Nothing but blue skies and solid baseball could be seen from Red Wilson Field on Wednesday evening. As the sun set behind the plate, over 2,000 fans packed the stands — awaiting the showdown between two teams currently over .500 this season.
Sean Youngerman started on the mound for Y-D and he did not hold back. He threw for five innings and held Hyannis to no hits and no runs in his time on the field. Together, Y-D’s pitchers held on to a combined no-hitter in Wednesday’s game up to the ninth inning with Georgia Tech’s Carson Ballard, Elon’s Ryan Sprock and Stanford’s Trevor Moore contributing to the team’s dominance on the mound.
Youngerman, the right-handed pitcher who transferred to Oklahoma State earlier this week, said his performance on the mound felt rewarding. He added that his success was possible with the help of Y-D’s relentless defense.
“Without those guys behind me tonight, it wouldn't have happened,” Youngerman said. “Phoenix [Call] made a great play in center, the infield was locked in, and Charlie [Saum] was great behind the plate. They all did a great job in the field.”
In total, Y-D’s pitchers combined for 12 strikeouts. Youngerman said the support of the bullpen and team has been essential, highlighting the importance of having trust in one another.
“We just had trust in our guys that we threw out there. And we knew that no matter what situation they saw, they were going to get the job done. Our defense was good all day and our offense provided when we needed it. That's all you can ask for as a pitcher.”
The Division I baseball transfer portal has been particularly active lately, with many players traveling to do visits and see what else is out there after the season. Youngerman announced his transfer from Westmont College to Oklahoma State University earlier this week and said he is looking forward to playing there.
“Our head coach at my old school took a new position and that was a lot of the reason I was going to go back,” Youngerman said. “So I decided to explore some other opportunities, and I fell in love with Oklahoma State and the plan that they have for me — I'm really excited to go there next year.”
Photo by Sophie Solarino
