Penguins lose two at Valpo in Horizon softball

Special to The Vindicator

Valparaiso, Ind.

The Youngstown State softball team fell to 14-33 overall and 6-14 in the Horizon League after dropping a pair of games to Valparaiso, 8-0 and 4-1, on Saturday afternoon.

In the opener, the Penguins were limited to just two hits — a double by sophomore Jordan Ingalls and a single by sophomore Amanda Palmore.

The Penguins trailed just 1-0 in the bottom of the sixth but the Crusaders plated seven runs in the frame to enforce the mercy rule.

In the nightcap, senior Cheryl Cale tossed a complete game with three strikeouts and allowed just two earned runs in the 4-1 loss.

The Penguins trailed 2-0 after three innings when sophomore Kristen Philen cut the deficit in half with a sacrifice fly to left to make the score 2-1. However, the Penguins went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position, including an opportunity with runners on second and third with two outs in the seventh inning.

The Penguins and Crusaders conclude the series with a single game today at 1 p.m.