Youngstown, OH – Niagara Softball claimed their first win of the 2026 season as they defeated Youngstown State in game one 10-2 in five innings of work as they dropped game two 9-1 also in five innings at the Covelli Sports Complex in Youngstown, OH
Game One
Niagara kicked off to an early lead in the top of the first inning as Sophia Marrero singled to center field where
Donnalea Barnett scored to take an early 1-0 lead.
Marrero in the top of the third would record her third RBI after a single to right center as
Hailey Cenname and
Carmella Phelan scored to put the Purple and White up 3-0.
The Purple Eagles continued to bring runs home as Ella Sheehan doubled to left field to bring Marrero home from first to extend their lead to 4-0.
Niagara in the fourth inning recorded four runs as Hailey Cenname filed out to center field to bring Sophia Chemotti home.
CJ Haney would then score off a wild pitch.
Jolyn Gibbons hit a single up the middle to bring Phelan across the plate. Lastly, to round out the inning Sheehan singled to bring home Gibbons to put the Purple Eagles up 8-0.
Youngstown State recorded their first run of the game in the bottom of the fourth off the bat of former Purple Eagle
Selah Moyer to bring Ayla Ray home to make the game 8-1.
Cenname extended the Purple Eagles as she hit a two RBI double with Barnett and Chemotti coming home to put the lead to 10-1.
Kennedy Dean from Youngstown State singled up the middle to allow Sydia Wilkerson to score to make the game 10-2 in favor of Niagara to bring them their first victory of the season.
Abbey Steen pitched all five innings as she faced 24 batters as she punched out two in the winning effort.
Game Two
Barnett in game two got Niagara on the board first just like in game one as she scored off the bat of Cenname with a sacrifice fly to put Niagara up 1-0.
Youngstown State knotted the contest up at one after Kennedy Dean homered to center field in the bottom of the first.
The Penguins took their first lead of the day in the bottom of the third after Tai Turner homered to left field to make game two 3-1.
In the bottom of the fifth inning Youngstown State recorded seven runs with a Lydia Wilkerson triple, Tai Turner Single, Kennedy Dean single up the middle, a Moyer single, and to round it out a Leila Staszak double that drove two Penguin baserunners home to take game two 9-1.
Jenna Martin pitched 4.2 innings as she faced 27 batters and struck out three.
Niagara Notes
• Niagara goes to 13-41 all-time against Youngstown State
• Head Coach Paul Gray recorded his first career Division I win
• Steen recorded her first career win in the circle in game one
• Sheehan recorded her first double of the season in game one along with tying a season best in RBIs with two
• Cenname in game one tied a career best of three RBIs in one contest
• Marrero in the first contest had a season high in runs scored with two along with a season high of RBIs with three
• Martin in game two tied a career best in strikeouts with three
Up Next
Niagara is back in action on Saturday, April 11th as they host Iona for a doubleheader action that starts at 12 p.m.
