Saturday, April 9, 2005
Youngstown State has lost 10 of its last 13 games and is 1-6 in league play.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
CANFIELD -- Youngstown State softball team continued its hitting and defensive woes Saturday afternoon, dropping a Horizon League doubleheader to Detroit at McCune Park.
The Penguins (13-20), who have dropped 10 of their last 13 games, were blanked twice by the Titans, 6-0 in the opener and 1-0 in the nightcap.
The Penguins are now 1-6 in the Horizon League, while Detroit improved to 10-11, 3-1 Horizon.
YSU managed just five hits in the two games total, while committing three errors in the opener.
YSU coach Christy Cameron can't figure out why her team is not hitting.
"We are just not hitting the ball," said Cameron. "And when we aren't hitting we need to play perfect defense and we didn't do that in the first game today.
Shutdown in opener
The Penguins couldn't get a hit for the first five innings off Detroit pitcher Lindsay Roy in the opener and never had a runner in scoring position until the fifth.
"We'll snap out of this soon," said Cameron. "If there is one thing about this team it's that they will never give up and will keep battling every game."
Roy, who set down the first 11 YSU batters she faced, got all the runs she needed from her teammates in the third, while Kristin Martin doubled in one run and the second run came on an error by YSU's third baseman Lacey Hess.
The Titans added three more runs off starting pitcher Tricia Hilbish in the fifth before Ashley Lockmiller came on in relief. The Titans added one more off Lockmiller in the seventh.
Pitchers battle
The second game was a pitchers battle between YSU junior Kelly Murphy and Detroit's Anna Ollgaard. Both pitched very well, while Murphy gave up a fifth inning lead-off home run to Michelle Baggio, which was all the scoring in the game.
Ollgaard limited the Penguins to three hits and only allowed two YSU runners to get as far as second base. She struck out four and walked three.
Murphy (5-8) allowed just five hits, while striking out five and walking just one. Other than the home run she was never in trouble. It was the seventh time that she has lost a one-run game.
No offense
The Penguins really had no offense as junior Tiffany Patteson and freshman Sarah Berry had the only hits in the opener.
Three freshmen managed the only hits for YSU in the second game as Sarah Conklin, Becky Hibner and McKenzie Bedra all had singles
"There are still a lot of good things ahead for this team," Cameron said. "As long as they're willing to keep working hard we'll start getting things rolling again."
The Penguins and Titans will complete their three-game series today at noon at McCune Park.
mollica@vindy.com