The No. 1 seeded Youngstown State softball team dropped a 3-1 decision to No. 5 Robert Morris on Friday afternoon in Game 4 of the 2024 Horizon League Softball Championship at the Covelli Sports Complex.
Robert Morris improves to 20-22 and advances to the winner's bracket final while the Penguins fall to 36-16 and will play in elimination game tonight at 7:30 p.m. However if the loser of the Oakland vs. Cleveland State game defeats NKU in the elimination game preceeding the contest against YSU, that game will not be played.
Senior Conchetta Rinaldi and Freshman Lydia Wilkerson led the Penguins with two hits each while Wilkerson scored once, and Rinaldi drove in a run.
Robert Morris' Catalina Sexton clubbed a two-run home run in the top of the first inning to give the Colonials an early 2-0 lead.
Rinaldi's hustling two-out infield single in the bottom of the fourth scored Wilkerson to cut the lead in half, 2-1. Wilkerson led off the frame and advance to third after a throwing error on Kennedy Dean's fielder's choice. Rinaldi then beat out a slow grounder to second base to plate Wilkerson.
Robert Morris added a run in the top of the sixth inning on a sacrifice fly by Jess Matheny to extend the lead to 3-1.
YSU senior Sophie Howell (23-8) allowed just four hits and struck out six in a hard-luck loss.
