Horizon League softball tournament

[ysuindy]

#6 YSU opens with a 9-1 win over #3 Valpo in 5 innings.

Crozier with 9 strikeouts.  YSU scores 7 in the second.

The ladies next face #1 Loyola tomorrow afternoon.  YSU was 1-2 vs. Loyola this season.

[Wick250]

A very satisfying result.  I would call this team the ultimate "Jekyll and Hyde" outfit, but Robert Louis Stevenson could never have envisioned that much contrast between very good and terrible.  Let us see what tomorrow brings.

[IAA Fan]

softball is all pitching. It is not like baseball. Home runs are as common as singles in baseball. A slong as we have the better pitcher, we are going to win.

[HappyPenguin]

Well one of our pitchers has managed to beat every conference team this season, not a bad accomplishment. Let's hope they get on a roll.

[Wick250]

Tomorrow brought more "Hyde" and less "Jekyll."  We deposited #2 seed Loyola into the loser's bracket and Wright State did the same to top-seeded and host UIC.  Awesome.  This is starting to parallel the events of 2006 when we underachieved during the regular season but still went into the tournament with at least one win over every team in the conference.  We then rode the arm of our star pitcher right into the NCAAs. We are still not the favorite, but we have a fighting chance....a good fighting chance.

[IAA Fan]

Chicago, Ill. -- The Loyola-Cleveland State softball game was suspended due to rain and will be continued Friday at 11 a.m. EDT/10 a.m. Central. With the schedule change, the start of the Youngstown State game against Wright State has been pushed back one hour to 3:30 p.m. EDT/2:30 p.m. local time in Chicago at Flames Field on Friday.

On Thursday, the Loyola vs. Cleveland State elimination contest was suspended in the top of the fifth inning with the Vikings holding a 3-1 lead. The winner of the CSU-Loyola contest will then take on Valparaiso in another elimination game following the completion of their suspended game.

The winner of YSU, the sixth seed, and Wright State, the fifth seed, advances to the Championship Game on Saturday.

The loser of the Penguins-Raiders game plays at approximately 6 p.m. Eastern/5 p.m. Central time on Friday in their first elimination game of the tournament.

The No. 1 seed, and tournament host, UIC was eliminated on Thursday dropping contests to Wright State, 1-0, and Valparaiso, 3-1. The Penguins knocked off the No. 2 seed Ramblers earlier on Thursday, 2-0.

[IAA Fan]

Update: We are in the 7th ...0-0. Lady Pens had runners on 1st & 2nd with 1-out ...and could not do anything with it.

[ysuindy]

YSU runner thrown out at the plate with none out in the 7th.  Had first and second with none out and single to center.  I don't watch enough softball to know whether that is typical to send runner in that situation/

Next batter was hit by pitch so bases loaded one out.

[ysuindy]

YSU gets a bases loaded walk with one out to take a 1-0 lead.  A called strike three on a full count and three pitch strikeout end the inning.

Hopefully the one run is enough. Just feel like Guins left a few on the board there.  Faith in Crozier to get it done.

[ysuindy]

YSU wins 1-0 and advances to the Noon EDT championship game.  Wright State had a leadoff single, bunted her to second but could not get the runner home.

YSU will play the winner of tonight's #3 Valpo - # 5 Wright State game.

YSU will need to win one of two possible games tomorrow.

[Wick250]

Wonderful.  Totally unexpected but marvelous.  What a great time for Crozier to put it all together.  The potential was always there.  To answer your question Indy, Campbell is usually very conservative in those situations, often to my consternation.  That was out of character.  He was obviously more frustrated than those of us that were watching.  Root for Wright State tonight.  That offense is weak, and they only have one formidable pitcher.  Assuming she goes back to the mound tonight, she would have to pitch four games in about 26 hours in order to stop us.  I'll take our chances with that.  Conversely, Valpo has two good pitchers.

[ysuindy]

Valpo won 10-2 in five innings. YSU to play Valpo

[IAA Fan]

we lost game-1 ...2-1. We were down by three & now have tied it in game 2. Winner take all

[IAA Fan]

sorry, the ties was att 2-2. However, are now down 4-2 in the 3rd.

[IAA Fan]

this one is over. You can never come back. The team that wins game 1 has the advantage. Valpo piling runs on us.