CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cleveland State softball team is slated to play five games this week, starting with a doubleheader at Kent State on Tuesday (April 14) at 3:00 p.m.
The Vikings will also host their Horizon League home opening series this weekend, welcoming Valparaiso to town for three games. The series opener is slated for Friday (April 17) at 3:00 p.m. with a doubleheader scheduled for Saturday (April 18) at 1:00 p.m.
CSU enters the week with a 19-14 overall record and is in sixth place in the Horizon League at 4-5, one game behind Green Bay and Youngstown State in the loss column as both teams are 5-6.
Kent State is 26-9 this year, while Valparaiso is 9-27 overall and 3-8 in the Horizon League.
The Vikings won two of three at Youngstown State over the weekend, taking the series opener, 10-7, and winning the series finale, 2-1, as Cynthia Woodard hit a first inning homer and Susan Knight hit a game-winning homer in the sixth.
In the opener, Mackenzie Joecken drilled a three-run homer in the seventh to lift CSU to the win.
CSU's offense has been potent all year and leads the league in batting average (.308), runs scored (175), total bases (468), slugging percentage (.546), home runs (50) and RBI (160).
The Vikings are 21st in the nation in slugging percentage.
Cynthia Woodard is in the midst of one of the most prolific offensive seasons in school history, leading the Horizon League in batting average (.467), home runs (17) and RBI (36) as she chases a Triple Crown. Woodard's 17 homers are third all-time in CSU history and just three shy of breaking Dara Toman's record of 19 home runs in 2012. She ranks third in the nation in homers per game (0.52), sixth in slugging percentage and 22nd in batting average.
Erica McNew (2013) and Tess Sito (2010) had 18 homer seasons.
Over the last 10 games, Woodard is hitting .611 (22-36) with seven doubles, six homers and 15 RBI.
McNew is once again having a strong offensive season, hitting .440 with nine homers and 31 RBI, while Nena Doran is batting .385 with 10 homers and 17 runs batted in as CSU's leadoff hitter.
Knight has put together a strong season at the plate and in the circle, hitting .342 with 22 runs, two doubles, two triples, three homers and 11 RBI. As a pitcher, Knight is 9-5 with a 2.73 ERA, four complete games and two shutouts. She has struck out 52 and opponents are hitting just .264 against her.
Alex Radjen has complimented Knight in the circle, going 7-5 with a 3.68 ERA and leads the league with 82 strikeouts. Radjen also has two saves and has twirled eight complete games.
The Viking pitching staff leads the Horizon League with 166 batters struck out and is second with a 3.45 ERA.
CSU is back in action for five games next week, starting with a doubleheader at St. Francis (Pa.) on Tuesday (April 21) at 3:00 p.m. The Vikings will also host Oakland for a three-game Horizon League series next weekend, playing a single game on Friday (April 24) at 4:00 p.m. and a doubleheader on Saturday (April 25) at 1:00 p.m.
Oakland is currently leading the league standings with a 9-2 record, one game ahead of UIC and Wright State who are both 8-3.
