O’Connell bounced into a 4-6 fielder’s choice for the first out of the frame. After O’Connell swiped second base, Ross scored on a sacrifice fly to left from Kibler. Moments later, back-to-back two-out RBI doubles from Horn and Marion capped off a three-run opening inning for UWM.
The Panthers scored again in the very next inning when Holmes reached on a one-out single up the middle, reached second on Ross’ groundout to the mound, went to third on Schmidt’s infield hit, and raced home on a throwing error by Uriepero at short to make it 4-0.
It stayed that way until the bottom of the fifth inning when Marion hit a one-out double down the right-field line and, another out later, scored on an RBI single to right-center by Joey Spence to make it 5-0 home team.
The Penguins avoided the shutout in the top of the seventh inning when Nathan Beckley reached on a fielder’s choice to short, went to second after Cutting got hit by a pitch, and scored on back-to-back walks from Kuriger and Schummer to make it a 5-1 deficit. The tying run was now up to bat with two outs, but Shannon struck out swinging to strand the bases loaded. YSU never threatened in the game as six of their last seven batters were retired to end the afternoon.
YSU starting pitcher Brandon Mikos suffered the loss after surrendering five runs on seven hits with a pair of walks and a trio of strikeouts in 5⅔ innings. Then, Ferretti and Luke Zmolik combined for three strikeouts while throwing 2⅓ perfect innings of relief.
Milwaukee starting pitcher Riley Peterson was outstanding over seven strong innings, allowing just one run on two hits and tying his career-high with nine strikeouts to earn his second win of the season. He threw a perfect game through 4⅔ innings before Kuriger ended it with a two-out single in the top of the fifth inning. The only other hit allowed by Peterson was a one-out single by Rossi in the top of the seventh inning. Aiden Fishnick came on in relief of Peterson and pitched the eighth and ninth innings in no-hit fashion.
The Panthers finished Saturday’s contest with seven hits, with Marion going 2-for-4.
Up next: Trevor Charpie’s Penguins will return to non-league play and end their 13-game road swing on Wednesday with another midweek contest at Pitt at Charles L. Cost Field in Pittsburgh at 6 p.m.
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