| Bedra and Grove Garner Horizon League Postseason Awards |
| Thursday, May 10 2007 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Cleveland, Ohio -- Youngstown State junior McKenzie Bedra (Bowling Green, Ohio) was named to the All-Horizon League First-Team and freshman Autumn Grove (Massillon, Ohio) was selected to the All-Horizon League Second-Team and All-Newcomer Team in a vote by the League's head coaches, the Horizon League announced Wednesday evening at the 2007 postseason awards banquet at the Terrace Club at Jacobs Field. Bedra, the 2006 Horizon League Tournament Most Valuable Player, finished the regular season tied for the league lead with 15 doubles, ranked second in the Horizon League with a .426 batting average, a .815 slugging percentage, a .523 on-base percentage, tied for second with 33 runs batted in and third with nine home runs and 1.28 hits per game. Against Horizon League foes, Bedra batted .429 with three home runs, 11 RBIs, a .786 slugging percentage and a .520 on-base percentage. Bedra is the first YSU player named to the all-league first-team since Tiffany Patteson received the honor in 2004. Grove batted an impressive .352 and was the only freshman ranked in the in the top 10 in home runs with six round trippers, which ranked tied for sixth. She also drove in 16 runs and scored 24 times, which ranked second on the team. Grove was the only freshman ranked in the top 10 in batting average in league games ranking eighth with a .424 batting average and clubbed four of her six home runs against Horizon League foes. She also posted a .818 slugging percentage in league contests. Youngstown State opens defense of its Horizon League Tournament title against UIC, Thursday, at 1 p.m. at Viking Field. Below is a complete list of the All-Horizon League teams: First-Team All-League Christa Coppus, Cleveland State Amanda Houchin, Cleveland State Sarah Dickey, Detroit Kaleigh Rafter, Detroit Ashlee Ackerman, UIC Katerina Krause, Loyola Ashley Mitchell, Loyola Jherica Williams, Wright State McKenzie Bedra, Youngstown State Sarah Clynes, UIC (DP) Krista Crosson, Loyola (P) Amy Solava, Loyola (P) Second-Team All-League Amy Hyerczyk, Butler Michele Penney, Cleveland State Adrienne Baran, Detroit Brooke Frydendall, UIC Melissa Marinacci, UIC Tara Miller, Loyola Mollie Kaebisch, UW-Green Bay Kristen Bradshaw, Wright State Autumn Grove, Youngstown State Katie Cooney, UW-Green Bay (DP) Amanda Macenko, Cleveland State (P) Anna Bluemel, UW-Green Bay (P) All-Newcomer Team Bridget Paine, Butler Amanda Macenko, Cleveland State Ashlee Ackerman, UIC Brooke Frydendall, UIC Kristen Medrud, Loyola Amy Solava, Loyola Anna Bluemel, UW-Green Bay Katie Cooney, UW-Green Bay Jamie Perkins, Wright State Jherica Williams, Wright State Autumn Grove, Youngstown State |
| No. 5 Youngstown State Opens Defense of Softball Tournament Title Against No. 4 UIC |
| Wednesday, May 9 2007 |
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| The fifth-seeded Youngstown State softball team (16-20) will open the 2007 Horizon League Tournament against the team they defeated for the 2006 tournament title, the fourth-seeded UIC Flames (18-31), on Thursday, May 10, at 1 p.m. at Viking Field in Cleveland, Ohio. This will be the Penguins� third straight tournament game against the Flames and the sixth time Youngstown State and UIC have met in the postseason. Youngstown State owns a 3-2 Horizon League Tournament record against the Flames, including two wins in 2006 (3-2 and 2-1) and a 3-2 victory in the 2003 tournament held at Cleveland State. This season, UIC defeated the Penguins two-out-of-three times in Chicago, Ill., on March 31 and April 1. However, senior Karlie Burnell fired a three-hit shutout against UIC in a 6-0 victory on March 31. The Penguins are coming off two victories over regular-season champion and top-seeded Loyola last weekend. The Penguins dropped the opener, 3-2, in nine innings but answered with a 3-2 victory in the nightcap on Saturday. On Sunday, Burnell threw a two-hitter and McKenzie Bedra singled home Lacy Bronson with the games only run in an eight-inning 1-0 victory. The 2007 Horizon League Softball Championship Bracket Thursday, May 10 Game 1: No. 7 Wright State vs. No. 2 Cleveland State, 9 a.m. Game 2: No. 6 Butler vs. No. 3 UW-Green Bay, 11 a.m. Game 3: No. 5 Youngstown State vs. No. 4 UIC, 1 p.m. Game 4: No. 8 Detroit vs. No. 1 Loyola, 4 p.m. Game 5: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2 Game 6: Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4 Friday, May 11 Game 7: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 Game 8: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4 Game 9: Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 7, 1 p.m. Game 10: Loser Game 5 vs. Loser Game 8, 4 p.m. Game 11: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 6 p.m. Game 12: Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10, 8 p.m. Saturday, May 12 Game 13: Winner game 12 vs. Loser Game 11, 9 a.m. Game 14: Winner Game 11 vs. Winner Game 13, Noon *Game 15: Winner Game 14 vs. Loser Game 14, 2 p.m.* -- IF NECESSARY* Penguins in the Tourney Since joining the Horizon League in 2001-02, the Youngstown State softball team has acquired a 7-8 record in the league tournament. The Penguins have won their last four tournament games after losing six straight from the 2003-05 tournaments. During the 2003 postseason, YSU won its first two tournament games over Detroit and UIC before being eliminated by Wright State and Cleveland State. 