CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cleveland State softball team dropped a pair of games to Valparaiso on Saturday afternoon at Viking Field, dropping the opener, 7-4, and falling in the finale, 7-6, in 10 innings.
The Vikings are now 20-18 overall this year and 5-7 in the Horizon League, while the Crusaders improved to 11-30 overall and 5-9 in the league.
Mackenzie Joecken went 6-for-8 in the twinbill with two runs, a double, two homers and five RBI to lead the CSU offense. Cynthia Woodard hit her league-leading 19th home run in game two, tying the CSU single season record (Dara Toman, 2012). Erica McNew went 3-for-5 with two runs and an RBI in the nightcap.
Valpo used a pair of CSU errors in the top of the first inning in game one to take an early 2-0 lead. It stayed that way until the fourth when Alyson Broschk and Joecken delivered back-to-back RBI singles to tie the contest at 2-2.
After the Crusaders took a 3-2 lead with a run in the sixth, Woodard answered with a leadoff homer in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game at 3-3. McNew followed with a walk and pinch runner Emma Nicholas moved to second on a flyout from Broschk. Joecken the roped an RBI double to right center to give the Vikings a 4-3 lead.
However, Valpo answered with four runs in the seventh to take a 7-4 lead and claim the first game.
Valpo took a 1-0 lead in game two on an RBI triple from Taylor Nader, but the Vikings responded in the second with a two-run homer from Joecken.
After the Crusaders tied the contest at 2-2 with a run in the fourth, the Vikings used solo homers from McNew and Joecken in the fourth to regain a 4-2 lead.
Valpo erupted for four runs in the sixth to take a 6-4 lead, but Woodard drilled a two-run homer to leftfield - her 19th of the season - to tie the contest at 6-6 in the seventh inning.
The Vikings almost won it in regulation, getting runners to second and third with two outs. Hannah Yoe sent a hard grounder to second base that Valpo's Jorgi Calombaris bobbled. She recovered just in time to throw out Yoe on a close, bang-bang play at first base for the third out of the inning.
Neither team would score in the eighth or ninth innings, but the Vikings had the best chance when Joecken sent a single up the middle in the ninth. However, Taylor Lawson's throw to the plate beat McNew who was tagged out.
Stephanie Moreno delivered a one out single in the top of the 10th the proved to be the game-winning run.
The Vikings are slated to be back in action on Tuesday (April 21) when CSU travels to St. Francis (Pa.) for a doubleheader. Game one is scheduled to begin at 3:00 p.m.
