Cali Mikovich Ties Hits Record, Minney Picks Get First Win As Softball Splits at UNCW

by YSU

Sunday, Mar 8, 2015 9:05 pm

Wilmington, N.C. -- Freshman Cali Mikovich tied a school record with four hits in a game and sophomore Caitlyn Minney pitched four scoreless innings of relief to lead the Youngstown State softball team to a 9-3 win over Norfolk State on Saturday morning. The Penguins also lost to UNC-Wilmington, 8-7, later in the day.

The Penguins are now 3-5 on the season.

For the day, Mikovich went 6-for-7 with a home run, triple, two double and four RBIs while junior Miranda Castiglione went 5-for-6 with two doubles and three RBIs.

Mikovich had a home run, a triple and two singles and also drove in two runs and scored twice. Castiglione went 3-for-3 with a run-scoring double and freshman Stevie Taylor went 2-for-4 with a triple.

Sophomore Maria Lacatena hit her first home run of the season in the win over Norfolk State.

Minney struck out eight and allowed just three hits in four innings to pick up her first win of the season.

Trialing 2-0 in the bottom of the first, the Penguins rattled off three straight hits and a induced a bases-loaded walk to tie the game at 2-2. Sophomore Sarah Dowd doubled, Mikovich singled and Castiglione doubled to cut the lead in half, 2-1. Following a walk to Kelly Thompson-Cappadocio, Brittney Moffatt walked to plate Mikovich.

Norfolk State took a 3-2 lead in the top of the second, but Mikovich cranked her third home run of the season to tie the game at 3-3 after two.

The Penguins added single runs in the third and fourth innings and two in both the fifth and sixth innings. Lacatena belted a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth and Mikovich plated Dowd, who was hit by a pitch, with a triple to center field.

Against UNC-Wilmington, the Penguins fell behind 5-2 after three innings but mounted a comeback. YSU scored two runs in the fourth to get within one, and scored three more in the top of the sixth to take a 7-5 lead.

In the top of the fourth, Dowd bleted her first home run of the season - a two-run shot to center field - to cut the deficit to 5-4.

Kayla Haslett led off the top of the sixth with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. After a walk to Dowd, Mikovich laced a double to right-center field plating Haslett and Dowd. Castiglione followed with a double down the left-field line to score Mikovich and give the Penguins a 7-5 lead.

The Seahawks tied the game with two in the bottom of the sixth, and scored an unearned run in the bottom of the seventh for the win.

Castiglione and Mikovich each went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs while Dowd was 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs.

The Penguins will play Norfolk State and UNC-Wilmington Sunday at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., respectively.

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