The Canisius College softball team split a non-conference doubleheader at Youngstown State on Tuesday afternoon, beating the host Penguins 7-6 in 10 innings in the first game before falling in the nightcap by a score of 10-8. The Golden Griffins are now 12-12 on the year, while Youngstown State moved to 6-15 with the split.
Nine Canisius players had multiple hits against the Penguins in the two games, with senior Michelle Fridey and junior Emily Helbig leading the way with four hits apiece. Fridey went a combined 4-for-9 with two doubles, two RBIs and five runs scored, while Helbig went 4-for-7 with two doubles and two runs knocked in. Junior Paige Freiberger went 3-for-5 with a double, three runs scored and three runs batted in and sophomore Katie Lancellotti posted two hits, including a three-run homer, and five RBIs.
In the first game, freshman Katie Medina put the Blue and Gold on the scoreboard first with her first collegiate homer in the top half of the first inning. From there, the host Penguins would score the game's next five runs, capped by a two-run homer off the bat of Kim Klonowski to make the score 5-1 after five innings of play.
The Griffs would answer and take a 6-5 lead going into the seventh after the Blue and Gold posted five runs in the top half of the sixth and seventh innings. In the sixth, Fridey started the frame with a base hit to right center, and then moved to third moments later on a base hit by Freiberger. After Youngstown State made a pitching change, Lancellotti cut the Penguins' margin to 5-4 with a three-run home run, and the next two Canisius batters reached base on with singles. But the Penguins would get out of a jam by turning a double-play and getting a fly-ball out to end the sixth.
In the top of the seventh, Fridey got things started again with a leadoff double to left, and she later scored on a two-run homer by Freiberger to give the Griffs a 6-5 lead. However, Youngstown State would force the game to extra innings by scoring one run in the bottom of the seventh when Haley Thomas hit a solo homer with one out to knot the game at 6-6.
The game would remain tied at 6-6 until the top of the 10th when sophomore Lauren Falzone stroked an RBI-double to left center that allowed junior Kerry Ulmer to score from third. Ulmer started the inning on second thanks to the international softball tie-breaking rule. Canisius had runners at second and third with two outs in the 10th, but were unable to score again as pitcher Cheryl Cale got a strike out to end the inning.
In the home half of the 10th, freshman pitcher Amanda Baun struck out two and got a fly-ball out to wrap up the game and earn the win in relief. For Baun, it was her team-leading eighth victory of the season in the circle for Canisius after she allowed one run on one hit while fanning five and walking one in four innings of work. Youngstown State pitcher Danielle Chase took the loss for the Penguins after she went 9.1 innings and allowed five runs on 12 hits while striking out five and walking four.
In the second game, Canisius jumped out to a 5-2 lead after three innings thanks to a four-run third, highlighted by a single by Fridey that drove in two runs and an RBI-double off the bat of Helbig. Helbig drove in another run in the fourth with a sac fly to help push the Griffs' cushion to 7-2, but the Penguins scored eight times over the next two innings to take a 10-8, a margin the Griffs would not be able to overcome.
Baun took the loss in the second game after she allowed four runs on eight hits in 3.1 innings of work. Youngstown State's Kayla Vallery posted her second win of the season after she gave up three runs on three hits while walking five and striking out two in 4.2 innings of action.
Canisius will return to action Saturday, April 3, when the team opens MAAC play at long-time rival Niagara. First pitch in Lewiston, N.Y., is set for noon.
Game Notes: Canisius holds a 21-12 all-time series lead against Youngstown State... The home run for Medina in the first game makes her the sixth Canisius player this season to hit a homer in a game... Freiberger's sixth home run of the season makes her just the 10th player in school history with six or more homers in the same season... Fridey's two doubles on Tuesday give her 26 in her career, which ranks her tied for 14th all-time in school history for two-base hits... The 7-6 win in 10 innings in game one improves Canisius to 6-4 in its last 10 extra-inning games, dating back to the 2008 season... Sophomore Amanda Cannizzo made her collegiate pitching debut in the second game, where she pitched an inning and allowed just one walk.
