Softball Extends Win Streak to Six After Sweep of South Carolina State
The Youngstown State softball team extended its winning streak to six games after sweeping a doubleheader from South Carolina State, 9-0, and 5-4, on Thursday afternoon.
Freshman pitcher Casey Crozier picked up the victory in both games for the Penguins, who improve to 7-3 overall.
In the opener, Crozier tossed a four-hit shutout - her second consecutive shutout - and struck out five while sophomore Sarah Gabel went 3-for-3 with a triple and three runs batted in.
Senior Kristina Rendle, sophomore Vicky Rumph and freshman Sarah Ingalls each tallied two hits in the Guins' 12-hit barrage.
In the nightcap, Crozier relieved starter Hana Somogyi, who pitched four solid innings allowing just two hits and one earned run, fired three innings of relief to pick up her fourth victory of the season.
The Guins recovered from two deficits, including scoring three runs in the top of the seventh, and held off a Bulldogs rally that left the tying run on third and the winning run on second.
Trailing, 3-2, in the top of the seventh, junior Haley Thomas reached on an error to lead off the inning and advanced to second on Rendle's bunt single. After Jordan Ingalls' sacrifice bunt pushed the runners to seconnd and third, Rumph tied the game with a sacrifice fly to center field scoring Thomas and moving Rendle to third.
A single by Gabel plated Rendle with the go-ahead run and pinch-runner Shayla DeCapita stole second and scored on a single to center by Kim Klonowski.
In the bottom half of the frame, Crozier allowed a single, walk and an infield single to load the bases with no outs.
After fanning the next two batters, Crozier walked in a run to make the score 5-4, but induce a fly out to center field to end the game.
The Guins trailed 1-0 after the Bulldogs scored in the bottom of the first before Rendle tied the game with an inside-the-park home run.
Jordan Ingalls followed with a triple and scored on Rumph's sacrifice fly.
South Carolina State regained the lead scoring two runs in the bottom half of the fifth.
The Guins take on Savannah State on Friday, March 11, at 1 p.m.
