YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - Cleveland State opened a three-game series at Youngstown State on Friday afternoon, falling to the Penguins, 3-1 and 12-4.
In the opener, YSU scored a run in the fourth and two more in the fifth to take a 3-0 lead. The Vikings got on the board on Riley Ries' solo homer in the sixth, but it was the only run CSU could muster in game one.
Melissa Jacobsen went 2-for-3, while Mackenzie Joecken pitched all six innings, allowing three runs on five hits with seven strikeouts.
In game two, Hanna Breeden's two-run single game the Vikings a 2-0 lead in the first, but the Penguins came back with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the first to knot the contest at 1-1.
The Vikings added two more runs in the second as Aubrie Tone stole home as part of a double steal and Breeden drove in her third run of the game with a single to push the Viking lead to 4-2. However, the Penguins scored the next 10 runs to claim the win.
Breeden finished 3-for-4 with three RBI in then nightcap.
The series finale will take place on Saturday at 12:00 pm.