Youngstown State, UIC Open with Victories, Oakland Splits on #HLSB Day 1
YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO – The 2021 #HLSB Championship began on Thursday with No. 1 seed Youngstown State and No. 3 seed UIC opening up with victories while No. 2 seed Oakland went 1-1 to survive and advance to day two, eliminating RMU in game three.
No. 1 Youngstown State 7, No. 4 RMU 0
The top-seeded Penguins started the championship with a 7-0 shutout victory over No. 4 seed RMU in Thursday’s first game.
The Penguins scored five runs in the second with RBI singles by Grace Cea and Conchetta Rinaldi and a three-run home run by Milena Lacatena. YSU added two runs in the sixth as Avrey Schumacher hit an RBI double and Taylor Boeckmann stole home in the frame.
Horizon League Pitcher of the Year Elle Buffenbarger tossed six scoreless innings for YSU with six strikeouts while All-League Second Team pitcher Maddi Lusk tossed a scoreless seventh to close out the win.
Faith Miller paced the Colonials offensively with two hits in the loss.
YSU will face No. 3 seed UIC in the first game on Friday, May 14 at noon ET.
No. 3 UIC 5, No. 2 Oakland 1
UIC earned a 5-1 win over Oakland in the second game on Thursday.
The Flames struck first on a solo home run by Horizon League Player of the Year Kayla Wedl in the third. The Golden Grizzlies tied it back up in the bottom half of the frame with a Jen Krizka double.
Dee Dee Caskey blasted a home run of her own in the fifth to give UIC a 2-1 advantage. An unearned run in the sixth pushed the lead to 3-1 before the Flames tacked on two more in the seventh to secure the 5-1 victory.
All-League Second Team pitcher Marley Hanlon allowed just five hits in her complete game effort in the circle.
Sydney Campbell surrendered three earned runs in the loss for Oakland. Madison Jones led the Golden Grizzlies offensively with two hits and one run.
UIC will take on No. 1 seed Youngstown State on Friday, May 14 at noon ET.
No. 2 Oakland 5, No. 4 RMU 4
RMU and Oakland battled to avoid elimination in the final game of day one with Oakland coming out on top, 5-4 to remain in the championship hunt.
After three scoreless innings, the Golden Grizzlies scored the first run of the game in the fourth inning on a Lauren Griffith RBI double that scored Madison Jones who had doubled as well.
Oakland increased its lead to 5-0 in the bottom of the fifth on a pair two-RBI doubles by Cammie Brummitt and Jen Krizka.
The Colonials scored two runs in the top of the seventh on RBI singles by Catalina Saxen and Faith Miller then added two more on an Alaina York double to pull within one run.
Oakland’s Lauren Campbell finished the complete game victory in the circle with a strikeout with the potential game-tying run on second base.
The Golden Grizzlies will take on the loser of tomorrow’s first game at 3 p.m. ET on Friday, May 14.