CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cleveland State softball team once again hits the road this weekend to play five games in the Belmont Tournament from Friday through Sunday (Feb. 23-25).
CSU opens play against host Belmont on Friday at 4:30 pm and will play Fort Wayne at 11:00 am and North Dakota at 2:30 pm on Saturday. The Vikings conclude the tournament on Sunday with a 10:00 am game at Tennessee State and a 12:15 contest vs. North Dakota.
The Vikings are 7-2 this year and have won seven straight games, including a perfect 4-0 mark at the North Carolina A&T Tournament last weekend with two wins over Maryland-Eastern Shore and victories over Howard and host NC A&T.
Junior Riley Ries was tabbed the Horizon League Player of the Week for her performance at NC A&T, while senior Mackenzie Joecken was named the Horizon League Pitcher of the Week.
Ries hit .667 (6-9) with two runs, a double and a homer in four games and drove in seven runs, while recording a 1.111 slugging percentage. She had a hit in every game, including a 3-for-4 performance with two runs and four RBI in a win over host NC A&T. Joecken went 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA in nine innings of work at the NC A&T Aggie Invitational. Joecken worked the final two innings of Friday's win over Howard and did not allow a run or a hit, while striking out four. In Sunday's 2-0 win over Maryland-Eastern Shore, Joecken pitched a complete game, allowing just three hits and striking out 10. She did not allow a runner past second base all game and improved to 4-0 this year.
Junior Macy Kaisk leads the Vikings at the plate this year, hitting .455 with four runs, three doubles two homers and seven RBI, while Ries is hitting .429 with four runs, three doubles, two home runs and a Horizon League leading 12 RBI.
The duo is also tied for the League lead in doubles, while Kaisk's 10 hits are tied for the League lead.
Senior Mel Woodard is hitting .429 this year with four runs, a double and three runs batted in, while Kait Gairing is batting .364 with six runs - second most in the League, three doubles and two home runs.
Gairing, Ries and Kaisk are three of the five players in the League who have a pair of home runs this season as CSU's .288 team batting average is second best in the Horizon League.
The Viking pitching staff leads the League with seven victories this year as four different pitchers have recorded a win and two players have saves.
Joecken is 4-0 with a 2.00 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 14 innings of work. She is tops in the Horizon League in wins and strikeouts and ranks fourth in ERA, giving up just four runs this season.
Kristen Catalano has been strong in a relief role, pitching 8.2 innings in five appearances and going 1-0 with a 1.62 ERA, while Kaisk and Hannah Breeden have also won games this year and Alicia Major and Breeden have saves.
Following the Belmont Tounament, CSU is back in action at the Bulldog Classic in Frenso, Calif., from March 9-11.
