Softball Drops Doubleheader to Valparaiso

Sunday, April 17

12 pm

Youngstown State University

21-15, 4-8

Valparaiso

24-17-1, 7-6

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Valparaiso	0	1	0	0	0	0	3	4	8	2
Youngstown State	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	2	6	2

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Valparaiso	1	3	0	1	0	4	5	14	14	0
Youngstown State	2	1	0	0	2	2	4	11	16	2

4/17/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Canfield, Ohio -- On an extremely windy day, the Youngstown State softball team was one out from victory but ended up dropping a pair of games to Valparaiso, 4-2, and 14-11, on Sunday afternoon at McCune Park.

The Guins fall to 21-16 overall and 4-9 in the Horizon League while the Crusaders improve to 25-17-1 overall and 8-6 in the league.

In the first game, freshman pitcher Casey Crozier held the Valparaiso offense at bay for six innings and owned a 2-1 lead. Crozier scattered eight hits, struck out eight and allowed just one earned run in the hard-luck loss.

In the top of the seventh, Valparaiso's Angie Doerffler led off the frame by reaching on an error, and, after two consecutive outs, Jordan Rutkowski belted a two-run home run to put the Crusaders ahead 3-2.

Valpo's Sadie Conner cranked a solo home run for the Crusaders' third unearned run of the frame for the game's final score.

The Crusaders took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning on a run-scoring single by Alex Lagesse.

The Guins responded in the bottom of the third to take a 2-1 edge. Junior Kristen Philen led off the inning with a single and moved to third on a Haley Thomas's double. A ground out by senior Kristina Rendle plated Philen with the game-tying run and Jordan Ingalls reached on an error to score Thomas.

In the nightcap, the Guins pounded out 16 hits led by freshman Samantha Snodgrass' 3-for-4 performance. Five other Penguins recorded at least two hits, including junior Kristen Philen, who hammered her first home run of the season and drove in four runs.

Trailing 5-3 in the bottom of the fifth, run-scoring singles by Ingalls and sophomore Vicky Rumph knotted the game at 5-5.

Valpo plated four runs in the top of the sixth to take a 9-5 lead but Philen cut the deficit in half, 9-7, with a two-run bomb to left field.

In the top of the seventh, the Crusaders appeared to put the game away with five runs and extended their lead to 14-7.

The Guins, though, never gave up and pushed across four runs and had the game-tying run on deck whe the game ended.

Senior Kim Klonowski ripped a one-out double and a walk to Amanda Palmore and a single through the left side by Snodgrass loaded the bases.

Back-top-back doubles by sophomore Sarah Gabel and Philen plated a total of four runs and brought the Guins within three, 14-11.

Valpo's Alex Lagesse, who earned the win in game one, earned the save by retiring the next two Penguins batters.

The Guins host Akron in a doubleheader, Tuesday, April 19. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. at McCune Park.