Correspondent photo / Robert Hayes. YSU junior Sara Fessler slides into home plate during redshirt sophomore Jillian Jakse’s two-run double. YSU split the double header.

YOUNGSTOWN — It may only be early April, but Penguins coach Brian Campbell described it as 15 innings of “championship softball” by both teams.

Following a slew of weather issues over the weekend, Youngstown State finally hit the field against the defending Horizon League champions, splitting a doubleheader with Oakland, taking game two 6-1, after dropping the first contest 2-1 in extra innings.

“There were no errors, two good, quality games, we just happened to come up at the short end of the stick for the first one, I’m just proud of how these young ladies played for 15 innings,” said Campbell. “Great pitching by both pitchers, getting the defense behind and some clutch hitting — unfortunately one team had to lose the first game.”

YSU (15-16, 5-2) led 1-0 throughout much of the first contest following an unearned run during the bottom of the first, but the Golden Grizzlies (7-10, 3-3) were able to tie the contest during the bottom of the sixth. Despite having the bases loaded with no outs, Penguins junior Sophie Howell (Champion), limited Oakland to just the single run.

Having a runner on third with two outs, Oakland’s Reese Ruhlman hit a dribbler toward third base to score the go-ahead run and difference maker. Howell’s record fell to 7-6, allowing seven hits over eight innings, fanning four batters.

Reigning Horizon League Pitcher of the Year Sydney Campbell posted a similar box score, only giving up six hits, while also recording four punchouts.

Game two saw more action on the scoreboard for the host Penguins, starting with a two-run single off the bat of Jillian Jakse to score Megan Turner (Champion) and Sara Fessler. Later in the inning, Avery Schumacher drew a bases loaded walk to take a 3-0 lead.

Knowing that runs were scarce for the two evenly matched squads during the first game, Jakse was looking to open the game up a bit during the second half of the twinbill.

“That’s our goal every time, keep scoring runs and putting them into a big hole going into the later part of the game,” Jakse said. “I think we play a lot more free when we’re up, it allows our pitchers to pitch their pitches and it allows our defense to do well, so we’re good at doing our jobs when we’re up.”

“I’m just looking to do my job, whether that’s a sac fly or a ground ball through the middle, that’s really my goal.”

Jakse’s presence was missed last spring, sitting out all season with an injury after being named the Horizon League Freshman of the Year in 2021.

In many ways, she feels like she’s starting to find her rhythm again.

“It’s definitely hard coming back from an injury and I’m just glad to be here and have the chance to be out with my team. I love it so much,” Jakse said.

Conchetta Rinaldi (Cardinal Mooney) would knock RBI hits during the fourth and the sixth, leading the Penguins with 22 on the year. Schumacher added an RBI single during the fifth. Fessler (.414 batting average) went 3-4 during the second contest, adding onto the two hits she swatted during the first contest.

Devan Ryan (6-6) was eclectic during the second game, tossing a complete game two-hitter with five strikeouts. Her only run allowed was a towering solo homerun over the centerfield wall by Oakland’s Jen Krizka.

“My dropball was very effective and just placing that, getting them to swing at it,” said Ryan. “Just coming back stronger, and really attacking, not letting anything get to me. Just go in with a positive attitude and lift up my teammates after the obvious hard loss.”

Pitching with an early three-run lead pays dividends as well.

“It just overall has a better atmosphere in the dugout that projects onto the field as fielders, then to just keep it going throughout the game,” Ryan said.

Of all things that occurred, the thing that Campbell was most pleased with was the way his team responded to a one-run extra innings loss.

“The thing you fear as a coach is when you have a heartbreaker in the first one, sometimes that carries on into the second one and I felt the young ladies did a great job of releasing it and letting it go,” Campbell said. “I said hey, you guys played a great game, there’s nothing to hold your heads over and stuff, and just understand to release that and let it go.

“I think they all did a great job of just letting it go and doing a tremendous job of coming back and winning that second game.”

Following the weekend’s action, YSU sits atop of the Horizon League, tied with IUPUI both owning conference records of 5-2. The Penguins have a busy week planned, heading to Niagara for a double header on Tuesday before facing off against the Zips in Akron on Wednesday.