Youngstown State wins 2006 Horizon League Softball Championship

May 13, 2006

Canfield, Ohio - Youngstown State senior Tiffany Patteson hit a walk-off home run and junior Karlie Burnell picked up her fourth win of the tournament as the Penguins defeated UIC 2-1 in the Horizon League Championship at McCune Park.

The Flames cracked the scoreboard in the top of the first as lead-off batter Sarah Clynes singled up the middle. After a sacrifice bunt and a 4-3 groundout advanced her to third, Nikki Shepard singled through the right side to bring Clynes plateward.

Burnell wouldn't surrender any more runs the rest of the day, tying a tournament record with her fourth victory. With the win, she improves to 16-8 on the season.

Clynes held the Penguins' bats silent until the bottom of the sixth when tournament MVP McKenzie Bedra drilled a solo home run down the left-field line. It was Bedra's fifth round-tripper of the tournament, setting a new record for home runs and total bases (22) in the loop summit.

After Burnell retired the side in order in the visiting half of the seventh frame, it was time for the Penguin heroics. Patteson stepped up with one out and belted the walk-off, championship-winning home run for YSU.

The title was the first for Youngstown State in the Horizon League and the Penguins will make their first trip to the NCAA Tournament in softball.

For the Flames, Shepard finished the day 2-for-3 with an RBI. No YSU player finished with more than one hit.

Clynes was pinned with the loss after giving up her only two earned runs in the tournament. She wraps up the '06 campaign with a 16-7 standard.

The Selection Show for the NCAA Tournament is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m. Sunday on ESPNews.

Final Tournament Statistics
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All-Tournament Team and Specialty Awards

Tournament MVP: McKenzie Bedra, Youngstown State

Best Offensive Player: McKenzie Bedra, Youngstown State

Pitcher of the Tournament: Sarah Clynes, UIC

Best Defensive Player: Allyse Ledford, Youngstown State

All-Tournament Team:
McKenzie Bedra, YSU (MVP)
Tiffany Patteson, YSU
Karlie Burnell, YSU
Sarah Clynes, UIC
Liz Jacoby, UIC
Nikki Shepard, UIC
Tara Miller, LUC
Nora Schober, LUC
Michele Penney, CSU