Green Bay, Northern Kentucky and Youngstown State Pick Up Victories on #HLSB Day 1
Rachel White
GREEN BAY, WIS. – The 2023 #HLSB Championship began on Wednesday with No. 5 seed Green Bay and No. 3 seed Northern Kentucky opening up with victories while No. 6 seed Youngstown State went 1-1 to survive and advance to day two, eliminating IUPUI in game three.
No. 5 Green Bay 5, No. 4 IUPUI 1
Green Bay defeated IUPUI 5-1 in the opening game of the #HLSB championship with Brittany Baneck earning a complete game victory in the circle and Samantha Saloun collecting two RBIs for the Phoenix.
IUPUI was the first on the scoreboard as the Jaguars plated one run in the bottom of the first on a sacrifice fly by Rachael Gregory.
The Phoenix tied the game at 1-1 in the fourth on a wild pitch that brought in Jadin Justman.
Green Bay posted four runs in the top of the seventh to secure the win. Randi McKay drew a bases-loaded walk, and Justman and Saloun drove in runs with singles.
Baneck allowed five hits and one earned run for the Phoenix.
Madison Bryant took the loss in the circle for the Jags, totaling eight strikeouts.
Green Bay will face No. 1 seed Oakland in the first game on Thursday, May 11 at 1 p.m. ET/noon CT.
No. 3 Northern Kentucky 1, No. 6 Youngstown State 0
Northern Kentucky earned a 1-0 victory over Youngstown State in the second game of the #HLSB championship. Alicia Flores posted a two-hit shutout for the Norse with seven strikeouts.
The lone run in the contest came in the fourth inning as Megan Lenhart delivered an RBI single for the Norse to score Brielle DiMemmo.
Sophie Howell had a strong outing in the circle for the Penguins, allowing four hits and one earned run in the complete game effort.
NKU will face No. 2 seed RMU in the second game on Thursday, May 11 at 3:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. CT.
No. 6 Youngstown State 3, No. 4 IUPUI 1
Youngstown State avoided elimination with a 3-1 win in the final game of day one. Sara Fessler and Elyssa Imler had two hits each for the Penguins.
YSU jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Jillian Jakse doubled to bring in the first run before Avrey Schumacher added a run on a sac fly and Taylor Truran singled in the third run.
Jaida Speth cut the lead down to 3-1 in the fifth when she drove in Jakse.
Howell picked up the victory in the circle, allowing one earned run on six hits with five strikeouts.
Speth and Kendal Calvert led IUPUI with two hits each.
Following the win, Youngstown State will face the lowest-seed losing team from games four and five in the final game on Thursday, May 11, scheduled for 6 p.m. ET/5 p.m. CT.