The Youngstown State softball team closes out the home portion
of its 2010 schedule when it hosts Niagara in a non-league
doubleheader, Wednesday, April 28. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m.
at McCune Park in Canfield, Ohio. The Penguins also return to
Horizon League action when they visit Valparaiso for a three-game
series, May 1-2, in Valparaiso, Ind.
The Penguins (13-30 overall, 6-12 Horizon League) are coming off
a hard-fought 5-4 loss in 12 innings to league member UIC on Sunday
morning. Senior Cheryl Cale pitched an impressive complete game
with three strikeouts and threw an incredible 183 pitches - 123 of
them strikes. UIC's Shannon Kehr hit a solo home run in the top of
the 12th inning to ensure the victory for the Flames.
Sophomore Kristen Philen went 3-for-5 while freshman Vickey
Rumph, sophomore Jordan Ingalls and Amanda Palmore and senior
Autumn Grove each tallied two hits apiece.
About Niagara
The Purple Eagles are currently 14-14 overall and are 7-8 in road
games. Teresa Healy leads the Purple Eagles with a .429 batting
average and is tied for the team lead with six home runs. Kristin
Sito, who is batting .318, also has six round trippers. Julie
Dimatteo leads the pitching staff with a 9-3 record and a 4.73
earned-run average.
About Valparaiso
Valparaiso enters the week with a 29-13 overall record and ranks
second in the Horizon League 9-3 mark. Sara Strickland leads the
Crusaders offensively with a .389 batting average while Sadie
Conner is second on the squad with a .384 clip. Conner also leads
the team with seven home runs. Alex Lagesse and Sam McGee have each
picked up 12 wins in the circle for the Crusaders while Lagesse
leads the staff with a 1.55 earned-run average.
Cale Moves Into Third
Senior pitcher Cheryl Cale moved into third place on the Youngstown
State career innings pitched chart with 477. Cale, who has 23
career victories, needs just 23 more innings pitched to become just
the third YSU pitcher to throw at least 500 innings in a career.
The last player to accomplish the feat was Karlie Burnell, who
pitched 521.2 innings from 2004-07.
Rumph Shaker
Freshman Vicky Rumph is having an outstanding rookie campaign for
the Penguins. The Mount Forest, Ontario, native is fourth on the
team with a .323 batting average and leads the squad and ranks tied
for eighth in the league with seven home runs.
Haley's Comet
This season, sophomore Haley Thomas is proving to be one of the top
all-around offensive players in the Horizon League. Thomas leads
the league with six triples, ranks third with 54 hits and 88 total
bases, fourth with a .388 batting average, 35 runs scored and a
.469 on-base percentage. Thomas also ranks sixth in the circuit
with a slugging percentage of .633.
Philen High
Sophomore Kristen Philen is arguably one of the most improved
players this season. The Tallmadge, Ohio, native is second on the
team with a .339 batting average with nine doubles, three home runs
and 20 RBIs, and has surpassed her doubles, home runs and runs
batted in totals from a year ago. Last season, Philen batted .200
with six doubles, two homers and 12 runs batted in. She has also
improved defensively raising her fielding percentage more that 40
points.
Up Next
The Penguins visit Valparaiso in a three-game series, May 1-2, in
Valparaiso, Ind. First pitch on Saturday is schedule for 2 p.m.
(EDT).
