Valpo Wins Twice to Make it Back-to-Back Softball Titles

Horizon League Softball Tournament Scores
No. 3 Valparaiso 2, No. 6 Youngstown State 1
No. 3 Valparaiso 11, No. 6 Youngstown State 9

CHICAGO -- For the second consecutive season, the Valparaiso Crusaders forced a winner-take-all game and picked up a second victory to win the Horizon League Softball Championship out of the winners bracket, beating a surprising Youngstown State team.

In the deciding game, Janelle Bouchard put the Crusaders ahead for good in the third inning with a two-run homer off the scoreboard in center field, driving in Joylyn Ichiyama and giving Valparaiso a 4-2 lead.

Amanda Wisiniewski and Kaitlyn Ranieri combined for back-to-back doubles to left in the bottom of the fourth inning, chasing Youngstown State starter Casey Crozier from the ballgame.

The Valparaiso, Ind., native Crozier came into the day 3-0 in the tournament but lasted just 3.1 innings in the deciding game, allowing seven hits (one home run), six runs (three earned) and one walk while recording one strikeout.

The Crusaders added three more runs in the bottom of the fourth when Jessie Marinec hit a groundball to shortstop with the bases loaded and a pair of errors allowed all three runners to score. Marinec added the fifth run of the inning when Bouchard grounded out, scoring what proved to be the game-winning run.

Youngstown State rallied in the fifth inning as runs scored on a Vicky Rumph double, a double play and Sarah Gabel's solo homer off the top of the left-field wall. The Penguins added four in the sixth as Courtney Ewing and Rumph drove in runs and Miranda Castiglone added a pair, but YSU couldn't complete a comeback attempt.

Crusaders starter Taylor Weissenhofer, the Pitcher of the Tournament, got the win for Valpo on five innings pitched. The freshman allowed seven earned runs on 10 hits and a walk but recorded four strikeouts to keep the game close enough. Fellow freshman Sierra Pico allowed three hits, a walk and two earned runs in two innings of relief, recording one strikeout while wrapping up the championship win.

Valparaiso added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning when Bouchard led off with a double and was driven in by Lindsey Norway.

Bouchard got Valpo on the board early in the winner-take-all second game, doubling off the top of the wall in straightaway center field in the bottom of the first to drive in Ranieri and Ichiyama.

Youngstown State responded in the top of the second inning when Sarah Ingalls doubled down the right-field line to drive in Castiglone. The Penguins tied the game in the top of the third inning when Rumph tripled to center field, driving in Haley Knight.

In game one, Ichiyama gave Valparaiso an early lead with a two-run home run to the opposite field in the top of the first. The homer was the second of the tournament for Ichiyama, who hit a solo shot off of Crozier on Wednesday in YSU's run-rule win. That would prove to be all the offense the Crusaders would need to force the winner-take-all game two.

Samantha Snodgrass cut the Valpo lead in half in the bottom of the sixth inning, lining a two-out solo homer over the right-field fence, but that was the only blemish against Crusaders starter Taylor Weisenhofer, who allowed only four hits and walked none while recording four strikeouts.

In her first loss of the Horizon League tournament, Youngstown State Casey Crozier tossed seven innings and allowed seven hits, two earned runs and a walk while picking up five strikeouts.

It appeared Valparaiso was en route to adding an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning when Ranieri singled to right, but Defensive Player of the Tournament Caroline Krombach made a perfect throw from right field to cut down the Crusaders runner at the plate. It was Krombach's second outfield assist of the tournament.

All-Tournament Team:
Erica McNew, Cleveland State
Dara Toman, Cleveland State
Janelle Bouchard, Valparaiso (MVP)
Angie Doerffler, Valparaiso
Joylyn Ichiyama, Valparaiso
Taylor Wiesenhofer, Valparaiso
Lindsay Barrett, Wright State
Reagan Stofcheck, Wright State
Casey Crozier, Youngstown State
Courtney Ewing, Youngstown State
Haley Knight, Youngstown State
Samantha Snodgrass, Youngstown State

Defensive Player of the Championship: Caroline Krombach, Youngstown State
Batter of the Championship: Janelle Bouchard, Valparaiso
Pitcher of the Championship: Taylor Weissenhofer, Valparaiso