Game One Box Score

Game Two Box Score

Follow CSU on TWITTER 
Follow CSU Softball on TWITTER
CSU Athletics on YouTube

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Vikings split a doubleheader with St. Francis (Pa.) on Thursday (April 12) as the two teams played a pair of games that were at opposite ends of the spectrum.

Cleveland State won the first game 4-1 with a standout pitching performance from Sara Shieldsand solid defense. The Red Flash took game two 9-8 in eight innings in a slugfest that included six errors.

The Vikings are now 11-29 overall while St. Francis ends the day at 15-19.

CSU used the long ball to lift the offense in game one, getting bombs from Dara Toman and Andrea Nagy to provide all the necessary offense.

Toman clubbed her 16th homer of the year to right center off of Chelsea Rex in the bottom of the first to put the Vikings up 1-0.

The Red Flash tacked on a run in the top of the third when Davina Kachnovitz hit a solo shot to left center field to knot the game at 1-1.

CSU got three runs back in the home portion of the third off one swing of the bat from Nagy. She hit a two-out homer to left center - her first of the year - to bring in Salena Kauffman, who was hit by a pitch, and Toman, who was walked, and give the Vikings a 4-1 lead after three innings. 

Shields retired the Red Flash in order in both the fourth and fifth innings but St. Francis threatened in both the six and seventh. First baseman Taylor Darneille hit a two-out double in the sixth to end a streak of nine consecutive batters retired by Shields. The sophomore transfer dug deep and got the next batter to foul out to end the threat in the sixth.

St. Francis brought the tying run to the plate after the first two batters singled to start the seventh, but Shields retired the next three hitters to pick up the win and improve to 9-10 on the year.

Its the third straight decision that Shields has won. She was terrific on Thursday, allowing six hits and one walk while striking out three.

In game two, the St. Francis offense came alive with a little help from the Viking defense. Three runs in the top of the first endedMegan Bashak's afternoon in the circle from the onset.

CSU got two runs back in the home half of the second when a Caila Ferro single up the middle plated Shields and Nena Doran. Two more runs in the third helped the cause when Shields brought in Afton Allred - who was pinch running for Toman - and Nagy to give the Vikings a 4-3 lead.

St. Francis stormed back with five unanswered runs - including three unearned runs with Alex Radjen in the circle in the fourth inning - to take an 8-4 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning.

Alicia Nichols singled to start the frame and Toman hit her second homer of the afternoon to bring CSU within two at 8-6. Bashak followed with her second homer of the season to make it a one-run game.

After a pitching change, Nagy walked before the next two batters were retired to bring CSU down to its final out. That's when Ferro nearly ended the game when her line drive hit off the top of the wall in center and brought in Nagy to even the game at 8-8.

When Hannah Yoe was hit by a pitch and Salena Kauffman reached on an infield single, the Vikings had the bases loaded with two outs and a chance to end the game. Unfortunately, the next batter struck out swinging to send the game to an extra frame.

St. Francis took a 9-8 lead after Kailie Miller hit a two-out double and the her pinch runner Courtney Francis scored on a Megan Layne single to right field.

Toman started the CSU eighth and was intentionally walked to bring the winning run to the plate. With a runner on first, the next three batters were retired to end the ballgame.

Brandy Holmes, who pitched the last three innings in relief, was dealt the loss to fall to 0-2. She scattered six hits during her appearance and allowed a pair of earned runs.

With the Vikings committing five errors in game two, four Red Flash runs were unearned.

Toman once again led the offense with a perfect four-for-four performance in the two games. She also scored three runs and drove in three.

Nagy was 3-for-6 (.500) with three runs and three RBI while Doran, Ferro, Bashak and Shields were all 2-for-7 (.286).

Cleveland State will now re-enter Horizon League play with a weekend series in Chicago. The Vikings will battle Loyola twice on Saturday (April 14) before wrapping up the series with a 1:00 p.m. EST game on Sunday (April 15). All three games will be covered with free live stats.

Cleveland State/Loyola Live Stats (Saturday - Game One)

Cleveland State/Loyola Live Stats (Saturday - Game Two)

Cleveland State/Loyola Live Stats (Sunday - Game Three)