Penguins drop twinbill

By Pete Mollica

Cheryl Cale pitched well in a 3-0 loss to Canisius.

CANFIELD — Youngstown State’s softball team dropped a doubleheader Tuesday afternoon, but coach Christy Cameron found some positives from the Penguins.

One was the pitching of sophomore Cheryl Cale in a 3-0 loss to Canisius in the second game. Cale went all seven innings, allowing just six hits. She struck out three and didn’t walk a batter.

The Penguins lost the opener, 8-0 in six innings to the Golden Griffins.

“We got an excellent pitching performance out of Cheryl Cale,” said Cameron. “She kept us in the game and was in command of her pitches.

“This is what we’ve been lacking this season and our defense rose behind her, but we just didn’t get the job done at the plate,” Cameron said.

The Penguins (8-29) had only eight hits in the two games, equally split between each game.

They failed to capitalize on several scoring opportunities, including a bases-loaded, one-out situation in the second game where they hit into one of three inning-ending double plays in the contest.

“We’ve still are making a lot a little mistakes out there and those have to be eliminated, but we seem to be going in the right direction right now,” Cameron said.

The Golden Griffins (28-11) didn’t overpower the Penguins. They had 10 hits in the opener, but four came in their final at-bat in the sixth inning when they scored four times.

Cale came on in relief of starter Becky Hibner in the sixth and got the final two outs, allowing one hit.

The Penguins could do little with Canisius starterJuliette Bowers (14-1) in the opener. She retired the Penguins in order over the first three innings and then gave up a single to Kristin Bair in the fourth.

The Penguins, trailing 4-0, threatened in the fifth as Jamie Fornal led off with a single to left and Kristen McDonnell followed with a double off the left-center fence.

But Bowers settled down, getting Beth Hafley to ground out to first base and Kim Klonowski to pop out to short. Hibner then hit a grounder to short and McDonnell ran into the tag to end the inning.

Canisius made the game an inning shorter by scoring four times in the top of the sixth on four hits, two walks and one YSU error.

Canisius closer Mallory Aldred retired the Penguins in order in the sixth.

The Golden Griffins jumped on Cale in the first inning of the nightcap as Lauren Hope doubled with one out and scored on Katie Miranto’s single to center. They added another run in the third on two singles and a YSU error and also scored once in the sixth.

The Penguins didn’t threaten against Canisius starter Lindsay Morris (9-6) until the fifth.

With one out, Autumn Grove singled to right and Hibner followed with a single to left. Rochelle Vanyi then walked to load the bases.

With a full count on Bair and the runners breaking, Bair lined out to shortstop Ashley Bonetto, who threw over to third and doubled off Grove to end the inning.

Aldred came on in relief of Morris in the sixth and retired all six batters she faced.

The Penguins play their final home games today against St. Francis, Pa., in a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m. at McCune Park.

mollica@vindy.com