The Youngstown State softball team dropped a pair of non-league games to Kent State, 7-1, and 5-4, on Tuesday afternoon at the YSU Softball Field.

With the losses, the Penguins fall to 23-26 overall while the Golden Flashes improve to 21-24 overall.

In the opener, senior Sarah Dowd led the Penguins offensively with two of the Penguins five hits, and freshman Tatum Christy posted a run-scoring double in the bottom of the second inning.

Through six innings n game two the Penguins led, 4-1. In the top half of the seventh, Kent State's Ronnie Ladines belted a one-out grand slam to lift the Golden Flashes to the 5-4 victory.

Junior Cali Mikovich, who went 2-for-4, gave the Penguins a 1-0 lead with a run-scoring double in the bottom half of the first inning. Junior Hannah Lucas was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame and stole second base. Mikovich then ripped an 0-2 pitch past the KSU left field to plate Lucas.

In the bottom of the fourth, Christy hit a one-out single to left and advanced to second on a ground out. Lucas reached on a throwing error and Christy scored on the play to put the Penguins up, 2-0.

After the Golden Flashes scored one in the top of the fifth, the Penguins extended their lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the sixth. Freshman Maddi Lusk led off the inning with a double to right-center field and senior Alex Gibson walked to put runners at first and second with no outs. 

Christy reached on a fielding error and pinch-runner Dani Dadig scored on a throwing error on the same play to push the YSU lead to 3-1.

Junior Stevie Taylor's sacrifice fly plated pinch-runner Lexi Zappitelli with the Penguins fourth run.

Youngstown State closes out the home portion of the schedule with a three-game series against Horizon League foe Cleveland State, April 28-29, at the YSU Softball Field.