2008 Woodie Awards
After long layoff, Penguins look to break into win column at Miami Tournament in Oxford
Aaron Blatch, Sports Reporter
Issue date: 3/19/08 Section: Sports
After beginning the season 0-7 on a road trip to Florida, the Youngstown State softball team got two things it needed badly: a return trip to Ohio and a break. The Penguins have not played since their last loss on March 2, but have had a chance to regroup and will return to action on Friday in the first of four games at the Miami Tournament in Oxford. The team will face Toledo, Miami of Ohio, Michigan State and Penn State over the weekend.
It has been difficult finding positives so far for the Penguins, who have been outplayed in all facets of the game. The team has been outscored 53-13 in the seven games and has committed 17 fielding errors. They will look to correct these problems in Oxford, where they were competitive last season, going 2-3, with two of the defeats by a single run.
One key to a turnaround will be returning senior infielder McKenzie Bedra to the form that has made her one of the best hitters in the Horizon League. Bedra was a First-Team All-Horizon League member last season after hitting .416 and becoming the Penguins' all-time leading home run hitter with 23. She has suffered through an early season slump, hitting just .176 with no RBIs so far.
Two young players have helped to pick up the slack on offense. The team's brightest spots have been sophomore outfielder Kristin Bair and freshman infielder Rochelle Vanyi. Bair, a transfer from Kent State, leads the team with a .526 batting average and has driven in three runs in the early part of the season. Vanyi also has three RBIs, and has hit the Penguins' only two home runs.
In the first game of the Miami Tournament, the team will face a familiar Toledo team. Last season the teams met three times with Toledo winning two of the contests. All three games were decided by two runs or less. Danielle Chase, a sophomore pitcher, threw in two of those games, picking up the win on April 18. The Penguins' offense was also strong against the Rockets, scoring 16 runs in the three games.
Toledo enters this contest at 4-4 and has had a similar layoff as the Penguins. The Rockets have shown the ability to score runs, but have struggled mightily getting outs in the field. Six starters are hitting over .300, but outside of ace Shana Szypka the pitching staff has been beaten badly, posting an overall earned run average of 6.02.
The Rockets also have spent their break with a bad taste in their mouth, losing their last two games. The key to the first game of the tournament may be which team made better adjustments and was able to refocus during the time off. The Penguins will need to put a winning streak together if they want to better last season's 16-22 record.
It has been difficult finding positives so far for the Penguins, who have been outplayed in all facets of the game. The team has been outscored 53-13 in the seven games and has committed 17 fielding errors. They will look to correct these problems in Oxford, where they were competitive last season, going 2-3, with two of the defeats by a single run.
One key to a turnaround will be returning senior infielder McKenzie Bedra to the form that has made her one of the best hitters in the Horizon League. Bedra was a First-Team All-Horizon League member last season after hitting .416 and becoming the Penguins' all-time leading home run hitter with 23. She has suffered through an early season slump, hitting just .176 with no RBIs so far.
Two young players have helped to pick up the slack on offense. The team's brightest spots have been sophomore outfielder Kristin Bair and freshman infielder Rochelle Vanyi. Bair, a transfer from Kent State, leads the team with a .526 batting average and has driven in three runs in the early part of the season. Vanyi also has three RBIs, and has hit the Penguins' only two home runs.
In the first game of the Miami Tournament, the team will face a familiar Toledo team. Last season the teams met three times with Toledo winning two of the contests. All three games were decided by two runs or less. Danielle Chase, a sophomore pitcher, threw in two of those games, picking up the win on April 18. The Penguins' offense was also strong against the Rockets, scoring 16 runs in the three games.
Toledo enters this contest at 4-4 and has had a similar layoff as the Penguins. The Rockets have shown the ability to score runs, but have struggled mightily getting outs in the field. Six starters are hitting over .300, but outside of ace Shana Szypka the pitching staff has been beaten badly, posting an overall earned run average of 6.02.
The Rockets also have spent their break with a bad taste in their mouth, losing their last two games. The key to the first game of the tournament may be which team made better adjustments and was able to refocus during the time off. The Penguins will need to put a winning streak together if they want to better last season's 16-22 record.
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