2006 Tournament Recap The Penguins earned their first berth to the NCAA Regional Tournament after posting a 4-0 record to claim the 2006 Horizon League Softball Championship. The sixth-seeded Penguins upset No. 3 Detroit, 12-3, defeated No. 7 Wright State, 6-4, and twice upset top-seeded UIC, 3-2, and 2-1, in the championship game. 2006 Tourney Honors McKenzie Bedra was named the Horizon League Tournament MVP and Most Outstanding Offensive Player after batting .700 with five home runs and nine RBIs. Karlie Burnell was named to the all-tournament team after posting a 4-0 record with a 2.76 earned-run average and Allyse Ledford was named the tournament�s Most Outstanding Defensive Player. Cameron Second in Wins Youngstown State softball Head Coach Christy Cameron ranks second all-time in softball victories and become just the second coach in school history to win at least 150 games. Cameron notched her 150th win at Youngstown State in the Penguins� 7-5 win over Wright State on April 28 and currently has 152 victories while at YSU. Burnell Nearing 40 Senior Karlie Burnell became the third player in school history to post multiple 10-win seasons after she picked up her 10th victory of the year in a 7-5 triumph over Wright State on April 28. With 11 wins this season, Burnell has 39 career victories and needs one more to become the third player in YSU history to record at least 40 wins. Bedra Has Monster Year Junior McKenzie Bedra put up player-of-the-year-like numbers in 2007. Bedra finished the regular season tied for the league lead with 15 doubles, ranked second in the Horizon League with a .426 batting average, a .815 slugging percentage, a .523 on-base percentage, tied for second with 33 runs batted in and third with nine home runs and 1.28 hits per game. Burnell Now Second on Whiffs List Senior pitcher Karlie Burnell continues to prove she is one of the top hurlers in school history. Not only does Burnell rank third all-time with 39 career victories, she also ranks second on the all-time strikeout chart with 311. Bedra Nearing Single-Season Home Run Mark With a solo home run against Niagara on May 2, McKenzie Bedra recorded her ninth homer of the season and needs just one more to tie the school�s single-season record of 10. In 2006, sophomore Kristen McDonnell tied the mark which was set by Liz Holt in 2003. Fornal Lovin� the League Junior Jamie Fornal likes playing Horizon League opponents. In 11 Horizon League games this season, Fornal boasts a .438 batting average with three doubles and a .531 slugging percentage. Bedra�s Slugging Pace At her current clip of .815, junior McKenzie Bedra will set the single-season record for slugging percentage. The current mark is .730 set by Barb Nick in 1983. She also has the chance to become the first player in 24 seasons to post a batting average of .400-or-above. The last player to hit .400 was Nick who batted .481 (the single-season record) in 1983. Bedra�s 15 doubles this season also ranked tied for second on the single-season doubles list. Holy Shnikees Sheibley! Junior Kelli Sheibley has really stepped up for the Penguins over the last five games. Sheibley has a hit in each of the last five contests and is batting .400 with an RBI in those games. For the season, Sheibley is batting .310 with two runs scored and three RBIs. On the Chase Over her last four outings, freshman pitcher Danielle Chase has been pretty impressive. The Harbor Creek, Pa., native is 2-1 and owns a 1.64 earned-run average over her last 21.1 innings pitched. She fired a three-hit shutout over Butler on April 22 and went 6.2 innings with five strikeouts and did not allow an earned run against regular season champion Loyola on May 5. Burnell Reaches 500-Club With 17.1 innings pitched last weekend against Loyola, senior Karlie Burnell became just the second player in school history to reach 500 innings pitched in a career. Burnell ranks second all-time with 510.2 innings pitched and trails record holder Kim Givens� 623 innings pitched from 1993-96. Penguins Tie Hits Record Twice With 17 hits in the series finale against UIC on April 1, the Penguins tied the school record for most hits in a single-game. Six games later, the Penguins matched the record again against UW-Green Bay on April 14. It marks the third and fourth time that feat has been accomplished. The last time was against Penn on March 10, 2004. The record was originally set against Bowling Green on April 11, 1980. Stop Thieves! Senior Lacy Bronson and junior Becky Hibner are both moving up the Youngstown State all-time stolen base chart. Bronson is currently fifth with 23 career swipes while Hibner is not far behind with 19 career stolen bases. |
| Softball Drops Doubleheader to Niagara |
| Thursday, May 3 2007 |
| Courtesy of: |
| Niagara Falls, N.Y. -- The Youngstown State softball team fell to 14-19 after dropping a doubleheader to Niagara, 3-1, 10-9, on Wednesday afternoon at Niagara Field. In the opener, the senior Karlie Burnell was the hard-luck loser scattering five hits and did not allow an earned run with two strikeouts. Junior McKenzie Bedra went 2-for-3 with an RBI double in the top of the first inning for the Penguins' lone run. Despite 12 hits and a 9-5 lead after five-and-a-half innings, the Penguins allowed a run in the bottom of the sixth and three in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game at 9-9. Niagara scored an unearned run in the bottom of the eighth for the 10-9 victory. Bedra went 2-for-4 with three runs scored and her ninth home run of the season to lead the Penguins' offensive outburst. Freshman Autumn Grove and juniors Jamie Fornal and Bethany Hafley also collected two hits for the Penguins in game two. YSU closes out the regular season with a three-game series against league-leader Loyola, May 5-6, at McCune Park. The Penguins and Ramblers square-off in a doubleheader, Saturday, at 1 p.m. and concluded the series with a single contest, Sunday, at Noon. |