CSU/Wagner Box Score
CSU/Howard Box Score
Contact: Tim Ertle
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KISSIMMEE, Fla. - The Vikings split two more games on Thursday (March 15) to make them 4-2 at the Rebel Spring Games heading into the final day of competition. Cleveland State lost to Wagner, 9-1 in six innings, but responded with a 6-4 victory over Howard.
CSU is now 6-18 overall.
Senior pitcher Megan Bashak worked around five Cleveland State errors and went the distance to pick up her second win of the season in the victory over Howard.
Bashak allowed just one earned run while scattering nine hits.
Howard was ahead 1-0 after three innings, but CSU scored six runs over the next three frames to take a 6-1 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth. The Bisons got three back in the sixth but Bashak left two on base in the seventh to close out the game.
Sara Shields doubled to start the CSU fourth and scored when the next batter, Dara Toman, doubled to left. Toman moved to third on a grounder to the right side by Andrea Nagy and then scored to give CSU the lead when the third baseman made an error on an attempted pickoff play.
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The Vikings left the bases loaded in the fourth when a strikeout and groundout ended the threat, but the offense responded with three runs in the fifth.
Shields again got things started with a walk. After Toman flied out, Nagy and Caila Ferro each singled. That brought in Shields but also Nagy who used her speed and poor Howard defense to come all the way home.
A Cynthia Woodard double brought in Ferro and made it 5-1 in favor of the Vikings.
CSU tacked on an insurance run in the sixth when Alicia Nicholssingled and stole second. Bashak singled back up the middle to plate Nichols and make it a 6-1 game.
A pair of CSU errors in the sixth led to three Howard runs but Bashak was able to minimize the damage and strand four runners over the last two frames.
Unfortunately for the Vikings, the offense didn't come alive until late in the day. It was a struggle against Wagner starting pitcher Judy Betz. She improved to 1-1 with a six inning complete game. Betz allowed eight hits and one walk but CSU couldn't piece together a rally.
Wagner, who beat the Vikings on Sunday (March 11), came out of the gate with four runs in the top of the first. CSU starting pitcher Brittany Bate was knocked out of the game after recording two outs. Shields relived her and went 5.1 innings while allowing five runs. She did strike out six.
The lone CSU run came in the first when Nichols doubled and advanced to third on a Bashak groundout. After Nagy was hit by a pitch, she tried to steal second but was hung up, allowing Nichols to come in and score on the throw.
After the Vikings chipped into the lead and made it 4-1, the Seahawks put three runs on the board in the fifth and two more in the sixth to make it an eight-run game.
Nichols, Shields and Bashak all had three hits in the doubleheader while both Nichols - who was 2-for-2 in stolen base attempts - and Shields scored a pair of runs.
The Vikings finish the week-long trip to Florida tomorrow with their final two games of the Rebel Spring Games. CSU will battle Lafayette at 11:00 a.m. and Rider at 1:00 p.m.
Cleveland State begins league play next Saturday (March 24) with a road series against UIC.