Dayton, Ohio – The University of Dayton softball squad swept Youngstown State in a doubleheader on Saturday. The Flyers had 18 hits, with nine Flyers contributing to the action, in the 10-4 and 5-3 victories.
“The difference between yesterday and today was our offense,” said UD Head Coch Cara Clark-LaPlaca. “We finished, played the entire game well and executed when we had runners in scoring position.”
Freshman Kathleen Maloof and senior Anne Maci each went 3-for-3 at the plate for UD during the first game. Emily Stegeman added another two hits while Lauren Nacke and Megan Lee contributed one a piece.
The Flyers got things going right away, scoring three runs in the first inning. Maloof started the inning with a single. A sac bunt by Molly Meyer, a single by Maci and a walk loaded the bases. Brandy Brown patiently waited at the plate and would eventually reach first on a walk, tying the score 1-1. Again, with the bases loaded, Stegeman cracked a single to score both Maci and Nacke giving the Flyers a 3-1 lead.
Continuing the offensive surge, the Flyers struck again in the sixth inning. With one out, a clutch double by Maci would score two. Then three singles in a row by Nacke, Brown and Stegeman brought the score to an uneven 10-3.
Senior Eva Rappe (4-3) struck out two and earned the win. Amanda Daly came in as relief late in the fourth. With the bases loaded and one out the Flyers came together defensively to tally two quick outs and allowing only two runs in the inning. For the final three innings Daly allowed only three hits and one run.
The second game was not nearly as lop-sided as the first, but the Flyers started in a similar fashion. Down one in the first, Maloof hit a leadoff homerun to get the Flyers on the board quickly. Two outs and two walks later, Raime Cronkhite got in on the action, cranking a double to left field giving the Flyers a 2-1 lead.
After taking back the lead in the third, the Flyers tacked on two runs in the fourth and the seventh. In the fourth, two Flyers, Nichols and Maloof, each had sacrifice hits to move Carlyn Harlow around the bags. In the seventh, a throwing error by the Penguins gave the Flyers an insurance run.
Once again, relief pitching was important. After pitching six innings and allowing only two runs, Sarah Wedel (3-4) exited. Rappe took over in the sixth and finished the game strong, earning her first save of the season.
“Our relievers were crucial today. Amanda and Eva provided solid relief to assure us two big wins,” said Clark.
The Flyers finished the second game with eight hits, five runs and one error to the Penguins seven hits, three runs and one error. Meyer and Harlow each tallied two hits while Lee, Cronkhite, Brown and Maloof each added one.
UD is off until Wednesday when they take on Ball State in another home doubleheader. The first game will start at 3 p.m. ET with the second game starting around 5:00 p.m.
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