Youngstown, Ohio – The Youngstown State softball team clinched its second Horizon League regular-season championship in the last four years after knocking off IUPUI, 8-4, in game one of a doubleheader at the YSU Softball Field.

The Penguins, who improved to 35-15 overall and 19-4 in the Horizon League, also won game two, 1-0. IUPUI falls to 13-34 overall and 9-13 in league.

Youngstown State clubbed three home runs to support an impressive pitching performance from senior Sophie Howell. Howell tied the YSU single-season wins record with 22 after striking out seven in a complete-game performance.

She also collected the 500th strikeout of her career to become the third YSU pitcher with at least 500 career strikeouts.

Senior Elyssa Imler went 2-for-3 with two runs batted in while Kennedy Dean and Conchetta Rinaldi each recorded two hits.

Freshman Lydia Wilkerson crushed a two-run home run, her second of the year, in the bottom of the first inning and Imler added a run-scoring single to give the Penguins a 3-0 after one inning.

After the Jaguars tacked on a run in the top of the third, Dean cranked a solo home run and Hailey Niederkohr added a run-scoring single in the bottom half of the frame to extend the lead to 5-1.

The Jaguars added two more in the top of the fifth, but the Penguins answered with a run in the bottom of the fifth on Macy Littler's sacrifice fly.

IUPUI cut the lead to 6-4 with run in the top of the sixth before Autumn Behlke led off the bottom half with a pinch-hit home run to push the lead to 7-4. Imler singled down the left-field line to score pinch-runner with the Penguins eighth run.

In game two, senior Devan Ryan tossed a four-hit complete-game shutout with four strikeouts to pick up her eighth win of the season.

Wilkerson hit a walk-off run-scoring single in the bottom of the seventh inning to score Littler with the game-winning run.

The Penguins and Jaguars conclude the series, Friday, May 3, with a single game beginning at 11 a.m.