Box Score

Contact: Tim Ertle

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COLUMBIA, S.C. - Dara Toman's school record 27th career home run on Saturday (Feb. 11) provided CSU an early cushion but poor defense did the Vikings in as they fell to Tennessee State, 5-3, in CSU's third game of the Palmetto Classic, hosted by the University of South Carolina.

Toman's solo blast in the second inning pushed her ahead of Lia Gordon, who belted 26 homers during her playing career that lasted from 2007-10.

The Vikings are now 0-3 overall while Tennessee State jumps to 2-0.

Both starting pitchers - Megan Bashak for Cleveland State and Tennessee State's Olivia Gamache - struck out the side in the first inning,

Bashak, not known as a strikeout pitcher, had two on with one out in the first inning but didn't allow the next two hitters to put the ball in play to escape unblemished in the first inning.

Gamache sat down the first three CSU hitters of the evening before Toman took her deep to lead off the second and give CSU a 1-0 lead.

The Vikings took that lead into the fourth inning when two errors behind Bashak helped the Tigers hang five runs on the board. The leadoff hitter in the inning, Jordan Rehl, worked a walk and moved to third on an infield error that put runners on second and third with nobody out.

A walk ultimately loaded the bases and Bashak struck out the next hitter, but a two-run double by Brittany Davis gave Tennessee State a lead they never relinquished. 

A dropped ball in center field resulted in two more unearned runs in the fifth as Bashak was charged with just one earned run in the frame.

CSU cut into the lead in the home half of the fifth inning when Bashak got things started with a two out walk. Alicia Nicholsmoved her up a base when she singled to left field, and a Nena Doran single through the left side plated Bashak.

The Vikings threatened in the sixth when Toman walked to start the inning and moved up two bases on a double to left field byCaila Ferro.

Shea Morris replaced Gamache in the circle with two on and nobody out and got Cynthia Woodard to fly to center. Toman tried to tag and score from third but was thrown out at home to complete the 8-2 double play.

Ferro later came around to score on an Andrea Nagy single to make it a 5-3 game and she moved up a station when Gabby Gillilan singled through the left side to bring Bashak to the plate representing the tying run.

She grounded out to the pitcher to end the sixth.

The top of the lineup came up in the seventh but went one-two-three to end the game.

Bashak, who went the distance in yesterday's opener with Western Kentucky, was charged with the loss to fall to 0-2. She completed her second start in as many tries, allowing five runs with only one of them earned. She allowed eight hits and walked three while striking out a career-high seven.

Bashak's ERA now sits at 2.00 and she has 10 strikeouts in 14 innings after striking out 17 hitters all of last season.

Gamache earned the win to start the year 1-0. Morris, the winner in yesterday's game with South Carolina, was credited with her first save of the season.

The Vikings will finish the Palmetto Classic tomorrow when they battle the host Gamecocks at 12:30 p.m.