The Youngstown State softball team extended its winning streak to six with an 8-3 victory in game one of a doubleheader against Horizon League foe Purdue Fort Wayne, but dropped game two, 11-6 on Saturday afternoon at the YSU Softball Field.

The Penguins improved to 14-8 overall and 7-3 in the Horizon League while the Mastodon improve to 4-12 overall and 3-9 in the league.

In the opener, freshman Jillian Jakse went 2-for-3 with four runs batted in while senior Maddi Lusk went 3-for-3 with two RBIs and earned her second save of the season.

Senior Elle Buffenbarger posted another quality start striking out eight in five innings and picking up her sixth win of the season.

The Penguins jumped out in front early with a two-run first inning. Freshman Hailey Niederkohr walked to lead off the frame and Lusk singled to put runners on first and second. After a sacrifice bunt by Alex DeLeon, Jakse laced a two-run double down the left field line to give YSU a 2-0 lead.

The Mastodons tied the game at 2-2 after scoring runs in the top of the second and fourth innings.

The Penguins answered with a three-run fifth inning and after Purdue scored in the top of the sixth, YSU scored three more times in the bottom of the sixth.

Youngstown State scored three unearned runs in the bottom of the fifth, and, in the bottom of the sixth, Conchetta Rinaldi scored on a wild pitch, Lusk posted a run-scoring single and Jakse's sacrifice fly scored pinch-runner Sarah Bader.

In the nightcap, Purdue Fort Wayne capitalzied on four Penguins errors en route to the 11-6 victory. 

NIederkohr went 2-for-4 with and run batted in while Grace Cea went 2-for-4 and Lusk drove in two runs.

The Mastodons jumped out to a 4-0 lead before the Penguins cut the deficit to one after a three run third inning. 

Purdue Fort Wayne scored five in the fourth and two more in the sixth to take an insurmountable 11-3 lead.

Youngstown State visits IUPUI in a four-game series, April 2-3, in Indianapolis, Ind.