Youngstown – The Youngstown State softball team picked up a doubleheader split against Akron, and Head Coach Brian Campbell picked up career win 650 on Tuesday afternoon at the YSU Softball Complex.
The Penguins defeated the Zips, 5-3, in game one before falling in the nightcap, 10-8.
With the split the Penguins improve to 11-9 overall while the Zips move to 8-12 overall
Senior Sophie Howell earned her seventh win of the year tossing a complete game with five strikeouts.
Sophomore Kennedy Dean laced a two-run double, and Jillian Jakse had a run-scoring single to lead the Penguins offensively.
The Zips jumped out in front 3-0 after plating three runs in the top of the third inning.
Youngstown State answered with three runs of their own in the bottom half to knot the game at 3-3. Hailey Niederkohr led off the frame with a single through the right side and advance to third on Sara Fessler's double to left-center field.
Fessler advanced to third on Lydia Wilkerson's fielder's choice and scored in Jakse's single to right field. Dean tied the game with a two-out double to left-center plating Wilkerson and Jakse.
The Penguins plated a run in the bottom of the fifth and another in the bottom of the sixth to seal the victory.
In the nightcap, Akron again jumped out to an early lead plating two runs in the top of the first and six more in the top of the second to take an 8-0 lead.
The Penguins trimmed the lead down to three with a big five-run inning in the bottom half of the second. Elyssa Imler walked, Behlke singles and Hailey Niederkohr walked to lead the bases. Macy Littler's infield single scored Imler and Fressler's bases-loaded walk plated Behlke with the Penguins' second run.
Wilkerson's single to center field pushed Niederkohr across the plate and cut the lead to 8-3. Jakse reached on a fielder's choice drove in Littler and Fessler scored on an error.
In the bottom of the third, Behlke doubled to lead off the frame and scored on a throwing error on Niederkohr's single, and YSU trailed just 8-6.
The Zips extended the lead to 10-6 with two runs in the top of the seventh, and Behlke's two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh ended the scoring.
Youngstown State visits Kent State for a single game, Wednesday, March 13. First pitch is 3 p.m. in Kent, Ohio.
