YSU wins one, loses one against Butler

By Greg Gulas

The Penguins dropped the opener to the Bulldogs 5-4, but successful pitching by Cheryl Cale earned them a 1-0 win in the nightcap.

CANFIELD — Cheryl Cale tossed a three-hitter as Youngstown State defeated Butler, 1-0, to salvage a split of their Horizon League softball doubleheader Saturday at McCune Park.

Butler won the opener, 5-4.

“I know coach [Christy Cameron] was waiting for the pitchers to step it up. I’m glad we were able to do just that today because we have had our share of close games this season,” Cale said.

“I was able to throw my changeup for a strike and throughout the entire game felt like I had command of my pitches,” she added. “I knew that I needed to reduce my walks, but we played so well defensively that when the ball was hit, I was confident that someone would be able to track it down.”

In the opener, the Penguins (7-27, 3-12) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning on a sacrifice fly by Katy Potokar and run-scoring single by Jamie Fornal.

The Bulldogs (16-22, 5-7) knotted the score at 2-all in their half of the second on a two-run homer by Jenny Jacobs, her third of the season.

The game remained tied until the fifth inning when Butler’s Bridget Paine’s single scored Jen Arriaga.

Butler increased its lead to 5-2 on run-scoring singles by Arriaga and Lindsay Schulge in the sixth and seventh.

The Penguins’ Allyse Ledford, who was hit by a pitch to lead off the seventh, and Kristen McDonnell, who followed with a double, both then scored to cut the Bulldogs’ lead to 5-4.

Butler’s Lauren Ott, however, who relieved starting pitcher Jennifer Chasteen, got the final two outs of the game.

In the nightcap Cale faced the minimum 13 batters to start the game, yielding just one hit (a single in the third inning to Schluge, who was then erased on an inning-ending double play) while allowing just one runner all game to reach second base (Erin Jackson in the fifth inning).

“Cheryl worked ahead all game and most importantly, minimized her walks. That was the key to her success,” Cameron said.

“I’ve told this group that nothing is as good or as bad as it seems. I give them a lot of credit because they’ve never given up; never quit no matter what the circumstances.

“They recognize that when our pitching and defense gets straightened out, we’re a pretty good ballclub,” she added.

On Senior Day, YSU scored its only run of the game in the second inning when McKenzie Bedra, the team’s all-time home run leader with 29, led off with a double, was then sacrificed to third by Ledford and later scored on a wild pitch.

Bedra, who doubled in each game and had three hits on the day, was pleased to contribute.

“I saw some good outside pitches and was able to connect when we needed it most,” she said.

“They key to Cheryl’s success was working ahead in the count. She was ahead on most of the batters and never really had to work when behind in the count,” Bedra added.

The shutout was the first of Cale’s college career and just the second by the Penguins this season.

Cale outdueled Nikki Naffziger for the win, but Butler coach Jeanne Rayman had high praise for her pitcher despite the loss.

“Nikki had surgery on her forearm this past winter and we were afraid we wouldn’t have her this season at all. She came back much faster than we had expected,” said Rayman.

“She pitched a tremendous game today. We just didn’t make the necessary adjustments at the plate in the second game.”

The teams will close out their series at 1 p.m. today at McCune Park.