| Cale's Walk-Off Pinch-Hit Home Run Leads Softball to Split with Toledo |
| Thursday, April 19 2007 |
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| Canfield, Ohio -- Freshman Cheryl Cale (Columbus, Ohio) belted a two-out, two-run pinch-hit walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to lead the Youngstown State softball team (11-12) to a 9-8 victory in game two of a doubleheader at McCune Park on Wednesday evening. After giving up three unearned run in the top of the seventh inning to fall behind, 8-6, sophomore Kristen McDonnell belted her fifth home run of the season - a solo shot - to bring the Penguins within one, 8-7. Senior Megan Bricker followed with a single to left field, moved to second on Bethany Hafley's sacrifice bunt and scored on Cale's game-winner. Freshman Danielle Chase picked up her first career victory tossing 1.2 innings of relief and did not allow an earned run. YSU jumped out to a 5-0 lead after posting two runs in the first, one in the second and two more in the third. After the Rockets tied the game, 5-5, with two runs in the top of the sixth inning, freshman Autumn Grove, who went 3for-4, singled home Becky Hibner to regain the lead, 6-5, in the bottom half of the frame. In the opener, junior McKenzie Bedra went 2-for-3 with a double and a home run - her sixth of the season and 20th of her career - and Hibner and senior Lacy Bronson each collected two hits in YSU's 8-5 loss. The Penguins host Akron, Thursday, April 19, at 3 p.m. at McCune Park. |
| McDonnell's Walk-Off Home Run Caps Penguins Sweep Over UWGB |
| Monday, April 16 2007 |
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| Canfield, Ohio -- Sophomore Kristen McDonnell (Keizer, Ore.) belted a walk-off, solo home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the Youngstown State softball team (10-11, 4-2 Horizon League) to a 3-2 victory in game two of a doubleheader sweep over UW-Green Bay (9-12, 1-4 Horizon League) on Saturday afternoon at McCune Park. The Penguins won game one, 12-4. Senior Karlie Burnell picked up the victory in each game, firing a complete-game, four-hitter with six strikeouts. In the night cap, Burnell tossed four scoreless inning of relief with four strikeouts. Junior McKenzie Bedra tied a school record with four hits and the Penguins knotted a team record with 17 base hits in game one. In the opener, the Phoenix scored three runs on three hits in the top of the first inning to take quick 3-0 lead. The Penguins answered in the bottom half of the frame sending 10 batters to the plate and scored six runs on six hits to take a 6-3 advantage. YSU added four more runs in the bottom of the fourth on a run-scoring single by Jamie Fornal, who went 3-for-3, a two-run single by McDonnell and an RBI-double from Bethany Hafley, who went 3-for-3, to put the Penguins ahead, 10-3. After the Phoenix plated a run in the top of the fifth to cut the lead to 10-4, freshman Autumn Grove, who went 4-for-7 with two home runs in the twinbill, belted a solo shot in the bottom of the sixth and gave YSU an 11-4 edge. Bedra double and scored on Fornal's single up the middle to end the game at 12-4. In the nightcap, UWGB jumped out to a 1-0 lead on Melani Niederer's run-scoring single to center field in the top of the second. Grove's two-out, two-run home run in the bottom of the third scored Lacy Bronson, who doubled, put the Penguins up 2-1. UWGB's Dana Brockman tied the game at 2-2 with a solo home run off YSU starter Danielle Chase, who allowed just four hits and struck out two in five innings. The Penguins and Phoenix conclude the series, Sunday, at 11 a.m. at McCune Park. |
| McKenzie Bedra Named Horizon League Softball Player of the Week |
| Monday, April 9 2007 |
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| Indianapolis, Ind. – Coming off her record-breaking week, Youngstown State junior McKenzie Bedra (Bowling Green, Ohio) was awarded the Horizon League Softball Player-of-the-Week Award, the League announced on Monday. Bedra became YSU's all-time home runs leader with 19 after two home runs last week to lead the Penguins to a 2-1 record last week. Bedra, who batted .455, tied the record with a two-run blast against Cleveland State on April 3. She broke the record with a solo shot in a 2-1 loss at St. Francis. She also ripped a single against the Vikings and posted three hits in the first game of a twinbill against St. Francis. She also moved into fifth place on the YSU career RBI list with 73. Bedra currently leads the Horizon League with a .784 slugging percentage, is tied for the league lead with five home runs, ranks second with a .492 on-base percentage and ranks seventh with a .392 batting average. The Penguins host Pittsburgh, Tuesday, April 10, at 4 p.m. at McCune Park. |
| Bedra Breaks Home Run Record in Split at St. Francis |
| Saturday, April 7 2007 |
