Moon Township, Pa. – The Youngstown State softball team set the program's single-game RBI record and the single-game mark for most runs scored in a Horizon League game after a 20-0 win over Robert Morris in game two of a doubleheader at the North Athletic Complex. The Penguins dropped the opener, 8-6.
Youngstown State improves to 19-13 overall and 7-2 in the Horizon League while Robert Morris moves to 17-10 overall and 5-4 in league action.
The Penguins' 19 runs batted in broke the old mark of 16 set in 2015 and matched in 2016, and Youngstown State's 20 runs scored are the second-most in program history while the 19 hits rank tied for third on the single-game list.
Sophomore pitcher Kelsey Ogin delivered a complete-game one-hitter with five strikeouts to earn her sixth win of the season and second in league play. Ogin did not give up a hit for 4.1 innings and allowed just two base runners.
Sophomore Bella Meyer went 4-for-4 with four runs scored, a home run and four runs batted in while senior Kennedy Dean went 2-for-2 with a home run, double, and five runs batted in. Freshman Naomi Bottomlee turned in a 3-for-3 performance with a double, triple and three RBIs.
The Penguins made a statement early by sending 15 batters to the plate and scoring 11 runs in the top of the first inning. Meyer led off the game with a solo home run to left field, and, after Lydia Wilkerson scored on a wild pitch, Ayla Ray and Bree Kohler each delivered run-scoring singles to push the Penguins lead to 4-0.
Bottomlee's laced a two-run single through the right side plating Ray and Selah Moyer, and Meyer's single to left field extended the advantage to 7-0. Back-to-back two-run doubles by Tai Turner and Dean capped the Penguins scoring and ballooned the lead to 11-0.
The Penguins scored three times in the top of the second on Meyer's third hit of the game, a run-scoring single, and Wilkerson's two run double to left-center field.
Youngstown State plated six runs in the top of the third on Bottomlee's run-scoring triple, run-scoring singles by Meyer and Emma Gilkerson and a three-run home run by Dean.
In the opener, the Penguins jumped out to a 5-0 lead and led 6-4 going into the bottom of the seventh. The Colonials scored runs in the bottom half of the frame, including a solo home run by Courtney Poulich and a walk-off home run by Marta Gualazza.
Dean belted a solo home run in the top of the second inning and drove in three runs in the top of the third to give Youngstown State a 4-0 lead. Ray followed with a run-scoring double to center field.
The Colonials posted four runs in the bottom of the third to get within one, 5-4, but the Penguins answered with a run in the top of the fourth on Wilkerson's single through the left side to regain a 6-4 lead.
Youngstown State hosts Niagara in a doubleheader, Tuesday, April 7. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. at the Covelli Sports Complex.
