The fourth-seeded Youngstown State baseball team (15-38, 12-12 Horizon) saw its season come to an end on Wednesday night after losing a 10-2 decision against fifth-seeded Oakland (12-40, 5-19 Horizon) in the Play-In Elimination Game of the 2026 Horizon League Tournament at Nischwitz Stadium in Dayton.
Brian Nelson’s Oakland squad will move on to the quarterfinal round and will play regular-season conference champion Wright State. Ironically, Youngstown State ended the regular-season with a three-game sweep of Wright State on the road last weekend.
Wednesday’s line
Oakland (R-H-E-LOB): 10-13-2-11
Youngstown State (R-H-E-LOB): 2-5-3-6
W: Ben Green (2-6)
L: Braden Gebhardt (5-4)
YSU starting pitcher and 2026 Horizon League Pitcher of the Year Braden Gebhardt went 4 ⅓ innings, allowing six runs — five earned — on eight hits with two walks and five strikeouts on his way to suffering the defeat. With his first strikeout of the night in the top of the second inning, the senior lefty became just the fifth pitcher in YSU baseball history and the first since Matt Brosky in 2022 to reach 100 or more strikeouts in a single-season. Gebhardt ends his accomplished YSU career ranking sixth in program history with 240 career strikeouts, while his 104 strikeouts in 2026 is good for the fourth-most in a single season in program history.
Luke Zmolik surrendered three runs on five hits over 3⅓ innings of relief, while Aidan English gave up one unearned run in an inning and a third.
Oakland starting pitcher Ben Green earned just his second win of the season, allowing three hits and one unearned run while recording four walks and a career-high nine strikeouts over seven strong innings. Jaxson Easterling threw a scoreless eighth inning, while Ryan Donley surrendered one run in the ninth inning.
The Golden Grizzlies wasted very little time with their offensive explosion when Ben Clark was hit by a pitch to lead off the game, reached second on a single from Kyle Revere, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt to the catcher by Sam Griffith, and scored on Lucas Day’s sacrifice fly to left for the first run of the night. Then, Carter Hain followed it up with an RBI single through the left side to make it 2-0. Following back-to-back walks to Aidan Schorr and Aidan Orr to load the bases, Tony Konopiots took advantage of that scenario with a two-out infield single to the mound to cap-off a three-run first inning for Oakland.
However, that was just the beginning as Hain led off the third inning by reaching on a throwing error by YSU second baseman Nathan Beckley, advanced to second on a bunt single by Schuck, and scored on Orr’s RBI single to make it 4-0.
Trevor Charpie’s Penguins finally cracked their goose egg when Brady Shannon led off the bottom of the fourth inning with a walk. One out later, he stole second, advanced to third on a throwing error by Schuck – the Oakland catcher, and scored on Luke Rossi’s 4-6-3 RBI groundout to make it a 4-1 deficit.
The Golden Grizzlies got that run back and then some when Hain began the top of the fifth inning with a double down the left field line. One out later, Orr’s RBI triple to the gap in left-center field made it 5-1. Then, Konopiots brought in Orr with a sacrifice fly to right to make it 6-1.
Oakland added another run in the sixth inning when Griffith reached on a one-out infield hit to third and scored on Day’s RBI double down the left field line to make it 7-1.
The Golden Grizzlies kept adding it on when Clark kicked off the top of the eighth inning with an infield single to third, went to second on a bunt hit from Revere, and reached third on a bases-loading walk to Griffith. One out later, back-to-back RBIs were recorded when Hain was hit by a pitch before Schuck brought in Griffith on a sacrifice fly to right to make it 9-1.
Oakland scored its last run of the evening in the top of the ninth inning when Clark reached third on two YSU errors — both happened on the same play. A fielding error from shortstop Misael Uriepero and another throwing miscue from Beckley at second base. Clark then scored on a sacrifice fly to right from Revere, making it 10-1.
YSU’s Luke Rossi then led off the bottom of the ninth inning with his third home run of the season to dead center field, making it 10-2 to close out the scoring.
Oakland outhit Youngstown State 13-5, with all nine Golden Grizzlies batters recording at least one hit. Clark, Revere, Hain and Orr all finished with two hits each.
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