Youngstown State University
Green Bay
Penguins Begin Three-Game Series Against Green Bay Friday
3/28/2024 1:12:00 PM | Softball
March 29 vs. Green Bay – 3 p.m. | Live Stats | Watch
March 29 vs. Green Bay – 5 p.m. | Live Stats | Watch
March 30 vs. Green Bay – 12 p.m. | Live Stats | Watch
The Youngstown State softball team returns to league action when it hosts Horizon League foe Green Bay in a three-game series, March 29-30, at the YSU Softball Complex.
First pitch for Friday's doubleheader is set for 3 p.m. while Saturday's single game is slated for a 12 p.m. start.
Up Next
The Penguins continue their homestand with a midweek doubleheader against Niagara, Tuesday, April 2. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
Last Time Out
The Penguins extended their win streak to eight games after sweeping St. Bonaventure, 16-5, and 7-2.
About Green Bay
Green Bay enters the weekend with an overall record of 6-14 and a Horizon League mark of 2-4. Bella Herman leads the Phoenix with a .311 batting average with 11 runs batted in. Samantha Saloun leads the team with 13 RBIs and three home runs.
The Green Bay Series
Youngstown State and Green Bay have met 69 times previously and the Phoenix own a slim 35-34 advantage in the all-time series. The Penguins won the last meeting, 9-1, in the 2023 Horizon League Championship, but the Phoenix swept the regular-season three-game series from the Penguins.
Penguins in the League
Over the first six games of Horizon League play the Penguins have been blistering hot. As a team, the Penguins batted .403 with a .616 slugging percentage, six home runs, four triples, and eight doubles. Lydia Wilkerson leads the team with a .556 while Kennedy Dean hit .533, Conchetta Rinaldi batted. 529 and Elyssa Imler hit .500. Sophie Howell has been dominant in the circle over the first two weekends of league play. Howell posts a 4-0 record with a 0.88 earned-run average, and 27 strikeouts.
RISP-y Business
Seniors Elyssa Imler and Hailey Niederkohr have been clutch for the Penguins with runners in scoring position. Imler leads the team with a .435 batting average with runners in scoring position and is hitting .343 with runners on base. Niederkohr boasts a .407 average with runners in scoring position and .324 with runners on.
Guins Over the Last Eight
During its eight-game win streak, Youngstown State has been crushing it at the plate. As a team, the Penguins batted .390 with 12 doubles, five triples, seven home runs and 66 runs batted in. Conchetta Rinaldi posted a .538 batting average (14-for-26) with four doubles, a home run, and 10 RBIs during the win streak. Lydia Wilkerson batted. 481 (13-for-27) while Hailey Niederkohr batted .476 with four triples, and a team-high 14 RBIs.
Howell, Niederkohr Sweep HL Weekly Awards
Senior Sophie Howell was named the Under Armour Horizon League Softball Pitcher of the Week while senior Hailey Niederkohr was named the Under Armour Horizon League Softball Player of the Week on March 19. It was the fourth career weekly award for Howell and the second this season, and the first career award for Niederkohr. Over the weekend, Howell went 2-0 with a 0.70 earned-run average while striking out 12 in 10 innings pitched. She gave up just two hits and allowed just one earned run. Howell fired pair of one-hitters against Detroit Mercy on March 16 and March 17, and she limited the Titans to a .061 batting average. Niederkohr was nearly unstoppable last weekend batting .857 with four runs scored, a double, three triples and eight runs batted in. She also posted a 1.857 slugging percentage and an .889 on-base percentage for a 2.746 OPS. Niederkohr went 6-for-7 at the plate with two hits in each game, and she tied the single-game record for with triples with two.
Penguins Picked Fourth in Horizon League
The Youngstown State softball team was predicted to finish fourth in the Horizon League after a vote by the league's head coaches. The Penguins earned 48 points and finished behind Northern Kentucky and Oakland, who were picked tied for first with 75 points, and Robert Morris, who was third. Green Bay earned 43 points to place fifth while IUPUI was sixth with 37 points, Cleveland State was seventh with 32, Purdue Fort Wayne ranked eighth with 21 points and Detroit Mercy was ninth with 10 points.
Place. Team (First Place Votes) – Points
T1. Northern Kentucky (5) – 75
T1. Oakland (4) – 75
3. RMU – 64
4. Youngtown State – 48
5. Green Bay – 43
6. IUPUI – 37
7. Cleveland State – 32
8. Purdue Fort Wayne – 21
9. Detroit Mercy – 10
