Fort Wayne, Ind. – The Youngstown State softball team extended its winning streak to five games after sweeping a doubleheader from Purdue Fort Wayne on Friday afternoon.

The Penguins defeated the Mastodons 2-0 in the opener and 12-5 in the nightcap.

The Penguins improve to 16-10 overall and 5-0 in Horizon League play while the Mastodons fall to 5-19 and 0-2 in the league.

Senior Sophie Howell fired her third straight one hitter and fanned seven in the Penguins' 2-0 victory in game one. Howell retired the first eight batters she faced and did not allow a hit until the fourth inning.

Kennedy Dean and Elyssa Imler each had two hits to lead the Penguins offensively.

The Penguins scored their first run in the top of the fourth inning. Imler doubled to lead off the frame, advanced to third on Macy Littler's sacrifice bunt, and scored on Hailey Niederkohr's sacrifice fly.

Dean belter her third home run of the year, a solo shot, in the top of the sixth inning for the game's final run.

In the nightcap, freshman Lydia Wilkerson went 4-for-4 with four runs scored to lead the Penguins' 18-hit barrage. Jillian Jakse went 3-for-3 with a double, a three-run home run, and five runs batted in.

Conchetta Rinaldi had three hits, including a home run, with two RBIs while Imler banged out three hits and two runs batted in.

The Penguins used four-run frames in the first and second innings then scored two in the fifth and two more in the seventh inning.

Senior Devan Ryan earned her second win of the year with the complete-game victory.

Youngstown State and Purdue Fort Wayne close out the series with a single game on Saturday. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.