Sunday, March 27, 2016
YSU softball team takes two
from visiting Valparaiso in HL
By Charles grove
YOUNGSTOWN
After 21 games full of opposing fans, fields and long bus rides, the Youngstown State softball team came home to sweep a doubleheader against the Valparaiso Crusaders.
Defense and pitching was key in both games as the Penguins took game one 4-1 before shutting out Valpo 3-0 in game two.
“I’m proud of how the defense and pitchers played today,” Penguins head coach Brian Campbell said. “Both of our pitchers played tremendous for us today and our defense was doing everything they could to keep the ball in front of them to get the outs.”
Freshman pitcher Paige Geanangel set the tone allowing four hits and one earned run in the first game to improve her record to 4-5. Valpo pushed across one run in the top of the first but the next 13 innings were nothing but goose eggs.
“This was such a good day team-wise,” YSU’s Cali Mikovich said. “Pitching, defense and offense — everyone came through today. It was so nice to see us all mesh after all the away games. Everyone did their part today.”
Valpo’s lead was short lived when YSU responded immediately in the bottom of the first. Sarah Dowd led off with a single and two batters later Miranda Castiglione belted a home run to right-center, giving the Penguins a 2-1 lead.
The score stayed that way until the fifth when Hannah Lucas singled and Mikovich smashed a home run to right to push the lead to 4-1, where it stayed.
Game two started with the Penguins grabbing a first-inning lead again when Alex Gibson smacked a line drive to center, scoring Mikovich. The Penguins played add-on two innings later when Mikovich hit her second home run of the day to right-center to double the lead before Katie Smallcomb hit a sacrifice fly to plate home Gibson and make it 3-0.
Mikovich has now homered in five consecutive games.
“I didn’t know it was going out. I never do,” Mikovich said. “I thought that pitch [in the second game] was nice and I couldn’t say no to it.”
From there it was strong defense and well-timed pitching that propelled the Penguins to a 2-0 start in Horizon League play. Caitlyn Minney looked to be in trouble early, allowing the Crusaders to load the bases in three of the first four innings thanks to seven walks, but YSU always found a way to come away unscathed.
“The defense was working great behind me and having them let me pitch it where I could and letting [the defense] do their thing was great,” Minney said. “I was able to get them off balance with off-speed pitches and then I came back with the hard stuff to put them away.”
Mikovich attributed her team’s strong defensive play to staying calm and the pitchers trusting the strengths of their fielders.
“In those [bases loaded] situations I think we do really well staying calm,” Mikovich said. “I think our pitchers know we have a solid defense behind them and I think we all just trust each other that we’re going to get it done and we did.”
Despite five of the Penguins’ seven runs today came via the long ball, Campbell said the offensive focus is simply moving teammates 60 feet ahead — but there’s no complaining about the home runs either.
“What we preach offensively is 60 feet,” Campbell said. “We’re not trying to hit [home runs], we’re just trying to move the runner. It was great seeing Sarah get on and then Miranda taking it deep to get the two runs. Hitting a home run to get one is nice, but it’s even nicer when you can get two.”
YSU hopes to sweep Valparaiso today as the teams play their final game of the series. First pitch is set for 1:30 p.m.