YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO – Niagara took the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader at Younstown State, 10-1, earning a split of the twin bill with the Penguins Tuesday afternoon in non-conference softball action.
Niagara moves to 16-17 overall and Youngstown State is now 27-13.
How it Happened
Game 1: Niagara 1, Youngstown State 9 (5 innings)
Youngstown State jumped out to an early 2-0 advantage in the first inning against Niagara starter Maddi Hickingbottom followed by a two-run third inning that gave the Penguins a 4-0 lead.
Sage Jackson would come in to pitch the bottom of the fourth and allow five runs on three hits, a walk, and a hit batter.
The Purple Eagles would push across their lone run in the top of the fifth, as
Samantha Miller grounded out to second with runners on second and third, allowing
Madison LaPenta to score.
Niagara Notes
• Niagara left a total of five runners on base.
•
Lindsay Mayo recorded Niagara's lone extra base hit on the day, with a double in the third.
• Hickingbottom struck out four batters.
Game 2: Niagara 10, Youngstown State 1
With no score through two, the Niagara bats would come alive in the top of the third with a four-run inning, all of which came across with two outs.
The frame was started with a one-out single by
Samantha Hare, who later came around to score on a
Brianna Delaney single to left.
Delaney and
Maggie Kellner, who reached base after getting hit by a pitch, came home on a two-RBI single by
Natasha Limbani, who was then chased home on a double by
Selah Moyer, giving Niagara a 4-0 lead.
Cara Leone would allow just one run in her four innings of work to start the game as Niagara took a 4-1 lead into the fifth where Limbani scored on a
Hannah Mingle single to put the Purple Eagles back up by four.
From there Niagara added two in the sixth with RBI base hits from Delaney and Moyer, followed by three more in the seventh, including two on a home run by Hare.
Delaney recorded her third RBI of the contest with a double in the seventh, giving the game its 10-1 final.
Hickingbottom and
Julia Thompson pitched the final three innings for Niagara, combining to allow just one hit and no runs.
Niagara Notes
• Niagara snapped a three-game losing steak to YSU with its 10-1 win.
• The 10 runs scored by the Purple Eagles is its most against the Penguins since April 28, 2010.
• Delaney recorded her fourth game this season with three or more hits. The freshman has also driven in three or more runs on two occasions.
• Moyer recorded her seventh multi-hit game of the season.
• Hare's home run was her fourth of the season and fourth in the last seven games.
• Leone earned her second win of the season.
Up Next
Niagara travels to Hamden, Conn., for a three game set against Quinnipiac on Saturday, April 20 and Sunday, April 21.
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