YSU's sensational season ends in loss

Cleveland State defeated the Penguins 7-1 in the losers bracket finals.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
CLEVELAND -- It was a disappointing ending to an outstanding season for the Youngstown State softball team Saturday afternoon.
The Penguins, who set seven school records and won more games than any team in school history, bowed out of the Horizon League Tournament with a 7-1 defeat to host Cleveland State.
"It has been a good season, we've accomplished a lot this year and we set some high standards for the coming seasons," YSU coach Christy Cameron said. "The girls played hard each and every game, but these last two games just weren't meant for us to win."
YSU (36-17-1) lost its final two tournament games after winning the first two and reaching the winners bracket final.
Wright State, the tournament's No. 8 seed, and Cleveland State, seeded No. 6, were to meet Saturday night in the championship game. If Cleveland wins the first game, a second game would follow since the Vikings were in the losers bracket.
Good offense
Cleveland State hit three home runs to power its win over the Penguins.
"It was just one of those days," said Cameron. "Even though we beat both of those teams three times during the regular season, you never know what will happen in the tournament."
The Penguins took a 1-0 lead in the contest as freshman Tiffany Patteson led off the inning with a walk and was sacrificed to second by freshman Char Kudlock.
With two outs, junior Amanda Berry, the Horizon League's Player of the Year, drilled a double in the right-center field gap, scoring Patteson.
The Vikings tied the game in the second when Stephanie Taylor led off the inning with a home run over the left field fence.
Cleveland broke the game open in the fifth when Michelle Beightol ripped a three-run homer into deep left field.
The Vikings added a run in the sixth on a pair of walks and an RBI single by winning pitcher Grace Luginbuhl.
The final two Cleveland State runs came in the top of the seventh when Taylor, who had three hits, doubled to right-center and Kortney Spidell homered to left.
Pitching prowess
Jessica Miller started for the Vikings and pitched just one inning before Luginbuhl came on in the second and finished the game for her fifth victory. Luginbuhl allowed five hits, striking out six and walking two.
Senior Stephanie Hartman (10-8) started for the Penguins and pitched into the fifth inning. She was replaced by Ashley Lockmiller in the fifth, who finished the game.
The Vikings, who lost to Illinois-Chicago in the opening round, posted four straight victories to get into the championship against Wright State.
The Vikings first had to finish up Friday night's contest with Loyola on Saturday morning, winning 10-2.
YSU won its opener 8-0 against Detroit on Thursday and then came back to defeat Illinois-Chicago 3-2 in the second round. The Penguins lost to Wright State 3-0 in the winner's bracket final on Friday night.
Saturday's opening action was pushed back two hours because of heavy rains.
The tournament champion receives an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament, which begins Thursday.
mollica@vindy.com