April 4, 2009 | Game One | Game Two

     Chicago, Ill. -- Junior Cheryl Cale fired a four-hitter with five strikeouts and freshman Kristen Philen went 2-for-4 with two runs batted in to lead the Youngstown State softball team to a 5-0 victory and a doubleheader split against UIC at Flames Field on Saturday afternoon. The Penguins lost the first game, 3-2.

    Youngstown State improves to 5-23 overall and 3-8 in the Horizon League while the Flames move to 10-20 overall and 4-1 in the league.

    In the top of the first, Philen drilled a two-out, bases-loaded double to left-center field to plate freshman Haley Thomas and sophomore Kim Klonowski to give the Penguins a 2-0 lead.

    Sophomore Ashley Conger, who walked and moved to third on Philen's double, scored on a passed ball to extend the Guins' lead to 3-0 in the first inning.

    The Penguins went up 4-0 in the top of the second when sophomore Kristina Rendle led of the frame with a single to center, advanced to second on Klonowski's infield single and scored on freshman Jordan Ingall's single up the middle.

    Cale, who fired her second Horizon League shutout, pitched out of bases-loaded jams in the bottom of the second and third innings and then allowed just one runner passed first base the rest of the game.

    In the top of the seventh, junior Erin Schindler doubled to lead of the inning and scored on a single by Rendle, who went 2-for-3, and ended the scoring.

    In the opener, Cale allowed just six hits but was the hard-luck loser.

    With the Penguins trailing 3-0, Philen belted her first career-home run in the top of the fifth inning to slice the deficit to 3-1.

    The Guins added an unearned run in the sixth to get within 3-2 but stranded the bases loaded.

    The Penguins and Flames close out the series with a single-game on Sunday at 1 p.m. (EDT).