CSU/Temple Box Score
CSU/Villanova Box Score
Contact: Tim Ertle
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CLEARWATER, Fla. - Cleveland State dropped its first two games of a week-long trip to Florida, falling to Temple, 6-1, and Villanova, 8-0, on the first day of the Under Armour Showcase, hosted by South Florida.
Cleveland State is now 2-13 overall.
In the first game, the Viking offense never could solve Temple starting pitcher Brooklin White. She made one mistake - a pitch Dara Toman belted for her team-best fifth homer of the year to give CSU a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning - but the Temple sophomore was in command the rest of the morning.
Right after the Toman blast, the Viking defense unraveled and committed a pair of errors that led to four Owl runs in the top of the third. Starting pitcher Alex Radjen didn't make it out of that inning and was dealt the loss despite not allowing an earned run. She worked 2.1 innings and allowed three hits and three walks while the four unearned runs dropped her to 0-3 in her true freshman season.
Sara Shields relieved Radjen and worked 2.2 innings, allowing a pair of runs while striking out six. Brittany Bate made her 2012 debut in the circle and worked the final two innings while facing the minimum six batters.
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Outside of the Toman homer, a fourth inning single by Caila Ferrowas all the Vikings could muster off of White. She improved to 4-2 while picking up her fourth complete game of the season.
In the second game, the Wildcats scored five runs in the seventh inning to widen the final deficit. Villanova struck first with a run in the top of the first and scored one more run in both the fifth and sixth innings to take the 3-0 lead into the seventh. The Wildcat explosion put the game out of reach for the Viking offense that managed two hits in the game - one by Shields and the other byAlicia Nichols. Bate started the game and worked into the seventh and was handed her first loss of 2012.
Villanova starting pitcher Molly Manning went the distance and allowed just three baserunners while striking out five Vikings.
The Vikings have two more games in the Under Armour Showcase this weekend. Tomorrow Cleveland State plays Central Michigan at 9:15 a.m. with a game against Canisius immediately following. The weekend concludes with a 9:00 a.m. game on Sunday (March 11) against Wagner before the Vikings head to the Rebel Games in Kissimmee, Fla.