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| Loretto, Pa. – Junior McKenzie Bedra became Youngstown State’s all-time home run leader after belting her 19th career home run – a solo shot – in YSU’s 2-1 eight-inning loss to St. Francis (Pa.) in the first game of a doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon. Senior Megan Bricker and junior Becky Hibner tied the single-game hits record with four hits apiece and Bricker belted her second career home run – a three-run shot – in game two to lead the Penguins to an 11-6 victory. The Penguins improve to 8-9 overall and own a 2-2 mark in the Horizon League. Freshman Danielle Chase allowed just four hits but was the hard-luck loser after giving up a walk-off home run Nicole Bender in the bottom of the eighth inning. In the nightcap, Hibner singled to open the game, moved to second on a passed ball and advanced to third on Autumn Grove’s infield single. Grove stole second and Hibner scored on an error. Following a Bedra walk, Bricker drilled her first career home run over the center field fence to give the Penguins a 4-0 lead. In the top of the fourth, Bricker singled, advanced to second on an error by the left fielder, and scored on a two-out single by Cheryl Cale, who picked up her first career victory and posted two singles, to take a 5-0 lead. St. Francis scored four in the bottom half of the fifth inning to cut the deficit to 5-4, but the Penguins answered with two more runs in the sixth and four more in the seventh to put the game out of reach. The Penguins return to Horizon League action against Detroit, Friday, April 6, at 3 p.m. at McCune Park. |
| Bedra Ties All-Time Home Run Mark in 4-2 Win Over Cleveland State |
| Tuesday, April 3 2007 |
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| Canfield, Ohio -- Junior McKenzie Bedra (Bowling Green, Ohio) tied the Youngstown State all-time home run record of 18 with a two-run blast in the bottom of the third inning to give the Penguins softball team (7-8, 2-2 Horizon League) a 4-2 victory over Cleveland State on Tuesday afternoon at McCune Park. Cleveland State took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on an Amanda Houchin single through the left side. After senior Lacy Bronson reached on an error, freshman Autumn Grove belted her fourth home run of the season over the left-center field fence to give the Penguins a 2-1 lead. The Vikings knotted the game at 2-2 in the top of the third on a Christa Coppus double to left-center. In the bottom of the third, Grove reached on a fielder's choice and scored on Bedra's fourth home of the season. Bedra went 2-for-3 and scored once. Senior Karlie Burnell threw her eighth compete game of the season, scattered eight hits and struck out two to pick up her sixth win of the season. YSU visits St. Francis (Pa.), Wednesday, April 4, at 2 p.m. in Loretto, Pa. |
| Lady Pens Tie Hits Record in 13-9 Loss to UIC |
| Sunday, April 1 2007 |
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| Chicago, Ill. -- The Youngstown State softball team (6-8, 1-2 Horizon League) tied a school record with 17 hits and sophomore Kristen McDonnell hit the eighth grand slam in school history but the Penguins dropped a 13-9 decision to UIC (12-10, 2-1 Horizon League) on Sunday afternoon at Flames Field. Junior Jamie Fornal and sophomore Allyse each collected three hits while McDonnell, Becky Hibner, Lacy Bronson, Autumn Grove, McKenzie Bedra, and Megan Bricker each recorded two hits. The Penguins got on the board first on Bedra's runs scoring single in the top of the first but UIC answered with three in the bottom half of the frame to take a 3-1 advantage. In the top of the second, Bricker and Ledford led off the frame with singles and Bethany Halfey reached on an error to load the bases for McDonnell's third home run of the season. After two fly outs, Grove belted a solo home run, her third of the season, to put the Penguins ahead, 6-3. UIC's seven-run second frame was keyed by a two-run home run by Sara Clynes and a three-run bomb by Brooke Frydendall gave the Flames a 10-6 lead which they would not relinquish. The Penguins trimmed the deficit to three, 10-7, after Fornal's sacrifice fly in the top of the fourth. Ledford's run-scoring single in the sixth and Fornal's RBI-double in the seventh ended the Penguins's scoring. YSU returns to action against Horizon League foe Cleveland State, Tuesday, April 3, at 3 p.m. at McCune Park. |
| Bedra, Burnell Lead Penguins to Split at UIC |
| Sunday, April 1 2007 |
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| Chicago, Ill. -- Senior Karlie Burnell continued her dominance over UIC with a three-hit shutout and junior McKenzie Bedra went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run and a double to lead the Youngstown State softball team (6-7, 1-1 Horizon League) to a 6-0 victory over UIC in game one of a doubleheader on Saturday. The Penguins dropped the second game, 3-1. Burnell struck out three and did not allow a walk in her fourth consecutive win over the Flames. The Penguins out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first on a run-scoring double by senior Lacy Bronson and a Bedra's third home run of the season. The Penguins added three more in the top of the fourth when Bronson was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and freshman Autumn Grove's two-out double plated Becky Hibner and Kristen McDonnell, who both walked. In the nightcap, Grove went 2-for-2 with a home run and freshman Danielle Chase allowed just six hits and two earned run in the loss. The Penguins and Flames conclude the series, Sunday, at Noon (EDT). |