YSU roundup

WOMEN’S GOLF

Dixon in second place in HL Championships

HOWEY-IN-THE-HILLS, FLA.

Youngstown State senior Emily Dixon sits in second place following the opening round of the Horizon League Championships as the tournament begin on Friday at the Mission Inn Resort.

Dixon had a two-over par round of 75 that featured an eagle three on No. 14. She is two shots behind Northern Kentucky’s Macy Wright who opened with a 73. Dixon is tied with Oakland’s Fiona Schmidt, who fired a 75 of her own on Friday.

In the team race, the Penguins are tied for sixth with UIC with a team total of 330. Oakland leads the tournament with a 311 while NKU is just three shots back with a 314.

Dixon was one over on the front side with six pars, two bogeys and a birdie on No. 3. On the back nine, she had four pars, four bogeys and an eagle three on the par-5 14th.

Other first round scores for the Penguins were an 83 by Courtney Shutt who is 21st place, Mia Barchetti and Megan Creager are each tied for 29th with an 86 and Gabby Minor is 33rd with an 87.

Second-round play resumes this morning.

MEN’S GOLF

Sveda tied for fourth in HL Championships

HOWEY-IN-THE-HILLS, FLA.

Junior Steven Sveda is tied for fourth place following an even-par opening round at the Horizon League Men’s Golf Championships which began on Friday at the Mission Inn Resort.

As a team, YSU is in fourth place following day one.

The Penguins carded an opening-round 308 and sit in fourth one shot behind Wright State (307). Oakland leads the tournament after a 293 while Cleveland State is in second with a 307.

Sveda is four strokes off the lead which is held by Detroit’s Wil Witman and Oakland’s Evan Bowser, who both carded 70s. Sveda is tied for with Wright State’s Ryan Wenzler for fourth.

Sveda opened his round with a bogey six on No. 1, but rebounded on the next hole with a birdie two on the par-3 second hole. He carded a one-over par 36 on the front side with a bogey on No. 7 and six pars. On the back nine, he birded No. 13 and No. 14, but had a bogey on 16. Otherwise he had six pars for a one-under back nine score of 36.

Senior Brandon Pluchinsky opened the tournament with a 76 and is tied for 15th place. He had four birdies during his round but was hampered by six bogeys and a double bogey.

Freshman Jason McQuown is in 22nd place after carding a 79. McQuown’s round featured birdies on No. 9, No. 14 and No. 17.

Senior D.J. Holub is in 27th place after carding an opening round 81. Senior Bill Gaffney is 31st following an 82.

The second round is set for this morning.

SOFTBALL

Moffatt drives in six as Penguins top Phoenx

GREEN BAY, WIS.

Junior Brittney Moffatt went 3-for-3 with a home run and a career-high six runs batted in to lead Youngstown State to a 10-4 win over Horizon League foe Green Bay on Friday.

With the win, the Penguins improve to 22-16 and 9-5 in the Horizon League while Green Bay falls to 15-25 and 6-6.

Senior Miranda Castiglione went 2-for-4 with two doubles and two runs batted in and sophomore Hannah Lucas went 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Juniors Maria Lacatena and Alexandria Gibson each had an RBI.

Freshman Paige Geanangel allowed just four hits and two earned runs in four innings pitched to collect her 11th win over the season. Junior Caitlyn Minney struck out three in three solid innings of relief.

The Penguins jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the first inning when Moffatt blasted a three-run home run to right field and Gibson added a two-out run-scoring single. Senior Sarah Dowd was hit by a pitch to lead off the game and Cali Mikovich singled down the right-field line to put runners at first and second. After Castiglione reached on a fielder’s choice, Moffatt laced an 0-1 pitch over the right-field fence.

Gibson’s two-out single plated Lacatena, who walked, moved to second on Katie Smallcomb’s single and advanced to third on a wild pitch.

Green Bay got a run back in the bottom half of the first, but the Penguins answered with two in the second and three more in the third to extend their lead to 9-1.

The teams will play a doubleheader at 1 p.m. today.

Staff reports