Photo: Rachel Von

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Cleveland State Vikings softball team split a doubleheader against Purdue Fort Wayne on Saturday in a pair of high-scoring affairs. The Vikings fell 8-5 in the opener before leading by as many as eight runs in a 10-7 victory to close the weekend.

Game One – Mastodons 8, Vikings 5
A trio of Purdue Fort Wayne homers, including a grand slam and a three-run blast, downed the Vikings in the first contest.

The Mastodons loaded the bases in the second inning with a pair of walks and a single before pulling ahead 4-0 when Madeline Swart sent a ball over the right field fence.

The Vikes plated their first run in the third frame with some two-out work by the top of the order. Sydney Bajusz drew a walk before Aly Packish reached home on an error by the third baseman and Gabby Shackelford smacked a single to right field.

Cleanup hitter Taylor Duncan drew a bases-loaded walk before Packish came around to score on a passed ball, bringing the Vikings back within a pair at 4-2.

The Mastodons responded with back-to-back home runs in the fourth to go up 8-1.

Cleveland State plated another run in the fifth inning after Bajusz drilled a leadoff double to left field before coming around to score on an RBI groundout off the bat of Shackelford.

In the seventh frame, a Mackenzie Tucker single paired with a walk by Bajusz led to a two-run single to left field by Duncan. The Vikings threatened with the tying run at the plate, but the Mastodons held on for an 8-5 win.

Duncan paced the Vikes with three RBI and a walk while Bajusz had a productive outing, going 1-2 with three runs scored and a pair of walks.

In the circle, Taylor Betz tossed the final two innings and held Purdue Fort Wayne without a run while surrendering just one hit and recording a pair of strikeouts.

Game Two – Vikings 10, Mastodons 7
Cleveland State's offense exploded for 10 runs on 11 hits to close the series and clinch a split on the weekend.

Making her second start against the Mastodons' lineup in as many days, Hanna Griffin spun a complete game, allowing three earned runs on eight hits with a strikeout to pick up her fourth win.

After Purdue Fort Wayne opened the scoring on a first-inning error, the Vikes got on the board in the second frame thanks to consecutive doubles by Torrie Jenkins and Courtney Fernette. After Kiera Frascone reached on an error, Bajusz sent a three-run blast over the left field fence for a 4-1 Vikings lead.

Cleveland State did it again in the third inning, starting with back-to-back singles by Duncan and Alexa Sieger before Jenkins cranked one deep to left field for a three-run homer, making it 7-1 Vikes.

In the following frame, the Vikings' bats stayed hot. Frascone recorded a leadoff single before advancing on a wild pitch and coming around to score on Bajusz's RBI double.

Bajusz moved to third on a groundout before scoring the Vikings' ninth run of the ballgame on an RBI groundout to second base from Shackelford.

Purdue Fort Wayne plated two runs in the fifth thanks to a solo home run and an RBI single, but Fernette drove in another in the top of the seventh for some additional insurance, putting Cleveland State ahead 10-3.

The Mastodons hit a pair of home runs during a four-run seventh inning, but the Vikings held on for the 10-7 victory.

Bajusz had a monster game, going 3-4 with four RBI, a double, a homer and a pair of runs scored. Jenkins nearly matched her, collecting three hits, including a double and a long bomb, with two runs scored while driving in three

Fernette also had a multi-hit performance with a 2-4 clip at the dish to go with a pair of RBI and a double.

UP NEXT
The Vikings will play on their home turf for the first time in over a month when they host IUPUI in a four-game #HLSB matchup on March 19-20.

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