BALTIMORE, Md. – Youngstown State scored two runs in the second inning and pulled away for a 4-0 win over Lafayette softball on Sunday morning in the UMBC Retriever Round Robin. Lafayette will finish off the tournament at 3 p.m., playing UMBC in the Leopards' fourth game of the weekend.
 
Youngstown State got its initial runs on a Hailey Roach hit with the aid of a Leopard error in the second inning.
 
Leopard starter Kailee Sawai pitched into the fifth inning before running into some trouble when Sara Fessler and Conchetta Rinaldi connected for back-to-back doubles. A Jillian Jakse RBI-single followed to stretch the Penguins' lead to 4-0.
 
Morrigan Gardiner came on in relief of Sawai following the Jakse single and she retired the next three batters to end the Youngstown State rally.
 
Senior Jasmine Nguyen and the Lafayette offense broke up Youngstown State starter Devan Ryan's no-hit bid in the fifth inning. Nguyen belted a two-out single to centerfield while hitting out of the eighth spot in the lineup. Freshman Kylee Sweet added a double in the sixth inning.
 
The Leopards had their best scoring chance in the bottom of the seventh. With two outs in the inning, Lafayette loaded the bases. Senior Grace Harvey reached on an error and Nguyen and classmate Erica Brasher followed with infield singles. That turned over the order for sophomore Harlie Bickett who lined out to second base to end the game.
 
Gardiner did not allow a hit in three innings of relief, striking out three of the nine batters she faced. Ryan scattered four hits for YSU while striking out five.