Canfield, Ohio -- Sophomore Cheryl Cale fired a three-hit, complete-game shutout to lead the Youngstown State softball team to a 1-0 victory over Butler (16-22, 5-7 Horizon League) on Saturday afternoon at McCune Park. The Penguins (7-27, 3-12 Horizon League) lost the opener, 5-4.

    Cale, who struck out six and did not allow a walk, allowed just one hit through four innings and faced the minimum batters through 4.1 innings.

    In the bottom of the second, senior McKenzie Bedra led off the frame with a double to second and Jamie Fornal followed with a walk. After Allyse Ledford's sacrifice bunt moved runners to second and third, Bethany Halfey was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

    Bedra scored on a wild pitch but Butler's Nikki Nafzigger squelched the rest of the Penguins threat.

    In the opener,  the Penguins jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when Katy Potokar squeezed home Rochelle Vanyi, who doubled, and Fornal's two-out single plated Potokar.

    Butler's Jenny Jacobs knotted the game with a two-run home run in the top of the second and the Bulldogs added runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh to take a 5-2 lead.

    Ledford was hit by a pitch to lead off the bottom of the seventh and junior Kristen McDonnell doubled to center and pushed Shauna Barry, who pinch-ran for Ledford, to third base.

    Vanyi hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Barry and advanced McDonnell to third. Kristin Bair's single up the middle plated McDonnell and brought the Guins within one, 5-4.

    Katy Potokar, though, flied out the center to end the game.

    The Penguins and Bulldogs will close out the series with a single game on Sunday at 1 p.m.