YSU women capture Horizon golf title

LEXINGTON, Ky. — In a complete team effort, the Youngstown State women’s golf team captured the Horizon League championship by 17 strokes on Sunday at Kearney Hills Golf Course.

The Penguins carded a three-round total of 968 (331-319-318). The Penguins led after every round of the tournament and Sunday’s round of 318 was a tournament low.

YSU freshman Samantha Formeck took medalist honors following a three-round total of 239 (78-82-79). She is the third Penguin to win an individual league crown.

Formeck followed up Katie Rogner’s impressive freshman performance from a year ago to make it back-to-back freshman medalists for the Penguins at the league championship.

Junior Brittany Stillwagon finished in second place after firing a 241 (84-79-78). Rogner was one stroke behind, shooting a 242 (83-75-84) to finish fifth.

Junior Ann Ciavarella shot a 249 (86-83-80) to finish 12th. Senior Molle Boney carded a 256 (90-85-81 to place 19th.

The Penguins also won the 2003 title. YSU has finished second three times, including last year.

Baseball

INDIANAPOLIS — Junior Eric Hymel hit an RBI single in the top of the 10th inning as the Youngstown State baseball team staved off Butler’s comeback and salvaged a split in Sunday’s doubleheader.

Hymel’s game-winner gave the Penguins a 6-5 win after Butler scored twice in the ninth to tie the contest. YSU lost the opener 4-1.

The winning team in both games never trailed, but Butler rallied to tie YSU twice in game two.

The Penguins strung together four straight two-out singles in the first inning to take a 2-0 lead. Kyle Schultz hit an RBI single in the fourth, and he tied the score on a run-scoring fielder’s choice in the sixth.

YSU answered in the next half inning with three runs on two hits and two Butler errors to go up 5-2. Casey Holland hit a two-run single with the bases loaded, and Joe Iacobucci followed with an RBI single.

Butler closed the gap to two runs in the bottom of the eighth by scoring on a wild pitch. Luke Duncan then tied the contest in the ninth with a two-out, two-run triple.

Anthony Munoz, who allowed the triple, struck out the side in the 10th for his first collegiate win. Holland, Iacobucci and Jonathan Crist had three hits apiece for YSU, which outhit Butler 13-8.

In game one, YSU stranded 11 runners and went 2-for-19 with runners in scoring position in a 4-1 loss. Aaron Swenson went the distance on the mound, allowing the four runs on seven hits and four walks in eight innings.

Softball

INDIANAPOLIS — Sophomore Kristina Rendle hit a two-out single to center field in the top of the seventh inning to lift the Youngstown State softball team to the program’s 500th victory in a 6-5 come-from-behind win over Butler on Sunday afternoon.

The Penguins are 8-35 overall and 4-16 in the Horizon League while Butler falls to 23-26 overall and 12-11 in the Horizon League.

With the game tied at 5-5 in the seventh, senior Allyse Ledford, who went 2-for-4, hit a one-out single to center field and pinch runner Kristina Davidson advanced to second on Haley Thomas’ single to left field and scored the game-winning run on Rendle’s hit.