Flames again burn Penguins

April 10, 2017 at 12:00a.m.

YSU vs UIC

YOUNGSTOWN

In two games against Illinois-Chicago, Youngstown State pitcher Maddie Lusk allowed one walk, three runs and struck out 18.

She has but two losses to show for her efforts.

Saturday, the Penguins produced no hits in a 1-0 loss in nine innings.

Lusk followed that up with an eight-inning effort on Sunday, scattering 11 hits and striking out six without allowing a free pass.

Timely hitting by Lexi Watts in the extra frame proved to be Lusk’s undoing.

After Taylor Cairns led off the inning with a single, Watts’ run-scoring triple produced the game-winning run in a 2-1 contest at the YSU softball complex.

”The one thing that we can take away from this weekend is that we can always get better, always work hard and that there’s more games still to play so you just have to let it go,” Lusk said. “You move on because there’s nothing you can do about it.”

Through five innings, YSU (16-22, 4-5 Horizon League) held a 5-4 hit advantage. When it was over, the Penguins were outhit, 11-6.

“We just need to get some clutch hits,” Lusk said. “When they loaded the bases in the fifth inning, I knew that I had to work hard and let my defense help me out in that situation.

“You have to think positive and cannot be negative.”

Both teams managed two hits through the first four innings. That made 18 straight innings that YSU went scoreless.

The Penguins ended the drought when right fielder Cali Mikovich drove in pinch-runner Dani Dadig. It was Mikovich’s 11th run batted in on the season.

“The pitch was low and outside and I didn’t think that I got the best part of the bat on it,” Mikovich said. “I just wanted to put the ball in play.

“I hate losing, the team hates losing so while it hurts to be swept,” Mikovich said. “This is the kind of team that we will be seeing in the conference tournament.

“For us to take them to extra innings twice this weekend and for us to throw great games, that’s a real positive,” Mikovich said.

YSU’s lead was short-lived as the Flames (21-17, 8-1) tied the game 1-1 in the sixth inning.

Watts’ triple was her third hit of the game and team-best 50th on the year. It was also her fourth triple, tops on the Flames.

“When you lose two, one-run games it’s always tough,” YSU head coach Brian Campbell said. “We stayed in there and battled.

“They got the one clutch hit both games and we came up short,” Campbell said.

YSU has dropped three in a row and five of their last seven games. The Penguins are 8-4 at home after an 8-1 start.

UIC won for just the fourth time in 11 road contests, winning their fourth consecutive game and eighth in their last 10 tries.