Youngstown, Ohio – Junior Kennedy Dean went 3-for-3 and graduate Cassandra Carlson drove in three runs to lead the Youngstown State softball team (13-38, 5-16 Horizon League) to a 9-3 series-clinching victory over Oakland (16-27, 7-13) on Sunday afternoon at the Covelli Sports Complex.
Dean, who had a double, drove in two runs and scored two more while Carlson went 2-for-3. Junior Bree Kohler drove in two runs, scored twice, and went 2-for-3, including a double, while Macy Littler went 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
Freshman Kelsey Ogin tossed a complete-game and posted five strikeouts to earn her sixth victory of the season.
The Penguins jumped out to an early lead with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning. Littler singled up the middle with two outs and senior Elyssa Imler walked to put runners at first and second. Dean lofted a double that fell in no-man's land between the shortstop and centerfielder, and Imler raced around the bags to score from first.
Youngstown State expanded its lead to 5-0 with a three-run third inning. After Dean walked and senior Taylor Truran singled to left, Kohler laced a run-scoring double to left-center field to plate Dean for a 3-0 advantage. Carlson drove in Truran with a single to through the left side, and Lydia Wilkerson's bases-loaded hit-by-pitch brought home Kohler for the five-run lead.
Oakland tacked on two runs in the top of the fifth to trim the Penguins lead to 5-2, but Youngstown State answered with a four-run sixth to push its lead to 9-2.
Kohler's bases-loaded single to center scored Littler, who led off the inning with a single, and Carlson's single to deep center plated Dean and pinch-runner Ellie Hardman to give the Penguins a six-run edge, 8-2. Freshman Bella Meyer delivered a pinch-hit single to right-center to bring in Kohler with the Penguins final run.
Oakland added a run in the top of the seventh for the game's final score.
Youngstown State closes out the regular season with a three-game series at Northern Kentucky, May 2-3, in Highland Heights, Ky.
