YSU roundup

Saibene sets records in softball team’s sweep

Youngstown

Nikki Saibene went 2-for-4 with two home runs, including a grand slam, and tied a school single-game record with seven RBIs as the Youngstown State softball team defeated Oakland, 14-9, and picked up the season sweep over the Golden Grizzlies on Sunday at the Covelli Sports Complex.

With the win, the Penguins extend their winning streak to four games and improve 8-17 overall and 3-0 in the Horizon League. Oakland falls to 7-14 overall and 0-3 in the league.

Saibene is the 18th player in school history to hit a grand slam, and she tied the single-game runs batted in record set by Miranda Castiglione in 2014.

With the game tied 9-9 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning, Maddi Lusk scored Lexi Zappitelli, who singled and reached second on Grace Cea’s fielder’s choice, to break the tie and give the Penguins a 10-9 edge. Following a wild pitch that put runners on second and third, Elizabeth Birkbeck was intentionally walked to load the bases.

After a strikeout, Saibene lauched a 3-2, two-out grand slam to left-center field and extended the Penguins lead to 14-9

Oakland struck first with three runs on three hits in the top of the first inning. The Penguins answered with four in the bottom half of the frame to take a 4-3 lead. Yazmine Romero led off with an infield single and Zappitelli walked before Cea crushed the first pitch over the left-field wall. After Lusk singled and advanced to second on Tatum Christy’s sacrifice bunt, Birkbeck single to right-center to plate Lusk with the Penguins’ fourth run.

The Golden Grizzlies regained the lead, 5-4, with two runs in the top of the second. YSU responded with five in the bottom half to take a 9-5 lead. Cea knotted the game at 5-5 with a sacrifice fly, Alex DeLeon put the Penguins ahead 6-5 with a singe up the middle, and Saibene blasted a three-run home run to left-center to push the Penguins lead to four runs.

In the top of the fourth, Youngstown State aided the Oakland cause with two errors that lead to three runs and cut the Penguins lead to 9-8. Oakland tied the game in the top of the fifth with an unearned run to tie the game at 9-9.

Baseball team shut out at Eastwood by Oakland

Niles

The Youngstown State baseball team dropped a 8-0 decision to Oakland on Sunday in the finale of three-game Horizon League series at Eastwood Field.

The Golden Grizzlies improved to 2-18 and 2-4 in Horizon League play while the Penguins fell to 2-20 and 1-5. After YSU took the series opener on Saturday, Oakland won the final two games of the weekend to pick up the series win.

Oakland starter Beau Keathley tossed a complete-game shutout, allowing just three hits and striking out 13 over nine scoreless innings to earn his first win of the season. The sophomore right-hander faced the minimum in the fourth, fifth and six innings during a stretch where he retired 14 straight batters.

The Golden Grizzlies out-hit the Penguins 12-3 as Mike McGee and Matt Dileo each had three to pace Oakland on offense. Drew Demumbrum and Myles Zilinsky each homered, and Demumbrum drove in three runs.

Staff reports