No. 6 Youngstown State, No. 3 Valparaiso Advance to Championship Saturday

Horizon League Softball Tournament Scores
No. 4 Cleveland State 5, No. 2 Loyola 4 [conclusion of suspended game]
No. 3 Valparaiso 4, No. 4 Cleveland State 3 (8 innings)
No. 6 Youngstown State 1, No. 5 Wright State 0
No. 3 Valparaiso 10, No. 5 Wright State 2 (5 innings)

CHICAGO -- No. 6 Youngstown State continued its improbable run through the 2013 Horizon League softball tournament, advancing through the winners bracket to play No. 3 Valparaiso on Championship Saturday.

No. 4 Cleveland State 5, No. 2 Loyola 4
In the completion of a contest that was suspended due to rain on Thursday night, No. 4 Cleveland State continued the trend of victorious lower seeds thanks to Erica McNew's game-winning RBI single with two outs in the top of the sixth and eliminated No. 2 Loyola.

McNew's base hit snuck through the right side of the infield to score Dara Toman, who had doubled to left with two outs in the inning.

Cleveland State had also scored in the top half of the fifth inning after that frame resumed with two on and one out and a 0-1 count on Caila Ferro. The center fielder singled to load the bases and after a fielder's choice cut down one would-be run at the plate Cynthia Woodard scored when Nena Doran was hit by a pitch.

Doran's RBI gave the Vikings a 4-1 lead at the time but Loyola tied the game in the bottom of the frame when Tarran Shaffer hit a three-run homer. In the four games of the 2013 Horizon League softball tournament that have seen home runs, the team that homered has also lost.

Susan Knight pitched all seven innings stretched out across 12 hours to earn the win, allowing eight hits (one home run), four runs (one earned) and two walks while recording one strikeout. Loyola's Kristina Vizza took the loss in relief for the Ramblers, tossing 5.2 innings and allowing six hits, two earned runs and two walks while recording six strikeouts. Starter Amanda Ciran lasted just 1.1 innings for Loyola, allowing three hits, three runs (zero earned) and three walks without recording a strikeout.

With the win, Cleveland State advanced to immediately play No. 3 Valparaiso in one of Friday's regularly scheduled elimination games.

No. 3 Valparaiso 4, No. 4 Cleveland State 3 (8 innings)
The No. 3 Spartans won a second-straight elimination game on Janelle Bouchard's walkoff single in the bottom of the eighth inning, knocking No. 4 Cleveland State out of the tournament and becoming the first higher seed to advance.

Joylyn Ichiyama led off the frame with a walk and advanced to second on a sac bunt by Jessie Marinec. Bouchard, the Horizon League's RBI leader during the regular season, hit a single up the middle and Ichiyama raced home, scoring easily ahead of the throw from the outfield.

The Crusaders had trailed 3-0 in the bottom of the sixth but Valparaiso got all three runs back when Bouchard drove in a pair and then scored from third on an RBI groundout by Tarah McShane.

Sierra Pico picked up the win in relief for Valpo, tossing 2.2 no-hit, no-run innings with three walks and four strikeouts. Susan Knight threw 7.1 innings in the loss, allowing five hits, four runs (one earned) and two walks while recording nine strikeouts.

Cleveland State got on the board first when Horizon League Player of the Year Dana Toman led off with the first triple of her career and promptly scored on a single by Newcomer of the Year Erica McNew.

McNew drove in Toman again in the top of the sixth inning as Toman led off with a wind-aided double and McNew followed with a clean single. McNew was spelled by pinch runner Darien Ward, who then scored on Caila Ferro's double to the fence in right-center, giving the Vikings a 3-0 lead.

With the win, Valpo advanced to play in Friday evening's elimination game, awaiting an opponent from the Youngstown State-Wright State winners bracket semifinal matchup.

No. 6 Youngstown State 1, No. 5 Wright State 0
Riding the superb pitching of Casey Crozier, sixth-seeded Youngstown State continued its surprising run through the Horizon League softball tournament, beating No. 5 Wright State in the winners bracket semifinal game to reach Championship Saturday in undefeated fashion.

Crozier tossed a complete game shutout to earn the win, allowing just three hits and three walks while recording four strikeouts.

The Penguins scratched out just enough offense to make Crozier's pitching stand up in the top of the seventh inning. With the bases loaded and one out, Carolina Krombach worked a full count before drawing an RBI walk to put Youngstown State ahead 1-0.

Crozier gave up a leadoff single in the bottom of the frame but retired the next three Raiders in order to preserve the victory. Youngstown State will play at 12 noon ET on Saturday as the home team.

Wright State was forced into the losers bracket and would play Valparaiso for a chance to face the Penguins on Championship Saturday.

No. 3 Valparaiso 10, No. 5 Wright State 2
After earlier in the day becoming the only higher seed to advance in the tournament, No. 3 Valparaiso again bucked the trend with a 10-2 win in five innings over No. 5 Wright State, highlighted by Tarah McShane's walkoff grand slam.

McShane four-run homer to center field came in the bottom of the fifth inning and put the Crusaders ahead by eight runs, activating the run rule.

Valparaiso broke the game open with a four-run third inning. Janelle Bouchard continued her hot streak, driving in the first run of the game with a double down the left-field line. After a lineout, Lindsey Norway, Angie Doerffler and Amanda Wisniewski picked up back-to-back-to-back RBI singles to put the Crusaders up 4-0.

Doerffler drove in two more runs with a two-out single down the right-field line in the fourth inning, putting Valparaiso up 6-0.

Wright State scored both of its runs in the top of the fifth on Angie Clark's RBI single and a fielders choice.

In the win, Sierra Pico tossed five innings of four-hit ball, allowing two earned runs and two walks while recording six strikeouts. Montana Wear took the loss in relief, throwing two innings while allowing five hits (one home run), six runs (two earned) and one walk while striking out four Crusaders.

Valparaiso advances to Championship Saturday and will face No. 6 Youngstown State at 12 noon ET.