Youngstown State University
Robert Morris
Penguins Have Quick Turnaround with Three-Game Series at Robert Morris
4/8/2024 12:33:00 PM | Softball
April 9 at Robert Morris – 1 p.m. | Live Stats | Watch
April 9 at Robert Morris – 3 p.m. | Live Stats | Watch
April 10 at Robert Morris – 3 p.m. | Live Stats | Watch
The Youngstown State softball team (23-12, 10-2 Horizon League) has a quick turnaround and is back in Horizon League action when it visits Robert Morris for a three-game series, April 9, 10, in Moon Township, Pa.
First pitch for Tuesday's doubleheader is set for 1 p.m. while Wednesday's single game is slated for a 3 p.m. start.
Up Next
The Penguins are idle this weekend before returning to action against Morehead State, Tuesday, April 16, at 12 p.m. in Morehead, Ky.
Last Time Out
The Penguins lost the season series to Oakland last weekend falling 5-4 in game one, winning 3-1 in game two and dropping the finale, 3-0.
About Robert Morris
Robert Morris enters the series with an overall record of 10-15 and a 5-4 mark in Horizon League play. The Colonials are led by Kaylyn Hopf with a .385 batting average. Jaimee Hardy leads the pitching staff with a 4-0 record while Kailani Tatro has a team-best 2.80 earned-run average.
The Robert Morris Series
Youngstown State and Robert Morris have met 80 times previously and the Penguins own a 47-33 advantage in the all-time series. The Penguins have won the last two contests, seven of the last nine, and 16 of the last 21.
Penguins Against the League
Over the first 12 games of Horizon League play the Penguins have been blistering hot. As a team, the Penguins batted .360 with 16 doubles, five triples, 10 home runs, and 72 runs batted in. Senior Elyssa Imler led the Penguins with a .526 batting average with 12 runs scored, while Lydia Wilkerson batted .459. Graduate Sara Fessler boasted a .412 batting average with 14 runs and three home runs. Conchetta Rinaldi batted .432 with 12 RBIs. Senior Sophie Howell owns a record of 6-2 with a 1.91 earned-run average and 55 strikeouts in league action.
Impressive Imler
Senior Elyssa Imler has been one of the top players in the Horizon League this season. She currently ranks in the top 10 in nine different statistical categories during league play. Imler leads the league with a .526 batting average, 20 hits, and 27 total bases. She also ranks second in runs scored (12), third in doubles (4), fourth in RBIs (11) and on-base percentage (.550), seventh in OPS (1.261) and eighth in slugging percentage (.711).
RISP-y Business
Seniors Elyssa Imler, Hailey Niederkohr and Jillian Jakse have been clutch for the Penguins with runners in scoring position. Imler leads the team with a .469 batting average with runners in scoring position and is hitting .417 with runners on base. Niederkohr boasts a .417 average with runners in scoring position and .354 with runners on while Jakse posts a .400 average with runners in scoring position and .359 with runners on base.
Fessler, Howell Sweep Weekly Awards
For the third time this season, Youngstown State players swept the Under Armour Horizon League Softball Weekly Awards, the league announced on April 2.
Graduate student Sara Fessler was named the Horizon League Player of the Week while senior Sophie Howell was tabbed the Pitcher of the Week.
This is Fessler's first award this season and the second of her career while Howell has claimed her third award this season and the fifth of her career.
Fessler led the Penguins to a perfect 5-0 record last week, including their third straight Horizon League series sweep. She batted .526 (10-for-19) with eight runs scored, two doubles, four home runs, and six runs batted in. She also posted a slugging percentage of 1.263 and an on-base percentage of .571 for a 1.834 OPS. Fessler recorded three hits in game one against St. Bonaventure and clubbed a two-run home in the nightcap. She has two hits in each game against the Phoenix going 6-for-10 in the series with three home runs, a double, three RBIs, and six runs scored.
Howell posted a record of 3-0 with a save and a 1.42 earned-run average while striking out 31 in 19.2 innings pitched. She tossed 3.2 innings of hitless and scoreless relief with five whiffs in the Penguins 16-5 win over St. Bonaventure. Howell recorded the save in YSU's 7-2 win over the Bonnies with three strikeouts in two innings. Howell fanned 11 in a complete-game win over Green Bay on March 29, and she fired a six-hit complete-game shutout with a career-high 12 strikeouts in the series finale on March 31.
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
