The Valparaiso University softball team kicked off the 2016 Horizon League slate Saturday afternoon with a doubleheader in Youngstown, Ohio, but the Crusaders found runs tough to come by as they dropped both ends of the twinbill to Youngstown State, 4-1 and 3-0.
Valpo would take advantage of its first opportunity to score in the top of the first of the opener on Saturday. Junior Taylor Lawson (Tucson, Ariz./Sahuaro) led off the game with a single and promptly stole second. Two batters later, sophomore Taylor Nadler (New Haven, Mo./St. Francis Borgia) delivered a double to right-center to plate Lawson and quickly give the Crusaders a 1-0 advantage.
That would be the only run the Crusaders pushed across in the opener, however, as Valpo went 1-for-5 in the game with runners in scoring position and left seven runners on base. Meanwhile, senior Taylor Weissenhofer (Orland Park, Ill./Lockport Township) was solid in the circle for Valpo, giving up just four hits in six innings of work, but two of the hits were two-run homers in the first and fifth innings to give the Penguins their winning margin. Weissenhofer fell to 2-5 for the Crusaders, while Paige Geanangel earned the complete-game win for YSU to improve to 4-5.
Valpo had many chances in the nightcap to put runs on the board, loading the bases with two outs in the first, third and fourth innings while also having runners on the corners with two away in the second frame. But in all four instances, the Crusaders came up empty as they suffered just their second shutout loss of the year. YSU took the lead for good with a two-out RBI single in the first, while the Penguins scored a pair of runs in the third as well.
Nadler reached base three times in the nightcap on a hit and a pair of walks, while sophomore Stephanie Moreno (Murrieta, Calif./Murrieta Valley) tallied two singles and senior Kaitlyn Ranieri (Schererville, Ind./Lake Central) drew a pair of walks. Senior Mollie Lindeman (Hebron, Ind./Hebron [PNC]) went the distance in the circle, taking the loss to fall to 0-4 despite surrendering just two earned runs, while Youngstown State (12-11, 2-0 Horizon) starter Caitlyn Minney improved to 8-4 with the complete-game win.
Valparaiso (3-19, 0-2 Horizon) looks to capture the series finale in Youngstown on Sunday, with first pitch slated for 11:30 a.m. CT. Live stats will be available via ValpoAthletics.com.
