By Teziah Howard / The Jambar
Before the Youngstown State University softball team traveled to Bowling Green State University on March 26, the Penguins competed in back-to-back doubleheaders against the University of Detroit Mercy and Niagara University on March 21-25.
The Penguins went 1-2 against the Titans. The first matchup was a doubleheader where the Penguins fell in both matchups. The teams combined for 11 scores in the contest, with the Titans edging out the Penguins 6-5.
Sophomore Lydia Wilkerson scored the first run for the Penguins, but a three-run surge for Detroit Mercy put the Titans back in front of YSU.
The Penguins made an effort to regain the lead when sophomore Macy Littler and junior Ashlyn Bishop both recorded runs. Littler went 3-for-7 on the day with three runs batted in. Wilkerson tallied her third home run of the season and freshman Ayla Ray notched her first career home run.
The teams tallied 14 total runs in the first matchup with seven apiece. Detroit Mercy notched one stolen base to the Penguins’ zero.
Youngstown State had three walks during the contest while the Titans only had one. Detroit Mercy rallied to seven total strikeouts with the Penguins tallying only four.
In Game Two, the Titans led the Penguins with 13 total hits. The Penguins had ten. YSU walked four total times to Detroit Mercy’s one. Neither team had any stolen bases.
YSU edged out Detroit Mercy in strikeouts with six in total, which was one more than the Titans. For the Titans, sophomore Claire Borg knotted the contest up at five apiece.
The Penguins notched the first run of the matchup when Ray struck a homer to right centerfield in the first inning.
Youngstown State looked for redemption against the Titans with a quick turnaround, facing them again to complete the doubleheader. Detroit Mercy was able to overtake the Penguins once again, besting YSU 7-6.
Saturday would conclude the head-to-head matchups, and the Penguins secured their first victory over the Titans. The 2-1 win over Detroit Mercy marked the third consecutive game between the two teams decided by one run.
The matchup saw seven straight scoreless innings until junior Kennedy Dean hit a double into left-center field. Dean’s hit enabled fifth-year senior Elyssa Imler and freshman Bella Meyer to score.
The Titans responded when freshman Allison Fluker scored a run from fellow freshman Wendy Ketola’s hit.
In the doubleheader against Niagara on March 25, the Penguins claimed the series victory with two-straight wins. Game One lasted six innings, as YSU claimed a 11-3 victory over the Purple Eagles.
The duo of Ray and redshirt junior Bree Kohler combined for four runs, as nine different players recorded a hit in the first matchup.
In the nightcap, Youngstown State struggled in the first two innings and allowed Niagara to score eight runs. The Penguins responded with a plethora of runs and won the game 16-8.
The Penguins responded with a strong pitching effort by sophomore Maci Boggess, who shut out the Purple Eagles over five innings.
Dean, senior Taylor Truran and freshman Kami Diaz each recorded home runs. For Diaz, she homered twice, which marked her first career-home runs.
The Penguins will be back at the YSU Softball Complex to face Mercyhurst University in a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m. April 1.
