Butler and YSU have played 19 times previously and the Bulldogs own a slim 11-8 advantage in the all-time series. Last season, the Guins won two-out-of-three games against the Bulldogs.

Last Tuesday, the Penguins split a doubleheader against Akron, winning game one, 2-1, and dropping the second game, 13-7.

Junior Autumn Grove tied two YSU single-game records against Akron last Tuesday. Grove tied the single-game record for most home runs in a game with two and most runs batted in with six. The last time a YSU player recorded six RBIs in a game was Assistant Coach Tiffany Patteson against Army in 2004.

Freshman Jordan Ingalls boosted her batting average up to .320 after a 5-for-6 performance against Saint Francis (Pa.) on Thursday. Ingalls went 3-for-3 with a home run in game one and 2-for-3 in the nightcap. YSU lost both games, 2-1 and 9-1. Over the last three games, Ingalls is batting .667 (6-for-9) with a double, home run and a run batted in.

The Penguins were swept by Saint Francis (Pa.), 2-1 and 9-1, on Thursday afternoon in Loretto, Pa. Junior Cheryl Cale was the hard-luck loser in game one, giving up just seven hits.

The Youngstown State softball team is on the verge of picking up the program’s 500th victory since the school instituted fast-pitch softball in 1980. The Penguins, who have 499 all-time victories, need just one victory this weekend to accomplish that feat.

Since March 11, sophomore Kim Klonowski has been on a tear. The native of Canton, Mich., is batting .319 (30-for-92) with 12 runs scored, six doubles, eight home runs and 23 runs batted in over the last 29 games. Klonowski also boasts a slugging percentage of .638 during that span. She is also batting .304 (15-for-48) with six home runs and 12 runs batted in against Horizon League opponents.

Junior Cheryl Cale picked up her sixth win of the season after tossing a three-hitter in a 2-1 win over Toledo on April 8. Cale, who has 16 career victories, has been dominant in her victories this season. In her wins, Cale owns a 0.83 earned run average with two shutouts and 13 strikeouts. She has also limited her opponents to a .213 batting average in those games.

Freshman outfielder Haley Thomas’ batting average continues its meteoric ascent. Over the last 29 games, Thomas is batting .355 (33-for-93) with five doubles, a triple, a home run, 16 runs scored and five runs batted in. Thomas is also faring well against Horizon League opponents, batting at team-high .364 (20-for-55) with four doubles, a triple and six runs scored.

By scoring four times in YSU’s 11-2 win over Toledo on April 8, freshman Haley Thomas became just the second player in school history to accomplish that feat. The last time a YSU player scored four times in a game was Debbie Garvin against Ohio State on May 1, 1981.

Butler enters the series with a 21-25 overall record and a 10-10 mark in the Horizon League. Alyssa Coleman leads the Bulldogs with a .355 batting average while Jill Falkenberry has belted a team-high 10 home runs. Pitcher Breanna Fisher leads the staff with a 10-13 and an earned-run average of 3.04.

Youngstown State continues its road trip with a doubleheader against Niagara, Tuesday, April 28, at 3 p.m.

Sophomore Kristina Rendle has been giving Horizon League pitchers difficulty at the plate. The left-handed batting second baseman owns a .333 batting average against Horizon League foes. She also boasts a .400 slugging percentage and a .404 on-base percentage in league games.