Farmville, Va. – Youngstown State Softball Head Coach Brian Campbell earned his 700th career victory after the Penguins posted a 4-3 walk-off win over Le Moyne on Saturday morning at the Longwood Spring Break Classic at Bank of the James Park.
The Penguins, who also lost to Longwood, 4-2, improve to 11-10 on the season
Senior Bree Kohler's bases-loaded single up the middle plated pinch-runner Macy Littler with the game-winning run. After the Dolphins knotted the game at 3-3 in the top half of the seventh, Emma Gilkerson singled up the middle to lead off the frame and Littler subbed in to pinch run. Tai Turner, who went 3-for-4, had an infield single to push Littler to second, and Kennedy Dean's walk loaded the bases to set up Kohler's heroics.
Dean's two-out single up the middle scored Lydia Wilkerson, who walked, and Selah Moyer's bases-loaded walk plated Gilkerson, who walked, gave the Penguins a 2-0 lead after one inning.
Le Moyne scored runs in the top of the second and fourth innings to tie the game at 2-2, and Gilkerson broke the stalemate with her fifth home run of the season, a solo shot to lead off the bottom of the fifth inning and put the Penguins up 3-2.
Gilkerson and freshman Tatum Werley each tallied two hits, and sophomore pitcher Kelsey Ogin picked up her third win of the year, tossing 1.2 innings and striking out two.
Against Longwood, Wilkerson and Dean each has two hits, and Wilkerson blasted a two-run home run in the top of the seventh inning to account for the Penguins' runs.
Youngstown State is idle until March 17 when it visits Pittsburgh in a single game. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. at Vartabedian Field in Pittsburgh, Pa.