QUICK HITS
- Kelly Hysong homered and scored two runs
- Lindsay Ward and Alyssa Rose drove in runs for the Vikings
- Cleveland State had eight hits
- The Vikings scored single runs in the first, third and fourth innings
- Hanna Griffin started and pitched 4.0 innings for CSU
GAME RECAP
GREENVILLE, N.C. -- Kelly Hysong homered and scored two runs, but Cleveland State fell to Saint Francis (Pa.) 9-3 in its final game of the Pirate Clash on Sunday at the ECU Softball Field.
Hysong finished with two hits, while Aly Packish, Lindsay Ward, Sydney Bajusz, Abby Tolstyka, Hanna Griffin and Alyssa Rose also had hits for CSU. Ward and Rose accounted for the Vikings other RBI on the day.
Hanna Griffin started for Cleveland State and worked 4.0 innings, while Alicia Major pitched the final three innings in relief.
Cleveland State, which dropped to 1-3 on the season, struck first when Hysong led off the bottom of the first inning with her first homer of the season to left giving the Vikings an early 1-0 lead.
Saint Francis, which improved to 5-4 on the year, took the lead for good in the top of the third inning by scoring three runs.
Cleveland State bounced back to answer with a run in the bottom of the third inning. Hysong doubled to right with one out and came around to score when Ward followed with a double to right centerfield cutting the Red Flash lead to 3-2.
After Saint Francis tacked on two more runs in the top of the fourth inning, CSU responded with a run in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Bajusz doubled to right to lead off the inning and advanced to third on a fly out by Griffing. She crossed the plate with the Vikings third run of the game when Rose singled up the middle bringing CSU to within 5-3.
Saint Francis secured the victory by scoring single runs in the fifth and sixth innings and scoring two times in the seventh inning.
Cleveland State will return to action on Feb. 22-24 at the Hilltopper Classic at Western Kentucky. The Vikings will face Indiana State, Western Kentucky and Butler in the three-day tournament.