GREEN BAY, Wis. – The bats were active early and often for the Green Bay softball team on Saturday as they defeated the Youngstown State Penguins 8-0 in five innings. Kelly Greene pitched a two-hit shutout to help the Phoenix complete a weekend sweep of the Penguins.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Tiffany Giese and Jadin Justman drew walks for GB in the bottom of the first inning, and Giese made it home on a single to shallow right-center by Sam Saloun. Paige Hanson then reached on catcher interference, loading the bases, and Dawn Pawlak drew a walk to score Justman. An infield single by Viviana Guzman brought in Saloun and allowed Green Bay to take a 3-0 lead into the second inning.
Justman and Randi McKay both registered singles in the second inning, but Penguins pitcher Sophie Howell struck out the side and left the Phoenix unable to add to their lead.
The Phoenix broke the game open in the fourth inning after the first four Phoenix batters got on base. McKay, Saloun, and Hanson singled while Justman drew a walk. All four got across the plate in a frame that saw YSU commit a wild pitch and two throwing errors, which scored Justman and Hanson. GB scored four in the frame and extended their lead to 7-0.
Greene allowed one hit prior to the fifth inning, including three up, three down innings in the second and fourth. Elyssa Imler reached on an infield single in the fifth but was stranded as the Penguins could not generate any offensive momentum.
McKay continued her big day with a leadoff double to center field to start the fifth for Green Bay. Justman then slapped a grounder right up the middle to bring McKay home and run-rule YSU.
GAME NOTES
» Greene tossed a two-hit, 60-pitch shutout for the Phoenix.
» McKay was 3-for-4 with two runs.
» Green Bay was error-free in the field while Youngstown State committed four errors.
» Giese and Herschbach both stole a base for the Phoenix.
» The Phoenix out-hit the Penguins at an 11-2 clip.
» Green Bay went 6-for-16 (.375) with runners in scoring position.
» Seven different Phoenix players registered at least one hit.
» The Phoenix drew five walks from Youngstown State pitching.
» Justman also stood out for the Phoenix at the plate, going 2-for-2 with an RBI while also drawing two walks.
» Saloun led GB with two runs batted in.
» Howell struck out five Green Bay batters.
OFFENSE HEATING UP
Across Green Bay's three-game series against the Penguins, the top five hitters in the lineup (Tiffany Giese, Randi McKay, Jadin Justman, Sam Saloun, and Paige Hanson) combined to hit .471 and get on base at a .517 clip. Sam Saloun led the way with a monster three-game stretch, going 5-for-10 with two home runs and nine of GB's 19 RBI on the weekend.
POSTSEASON PUSH
Green Bay is right back in the hunt for a spot in the Horizon League Championships after the three wins over Youngstown State this weekend. At the conclusion of the regular season, the top six teams from the league will make the conference tournament at a site to be determined. The Phoenix currently sits in eighth with a 7-9 conference record, but sits just a game back from Purdue Fort Wayne in the six spot. GB will travel to PFW for a three-game set next Friday and Saturday.
COMING UP
It is a busy week for the Phoenix, who will play five games in the next seven days. St. Thomas comes to King Park for a nonconference Tuesday doubleheader, with games starting at 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. After that, Green Bay will take a weekend road trip to Indiana, with a three-game series against Purdue Fort Wayne set to be played with one game on Friday and two games on Saturday.
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