43
Castiglione powers YSU softball in home opener
By Curtis Pulliam
Youngstown
Youngstown State’s Miranda Castiglione proved to the Horizon League that last season’s co-player of the year award was not a fluke.
The first baseman slugged two home runs and four RBIs to lead the Penguins past the Detroit Titans 8-5 at the YSU softball field.
The game was each team’s first conference matchup and YSU’s home opener.
“Just not think and go up there and swing the bat,” said Castiglione about her mindset at the plate.
Castiglione’s first home run came in the third inning off of Detroit’s Dayton Yingling to make the score 3-2.
“It was fun,” Castiglione said. “I was just excited to start playing and that just comes with it I guess.”
Her second home run , a three-run shot, came in the bottom of the fourth off of Yingling, giving YSU an 8-3 lead.
It came on an 0-2 pitch and Castiglione crushed it over the left field fence for her third home run of the season.
Yingling’s day ended after that.
“Miranda did a great job of taking a couple deep there to open up the ball game,” said Penguins head coach Brian Campbell.
“I was looking for anything close,” Castiglione said. “I know the pitchers at this level are going to throw strikes and aren’t going to try and fool you. I was just waiting for my pitch and swinging at it.”
The Titans (1-17, 0-1 HL) jumped out to a 3-1 behind home runs from Savanna Ferstle and Kayla Kostich off of Penguins starter Ashley Kozial.
Kozial earned the win for the Penguins after going four innings and giving up three runs.
Caitlyn Minney earned the save with her three innings.
She gave up a two-run home run to Christa McGahuey in the top of the fifth.
“I think it is a learning process for them,” Campbell said. “I think you just keep taking your steps and you learn from and you move to the next day. That’s the best thing about softball.”
Castiglione says the Penguins were not concerned with being down early on.
“We have really been working on not letting being down get on us,” Castiglione said. “In practices we have been working on being in a hole and coming out of it. We just have to stay relaxed and score runs one at a time.”
Campbell thought his girls were a little nervous early.
“I think just being our first home game, we have a lot of younger players on our team,” Campbell said. “I think when you look at it, I think it was about getting runners on.”
Through the first three innings the Penguins had just three base runners before having six in the fourth.
The Penguins (8-12, 1-0 HL) got their first run on an error by Detroit’s Sarah Mauser. Sarah Dowd came around to score after drawing a walk.
Detroit has a young team this season, as do the Penguins, and Campbell wanted to make sure his team didn’t overlook them.
“You can’t overlook anybody in conference,” Campbell said. “Detroit did a great job of swinging the bat there but at the end of the day I’m just proud of the young ladies being able to step up and put some runs on the board.”
The teams play a doubleheader today starting at 1 p.m.