VALPRAISO, Ind. - Cleveland State scored two runs in the top of the seventh to take a one run lead, but Valparaiso tied the game in the seventh and scored the game-winning run with two outs in the eighth to defeat the Vikings, 7-6, in the series finale on Sunday afternoon.
CSU slipped to 18-13 overall and 2-3 in the Horizon League, while Valpo improved to 15-24 overall and 7-3 in the league.
The Vikings jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second inning as Susan Knight, Nena Doran and Sara Shields delivered consecutive RBI doubles. However, the Crusaders came right back in the bottom half of the inning with a pair of runs on a two run homer to slice the CSU lead to 3-2.
CSU extended the lead to 4-2 in the fourth as Alyson Broschk led off with a double and pinch runner Alisha Silva came in to score on Knight's sacrifice foul out to rightfield.
It remained that way until the fifth when Valpo tied the game with two runs and the Crusaders would take their first lead of the game in the sixth on a Raineri single.
But the Vikings would not go quietly, loading the bases with one out in the seventh and Sydney Morgan would draw a walk to bring in the tying run. Katelind Phillips followed with an infield single to bring in Cynthia Woodard, but the Crusaders came back with a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh to send the game into extra innings where they won it with a two-out RBI single.
Woodard, Erica McNew and Doran all had two hits, while Knight drove in two runs.
The Vikings are slated to return to action on Monday (April 14) afternoon when CSU hosts UIC at 12:00 p.m. at Viking Field in a doubleheader. The games are make-up contests from games that were postponed in March due to inclement weather.