YSU softball reaches Horizon League final

Staff report

Chicago

Junior Casey Crozier pitched a three-hit shutout with four strikeouts as the Youngstown State softball team defeated Wright State, 1-0, and advanced to the Horizon League championship game.

The Penguins (19-25) will play Valparaiso at noon today. The Penguins are trying to reach the NCAA regional tournament for the second time in school history. They also advanced in 2006.

A one-out, bases-loaded walk to Caroline Krombach plated senior Sarah Gabel with the game-winning run in the top of the seventh inning. The walk was the only free pass allowed by Wright State’s Krystian DeWitt, who also threw a three-hitter and struck out seven.

Freshman Miranda Castiglione reached on an error to lead off the inning and beat the throw at second on Gabel’s sacrifice bunt to put runners on first and second. Freshman Kelly Stowe singled to center field, but Castiglione was thrown out at the plate trying to score from second.

Junior Sarah Ingalls was hit by a pitch to load the bases to set up Krombach’s RBI-walk.

After a leadoff single by Wright State’s Reagan Stofcheck in the bottom half of the seventh, Crozier retired the next three batters on a sacrifice bunt, an infield pop out and a foul out to right field.

Crozier (16-8) allowed a one-out triple to right field in the bottom of the third then induced a ground ball to short and a comebacker to get out of the jam.

DeWitt retired the first 10 Penguin batters before Courtney Ewing broke up the perfect game with a single to center in the top of the fourth.

Junior Haley Knight had the Penguins’ third hit off DeWitt. The Raiders fell to 19-36.