CLEVELAND – The Cleveland State softball program remains atop the Horizon League standings after the Vikings split their opening home doubleheader against visiting Purdue Fort Wayne at Vikings Field on Friday.
CSU now sits at 4-1 in conference play, one of its best Horizon League starts in program history.
GAME ONE - THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Cleveland State – 4, Purdue Fort Wayne – 3 (nine innings)
LOCATION: Vikings Field – Cleveland, Ohio
RECORDS: Cleveland State 8-14 (4-0 Horizon), Purdue Fort Wayne 3-15 (2-1 Horizon)
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Melissa Holzopfel continued her stellar start to the season as the freshman went the distance (her eighth complete game of the year) with nine strong innings. She allowed just four hits and recorded nine strikeouts on the contest.
- Sydney Bajusz helped lead the Vikings offense as she went 3-of-4 with a run score.
- Alexa Sieger chipped in two big RBI with a 1-for-4 outing.
- Jenna Deang also had a big contest with a 2-for-5 game at the plate to go with a RBI and a run scored.
- Holzopfel helped herself at the dish with a 1-for-4 opener that included a RBI.
- With the victory, CSU has now won their first four games of Horizon League play.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Vikings and Mastodons were locked into a pitcher's duel through the first 3.5 innings of the game as neither side could get much going.
- Things changed in the bottom of the fourth as CSU exploded for three runs off a RBI-double by Holzopfel and a two-RBI double by Sieger to jump ahead 3-0.
- Purdue Fort Wayne wasn't able to respond until the top of the sixth, but did so in a big way as a three-run shot tied the game at 3-3.
- Both sides were then shut out again over the next four innings in total before CSU sealed things in the bottom of the ninth.
- Deang doubled to deep left field to score Bajusz as the Vikings walked off 4-3 winners of the opening game of the series.
GAME TWO - THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Cleveland State – 3, Purdue Fort Wayne – 11 (seven innings)
LOCATION: Vikings Field – Cleveland, Ohio
RECORDS: Cleveland State 8-15 (4-1 Horizon), Purdue Fort Wayne 4-15 (3-1 Horizon)
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Six different Vikings recorded hits in the second half of the doubleheader.
- Kaelin Ettinger (1-for-2, 2 RBI) and Aly Packish (1-for-3, RBI) led the offensive attack for the Vikings.
- Jenna Deang (1-for-3, R), Becky Hurosky (1-for-3, R), Taylor Duncan (1-of-3, R) and Kiera Frascone (1-for-1) also added hits for the Vikes.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Purdue Fort Wayne got off to a quick start with a run in the top of the first inning.
- Cleveland State responded with two runs of its own off a two-RBI single by Ettinger in the bottom of the second to jump ahead 2-1.
- The Mastodons answered right back with two more runs in the top of the third to retake a 3-2 advantage.
- Purdue Fort Wayne got an additional run in the top of the fifth and another in the top of the six to push ahead 5-2.
- CSU worked itself back in the game with a single run in the bottom half of the sixth to get the contest back to 5-3.
- The wheels fell off for the Vikings in the top of the seventh as the Mastodons were able to push six runs across the plate to seal the 11-3 victory.
NEXT UP
CSU and Purdue Fort Wayne will finish the series with a final game on Sunday, March 20. First pitch is set for 2 PM at Viking Field.
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