Box Score

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CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Vikings were never able to solve Valparaiso starter Alex Lagesse in Friday's (May 4) series opener, a game Cleveland State lost 7-0.

The Vikings head into tomorrow's regular season finale with a 17-37 overall record and 9-13 mark in Horizon League play. Valparaiso - who clinched the Horizon League regular season title with the victory - improved to 35-16 and 17-5 in the league.

Cleveland State needs to win both games on Saturday in addition to a Youngstown State sweep of Green Bay to have a chance of qualifying for the six-team Horizon League Championships. Meanwhile, Wright State (9-12) heads to Chicago for a three-game series with UIC and figures into the equation as well.

Valpo center fielder Sara Strickland got the scoring started in the third when she hit her first home run of the season, taking aMegan Bashak pitch over the fence in right. The Crusaders tacked on another tally in the frame when Brittany Duncan singled home Angie Doerffler.

The game was decided in the fifth when Valpo pushed four runs across. The Crusaders were aided by a Viking error that resulted in all four runs being unearned. The big blow in that inning was a two-run triple by third baseman Joylynn Ichiyama-Drewry.

After Bashak allowed six runs - only two of which were earned - Sara Shields entered in the sixth and allowed one run while recording the final six outs. 

The Vikings managed just five hits off Lagesse, who improved to 17-8. She didn't walk a batter and had four strikeouts.

Dara Toman - who was hit by a pitch and doubled - was the only Viking to reach twice. By doing so, she extended her streak of reaching safely to 34 consecutive games.

Andrea Nagy, Shields, Hannah Yoe and Salena Kauffman all singled.

The regular season concludes with a doubleheader tomorrow (May 5) that begins at 12:00 p.m. The games will be covered with free live stats (Game One / Game Two) and free Webcasts will also be available on the Horizon League Network.

The Cleveland State seniors will be honored in a pre-game ceremony prior to game one as part of 'Senior Day'.