Somogyi’s strong pitching delivers series win

By Ryan Buck

sports@vindycom

CANFIELD

Behind a fast start at the plate and six innings of strong pitching from Hana Somogyi, the Youngstown State women’s softball team earned a 4-1 victory over Butler University on Sunday at McCune Park.

The Penguins (15-6, 2-1 Horizon League) took two of three games from the Bulldogs (5-19, 1-2) in their first weekend series in league play. They split a doubleheader on Saturday.

“It was very important for us to get that last win there to go to 2-1 (in- conference) to start off,” YSU coach Brian Campbell said.

The Penguin hitters struck early when senior Haley Thomas smacked a lead-off home run off the scoreboard in right-center field.

“I was hoping she’d pitch me that pitch,” Thomas said. “She [Butler starter Breann Fisher] pitched me that a lot yesterday and I wanted to make sure I jumped on it early.

“It was just great to get our team going.”

YSU manufactured another run in the first and added two more in the third when senior catcher Vicky Rumph homered to deep center, scoring classmate Jordan Ingalls.

“It was clutch hitting, with Haley hitting the home run right off the bat and Vicki hitting the two-run shot. It was key,” Campbell said.

The four-run cushion was all Somogyi would need.

“It makes it good when the pitcher did a wonderful job there,” Campbell said.

Somogyi, a junior righthander from Chicago, struck out seven Butler batters and held the Bulldogs to two hits in notching her fourth victory.

“I tried to hit my spots, go in-and-out and Vicky [Rumph] did a really good job calling the game,” Somogyi said. “And my changeup worked, which never works.

“It usually ends up over the backstop or hits fans, but not today,” she said with a laugh.

Her calmness was on display, especially in the top of the sixth inning when the Butler offense mounted its best inning.

With bases loaded and two outs, Somogyi allowed her only walk, which sent Butler shortstop Kayla Gray home. The based were still loaded when Mallory Winters came to bat.

Somogyi fooled Winters with her newly effective changeup, forcing a harmless flyout to center to end the Butler threat.

“I didn’t use it for the first couple innings, until the sixth and that’s when I really needed it,” Somogyi said.

Penguin sophomore Casey Crozier retired the Bulldogs in order in the top of the seventh inning to earn the save.