Valparaiso, Ind. -- Freshman Tatum Christy went 4-for-4 with a home run, triple and four RBIs to lead the Youngstown State softball team to a 6-1 win over Valparaiso and extended the Penguins winning streak to nine games on Saturday afternoon. The Penguins dropped the nightcap to the Crusaders, 4-1.

The Penguins improve to 14-18 overall and 4-1 in the Horizon League. The nine-game winning streak tied for the second-longest streak in school history. The Crusaders improve to 16-9 overall and 3-2 in the league.

Christy had a run-scoring single in the single in the top of the second, an RBI-triple in the top of the fourth and a two-run home run in the top of the sixth to put the game away.

Freshman Maddi Lusk kept the Crusaders in check tossing a complete-game six-hitter with six strikeouts. Lusk also went 3-for-4 with a double and scored two runs. 

Senior Alexandria Gibson went 2-for-2 with a run batted in while junior Hannah Lucas went 2-for-4.

With the game tied, 1-1, after three, Gibson doubled to left field scoring Lusk, who singled, from first base and then scored on Christy's triple down the right-field line that hit the chalk to put YSU up 3-1.

In the top of the sixth, Gibson led off the inning with a walk and Christy unloaded her first career home run, a two-run blast to centerfield, to extend the lead to 5-1.

Elizabeth Birkbeck's bases-loaded walk in the top of the seventh sealed the victory.

In game two, senior Brittney Moffatt's run-scoring double in the top of the first inning gave the Penguins a short-lived 1-0 lead.

The Crusaders scored twice in the third and two more in the fourth to notch the victory.

Youngstown State and Valparaiso close out the series with a single game at 1 p.m. ET.