Two Upsets on First Day of Softball Tournament

Horizon League Softball Tournament Scores
No. 5 Wright State 4, No. 4 Cleveland State 3
No. 6 Youngstown State 9, No. 3 Valparaiso 1 (5 innings)

CHICAGO -- Wright State and Youngstown State picked up wins in the first round of the Horizon League softball tournament on Wednesday afternoon at Flames Field on the campus of UIC.

No. 5 Wright State 4, No. 3 Cleveland State 3
The No. 5 Raiders upset No. 4 Cleveland State, 4-3, to open tournament action. A three-run home run in the top of the fifth inning by Jess Gorman proved to be the difference in the game, at the time giving Wright State a 4-1 lead. With one out in the inning, Reagan Stofcheck and Lindsay Barrett recorded back-to-back singles to put runners on first a second. After a strikeout, Gorman lifted her longball into the left-center-field gap and over the fence.

Cleveland State pulled within one run in the bottom of the seventh when Player of the Year Dana Toman hit a two-run homer to straightaway center field, also scoring Katelind Phillips, who had walked. However, Wright State pitcher Krystian DeWitt induced a flyout to right-center and a groundout to third to end the game and preserve the win.

DeWitt pitched all seven innings and picked up the win, allowing six hits (one home run) and three runs (two earned) while walking one and striking out 10. Cleveland State starter Susan Knight took the loss, allowing five hits (one home run) and four runs (three earned). She also walked one batter, hit one batter and struck out four.

The Raiders opened the scoring when a Hanna Floyd flyball was dropped in right field, allowing Angie Clark to score from second. Cleveland State responded with a run in the bottom of the inning when pinch runner Darien Ward slid underneath the tag at home on a fielder's choice.

Wright State moves on to play No. 1 UIC on Thursday at 11 a.m. ET. The Vikings will play an unknown opponent in the losers bracket at 6:30 p.m. ET.

No. 6 Youngstown State 9, No. 3 Valparaiso 1 (5 innings)
In game two, a seven-run top of the second proved to be more than enough offense for Youngstown State as the No. 6 Penguins knocked off No. 3 Valparaiso 9-1 in five innings.

With one out in the second, Kelly Stowe reached on an error and moved to second on a single by Sarah Ingalls then to third when Caroline Krombach drew a walk to load the bases. Haley Knight opened the scoring with a single that drove in Stowe, turning the lineup over in the process.

Samantha Snodgrass drove in Ingalls when she reached on a error to keep the bases loaded before Courtney Ewing poked a single to center to scored Krombach and Knight. Ewing's single chased Valpo starter Taylor Weissenhofer with the score 5-0 and two runners on base with one out in the inning.

Miranda Castiglone and Sarah Gabel greeted new Crusaders hurler Sierra Pico with back-to-back doubles to put the Penguins ahead 7-0. After a walk, a lineout to the circle finally ended the inning.

All seven second-inning runs were charged to Weissenhofer and all were unearned. The freshman allowed five hits and a walk with zero strikeouts in 1.2 innings pitched.

Pico pitched into the fifth inning before running into trouble as Krombach and Knight hit back-to-back RBI singles to chase the freshman. She threw three innings, allowing three hits, two runs (one earned) and two walks while picking up one strikeout. In relief of Pico, Ashlyn Michalak tossed 0.1 inning and allowed two hits.

For the Penguins, Valparaiso native Casey Crozier threw all five innings to pick up the win, allowing four hits (one home run), one earned run and one walk while recording nine strikeouts.

Valparaiso's only run came in the bottom of the third, when Joylyn Ichiyama homered to left-center.

With the win, Youngstown State moves on the play No. 2 Loyola on Thursday at 1:30 p.m. ET. The Crusaders will play in the losers bracket at 4 p.m. ET.