Youngstown, Ohio – The Youngstown State softball team opened Horizon League play with a doubleheader sweep over Detroit Mercy, 11-1, 10-1, on Saturday afternoon at the Covelli Sports Complex.
The Penguins improve to 13-10 overall and 2-0 in the Horizon League while the Titans fall to 1-19 overall and 0-2 in the league.
Senior Elyssa Imler went 3-for-5 on the day with a grand slam and drove in six runs while senior Hailey Niederkohr and freshman Macy Littler each had four hits on the day. Niederkohr had four runs batted in while Littler drove in three runs.
In the opener, senior Sophie Howell had a no-hitter for 4.1 innings and allowed one hit with five strikeouts to post her eighth win over the season. At one point, Howell retired 12 straight batters.
The Penguins scored all 11 runs in the first two innings to give Howell all the offense she needed. Youngstown State scored six in the first inning and added five more in the second.
The Penguins sent 12 batters to the plate and collected eight hits in their six-run first inning. Sara Fessler, who had two hits, led off the frame with a bunt single and scored on Jillian Jakse's single to right field. After Kennedy Dean's single advanced Jakse to third, consecutive infield bunt hits by Conchetta Rinaldi and Imler plated Jakse and pinch-runner Lauryn Swanson to push the lead to 3-0.
Three straight two-out hits by Niederkohr, Littler, and Fessler scored Rinaldi, Imler and Niederkohr, respectively, to give the Penguins a 6-0 lead.
Rinaldi doubled home Swanson, who walked, from first base to start the Penguins scoring in the second inning. Imler followed with a run-scoring single to centerfield, and infield singles by Niederkohr and Lydia Wilkerson extended the lead to 10-0. Littler also scored on a throwing error for the Penguins' 11th run.
The Titans broke up Howell's no-hitter with one out in the fifth and scored an unearned run.
In game nightcap, the Penguins scored a run in the first and second innings, two in the third and exploded for six more in the fourth.
Wilkerson crushed her first career home run in the bottom of the first inning to start the scoring, and Littler drove in Rinaldi with a single up the middle in the second.
The Penguins went up 4-0 through three innings after Niederkohr's two-out bases-loaded ground-rule double to left field brought home Swanson and pinch-runner Cassandra Carlson.
After the Titans scored in the top of the fourth, the Penguins answered with their second six-run inning of the day. Fessler and Jakse both walked, and Fessler scored on Swanson's single to right field.
Rinaldi walked to load the bases, and Imler blasted her first career grand slam over the left-center field fence for a 9-1 lead. Niederkohr triple to left-center field and scored on Littler's second hit of the game.
Freshman Autumn Behlke earned her third win of the season tossing 4.2 innings and striking out five.
Youngstown State and Detroit Mercy conclude the series, Sunday, March 17. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
