Youngstown, Ohio – Senior Sophie Howell set the YSU single-season wins record with her 23rd, and the Youngstown State softball team tied the single-season record for most wins with 36 after knocking off IUPUI, 3-2, on Friday morning the Covell Sports Complex.
The Penguins finished the regular season with an overall record of 36-15 and a 20-4 mark in Horizon League play. IUPUI closed out the regular season with an overall mark 13-35 and 9-14 in league play.
Howell scattered seven hits, did not allow an earned run, and struck out seven in the complete-game victory, which also marked the 50th of her career. She is just the third player in school history to record at least 50 career wins with 500 career strikeouts.
Freshman Autumn Behlke's one-out, pinch-hit, walk-off single to left-center field scored pinch-runner Sydney Payne with the game winning run in the bottom of the seventh.
Conchetta Rinaldi led off the frame with an infield single and was replaced by Payne. Freshman Macy Littler reached on a fielder's choice and Payne advance to second on a throwing error.
After a strikeout, Behlke laced a line drive in the left-center field gap.
The Penguins got on the board in the bottom of the first when Sara Fessler scored on a Jillian Jakse's sacrifice fly.
After the Jaguars took the lead 2-1 with two unearned runs in the top of the third, freshman Lauryn Swanson tied the game with an infield single that scored Hailey Niederkohr, who tripled to right field.
Youngstown State will serve as the No. 1 seed and host institution of the 2024 Horizon League Softball Championship, May 8-11. YSU will play on Thursday, May 9, at 12 p.m.
