Highland Heights, KY-The Cleveland State softball team took two of three from Northern Kentucky as the Vikings and Norse split a doubleheader on Sunday afternoon. Cleveland State earned a comeback victory in game one 4-2 and fell in the second game 10-1 in five innings. The Vikings took game one of the series yesterday via the run rule 10-0 in five innings.
Following a five-inning no-hitter performance in yesterday's game, Melissa Holzopfel picked up right where she left off holding NKU hitless for the first three innings of the first game, starting the weekend off with eight hitless innings.
NKU finally broke through in hit column with a leadoff single in the fourth inning by Jena Rhoads. Holzopfel recorded two quick outs but back-to-back NKU doubles pushed two runs across to give the Norse a 2-0 lead.
The Viking offense came to life late in the game. A one-out single from Brooke Albaugh in the sixth gave Cleveland State a spark. Becky Hurosky then laced a ball into the right-center field gap for a two-out RBI double scoring Albaugh to make it 2-1.
In the top of the seventh, the Vikings loaded the bases on the strength of a single, a walk and a fielder's choice. Jenna Deang delivered an RBI single to left field which scored the tying run. Albaugh then lifted a fly ball to right field which was deep enough to score Sophie Spellman with the go-ahead run. An overthrow on the relay saw the ball go out of play into the Cleveland State dugout, which forced in another run as Kiera Frascone crossed the plate.
Holzopfel worked around two errors in the bottom of the seventh which put the tying runs aboard for NKU. She struck out the side to seal the victory for the Vikings. Holzopfel struck out 11 in the game, giving her 16 punch outs for the weekend. She surrendered just three walks and 82 of her 129 pitches went for strikes.
In game two the Viking offense picked up right where it left off. Meridith Rankl ripped an RBI single through the right side to score Deang and put the Vikes up 1-0.
From there it was all Northern Kentucky, as the Norse tallied six runs in the third and three in the fourth to break open a 1-1 tie and seize control of the series finale.
Cleveland State improves to 2-3 in the Horizon League and returns home this weekend for a three-game series with Detroit Mercy. Game one is scheduled for Friday, April 7th at 3:00 p.m. at Viking Field.
