YSU flexes its muscles in twinbill split with Toledo

YSU's Haley Thomas arrives safely at third base ahead of Toledo shortstop/second baseman Brie Ford's toss to teamate Kelly Hmiel during the bottom of the third inning of the second game of a double header at McCune Park Wednesday evening. The women Penguins won both games of the double header defeating the Rockets 12-4 in game one and 11-2 in game two.
By Pete Mollica
Junior pitcher Cheryl Cale tossed a four-hitter to win the nightcap, 11-2, after the Penguins lost the opener, 12-4.
CANFIELD — Cheryl Cale pitched a five-inning four hitter, while Haley Thomas and Kim Klonowski swung the big bats as the Youngstown State softball team managed a doubleheader split with Toledo Wednesday afternoon at McCune Park.
Cale, a junior pitcher from Columbus, struck out four and walked just one, while Thomas connected for a two-run homer in the third and Klonowski ended the game with a two-run blast in the bottom of the fifth for a 11-2 victory.
The Penguins suffered a 12-4 defeat in the first game.
YSU (6-24) pounded out 14 hits in the nightcap, including three each by Klonowski and Thomas.
“When you can have seven of your nine starters batting over .500 in the game you know you are swinging the bats really well,” said YSU coach Brian Campbell.
The Penguins had eight hits in the opening game, including two by Klonowski, a sophomore from Canton, Mich., who had a home run in both games and leads the Penguins with five on the season.
“The difference was that we knew we were the better team out there today and we wanted to show that in the second game,” said Klonowski. “We’re swinging the bats very well right now and hopefully this carries over into our weekend conference series.”
The Penguins will play three games against Horizon League rival Valparaiso beginning Friday at 3 p.m. at McCune Park. They will also play a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 11 a.m.
“I told them between games that I thought we were the better team and to go out and show that in the second game,” Campbell said. “We got a great pitching effort from Cheryl and the team backed her up with some clutch hitting.
“We need to go out and play every game like we did the second today,” added Cale.
The Penguins struggled in the opener as Toledo (5-23) scored 10 runs in the first three innings off freshman pitcher Jordan Ingalls, although the Penguins contributed four errors.
Ingalls (1-10) allowed six hits and issued four walks while also hitting three batters and throwing a couple of wild pitches. She didn’t retire a batter in the third inning before being relieved by junior Erin Schindler.
“Jordan works very hard, but I know and she knows that she is a much better pitcher than she’s shown of late,” Campbell said. “But the one thing about Jordan is that no matter what’s she doing on mound it never effects what she’s doing at the plate and she has been a force for us there all season long.”
But the youngster from Bolivar, N.Y. really had her problems on the mound in the opener.
She faced 25 batters and was responsible for 10 runs, seven earned, while the Penguins committed three of their four errors while she was on the mound.
YSU trailed 10-1 before Klonowski hit a three-run homer in the fourth inning that prolonged the game until the sixth.
Schindler came on to get out of the third and then threw two more solid innings before giving up two runs in the sixth.
“I thought Erin pitched very well in relief today,” added Campbell.
In the nightcap the Penguins jumped on Toledo starter Whitney Young for two runs in the first inning and four more in the second. Klonowski had an RBI double in the first and an RBI single in the second besides her homer in the fifth.
Senior Allyse Ledford, sophomore Ashley Conger and freshman Kristen Philen all had two hits.
mollica@vindy.com