CSU/Manhattan Box Score

CSU/Fairleigh Dickinson Box Score

Contact: Tim Ertle

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KISSIMMEE, Fla. - The Viking offense pounded out 20 hits in a split of two games on Wednesday (March 14) at the Rebel Spring Games in Kissimmee, Fla. Cleveland State knocked off Manhattan, 10-6, before falling to Fairleigh Dickinson, 6-3, in nine innings.

Cleveland State is now 5-17 overall.

Dara Toman clubbed a pair of homers in the first game to finish 2-for-2 with three RBI and three runs scored.

Each of the first six hitters in the lineup - Alicia Nichols, Megan Bashak, Andrea Nagy, Toman, Cynthia Woodard and Caila Ferro - had two hits in support of starting pitcher Sara Shields.

She worked five innings and allowed five runs but picked up the victory in CSU's third straight win to improve to 4-2. Bashak worked the final two innings and allowed just one run to earn her first save of the year. 

CSU fell behind 3-0 after the second but responded with a five-run third. Shields singled and after the next two batters were retired, the Vikings made magic with two outs.

Bashak singled to advance Shields and then the CSU pitcher came around to score on a Nagy double. Toman walked and then Woodard singled to drive in Bashak and Nagy to make it a 3-2 game.

Ferro kept things going with a two-out single that brought in Toman and Woodard.

The Jaspers evened things up at 5-5 in the home half of the fourth, but CSU took back the lead in the fifth with a Toman solo blast.

She struck again with a two-run homer which was part of a four-run fourth that busted the game wide open.

Again starting with two outs, Nichols singled and stole second. Bashak drove her in with a double and then scored herself on a Nagy single.

With Nagy on first, Toman belted her seventh home run of the season to make it a 10-5 game.

Manhattan loaded the bases with nobody out in the sixth thanks to a leadoff double, walk and a hit batter. Bashak limited the damage and allowed just one run to score before retiring the side in order in the seventh.

After working the last two innings against Manhattan, Bashak came back and worked nine more in the loss to Fairleigh Dickinson.

The offense stayed hot with a two-run first to take the early lead.

Nichols singled to start the inning and Bashak bunted her over. Nagy followed with a single that brought in Nichols for the first run of the game.

Toman struck out but reached on a dropped third strike and eventually scored on another FDU error.

It stayed a 2-0 game until the Knights evened it at 2-2 in the sixth - an inning in which they had six hits and were aided by a CSU error.

FDU took the lead in the top of the seventh, but CSU sent the game into extra innings with a Nena Doran homer that knotted the game at 3-3.

With a runner placed on second to start the ninth inning, FDU easily took the lead on a single.

Bashak got the next batter to pop out, but a Caitlin Bradac homer to center field made it 6-3 in favor of the Knights.

When it came to be CSU's turn, the Vikings went in order to end the game.

Bashak took the loss to fall to 1-10 in what was her sixth complete game of the year. In 14 appearances, she has an ERA of 3.96.

The Vikings are back in action tomorrow (March 15) when they will take on Wagner - a team CSU lost to on Sunday (March 11) - at 9:00 a.m. and Howard at 11:00 a.m.