By Cameron Niemi
The Youngstown State University softball team traveled to the University of Detroit Mercy to play a three-game series. The Penguins went 2-1 against the Titans and moved to 4-1 in conference play.
The Penguins played a doubleheader March 26. The women dominated the first game as they won 13-1. Junior Sophie Howell got her sixth win of the season on the mound and only allowed three hits.
Senior Megan Turner hit a solo and a two-run home run. Senior Hailey Roach and freshman Kennedy Dean also hit a home run for Youngstown State.
In the second game, the Penguins won 5-1 as junior pitcher Devan Ryan secured her fifth win of the season.
The Penguins jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, the Titans pulled within one in the bottom of the second. The ‘Guins scored three more runs as Turner hit a late-game homer to secure the victory, which gave the team its sixth win in a row.
In the third game on March 27, the Titans snapped the Penguins win streak as they defeated them by a final score of 4-2, which gave the Penguins their first conference loss of the season.
The Titans led 4-0 by the bottom of the fourth inning. The Penguins attempted to make a comeback, but didn’t score until the seventh inning. Turner hit a two-run homer to pull within two, but the ‘Guins had three fly outs in a row.
Despite the loss, the Penguins won the series and returned home to the YSU Softball Complex for five-straight home games.
Youngstown State hosted a non-conference doubleheader against St. Bonaventure University on March 29. They split the series.
The Penguins defeated the Bonnies in the first game 8-0, which was called after five innings because of the mercy rule. Howell got her seventh win of the year. The team scored in each of the five innings.
In the second game, the Bonnies defeated the Penguins 4-2. Youngstown State attempted to make a comeback in the bottom of the seventh with two runners on base, but came up short in the end.
Head coach Brian Campbell spoke after the game about splitting the doubleheader.
“Softball is different, even though you run-rule somebody, there’s another game right after that,” Campbell said. “We did a good job the first game just hitting the ball and playing really good defense.”
The Penguins will continue Horizon League play in a three-game series against the University of Oakland, starting at 3 p.m. March 31. They will play a doubleheader at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. April 1. To watch the game, go on ESPN+ or view live stats on ysusports.com.
