Valparaiso takes three from YSU

CANFIELD — The Youngstown State softball team fell to 6-27 overall and 3-11 in the Horizon League after dropping a tripleheader to Valparaiso on Saturday at McCune Park.

The Penguins lost by scores of 13-8, 3-1 and 8-0.

Valparaiso improves to 21-15 overall and 7-5 in the Horizon League.

In the opener, the Penguins trailed 5-2 in the bottom of the third but used a four-run inning to take a 6-5 lead.

Sophomore Krisina Rendle, who went 2-for-3, doubled to right-center field. After a Kim Klonowski walk, freshman Jordan Ingalls tied the game with a three-run home run off the scoreboard in right-center field.

Two batters later, freshman Kristen Philen cracked a solo home run, her second of the season, to give the Penguins a 6-5 lead.

Valparaiso, who scored in every inning, tacked on two runs in the fourth, one in the fifth, four in the sixth and one more in the seventh to put the game out of reach.

Freshman Haley Thomas tallied a run-scoring single in the sixth and sophomore Kim Klonowski drilled her sixth home run of the season in the bottom of the seventh for YSU’s final two runs.

In the second game, Ingalls tossed a complete game, scattered seven hits, allowed just one earned run and struck out five, but was the hard-luck loser.

Rendle and Autumn Grove each went 2-for-3 to lead the Penguins offensively.

In the final game, Valparaiso’s Steph Kelly allowed just three Penguins hits in the 8-0 five-inning loss.

The Penguins return to action against Cleveland State on Friday, in a doubleheader starting at 5 p.m. in Cleveland.