April 9, 2001
The Cleveland State softball team (9-11) beat Robert Morris, 2-1 and 5-4, to complete their second consecutive sweep of the week. It is the Vikes' fourth win in a row and a strong way to enter conference play this weekend.
CSU continued its roll with another big performance from sophomore Jessica Miller. After shutting out Niagara on Tuesday, Miller came back and went the distance in a ten-inning game at Robert Morris. She allowed just one run on six hits. Despite throwing 17 innings in the last three days, Miller saved enough to grab three RBI and hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning of the nightcap. The homerun was her first of the season, and it also gave the Vikes the 5-4 win. However, there were plenty of heroes for CSU in the doubleheader.
Junior Tiffany Stocker had a run, RBI and a spectacular catch to end the first ballgame. Stocker led off the top of the third with a single to left. She quickly stole second base, her 14th swipe of the season. Sophomore Lindsey Gervais sacrificed Stocker to third, and junior Jackie Miller ripped a single to left to put CSU ahead, 1-0.
RMU had plenty of opportunities to win the game, getting runners aboard in the third through tenth innings. But Miller battled back on the mound, allowing only an RBI double in the fifth. In the top of the tenth with the automatic runner, freshman Heather Hlasko, on second base, junior Jackie Richards grabbed a single to put runners at the corners for Stocker. Stocker pulled a bunt down the first base line and avoided the tag as Richards scored past the throw to home.
In the bottom of the tenth, RMU's Nicole Aloi sacrificed the automatic runner to third. The next batter, Lauren Dickinson, flied out to shallow center for the second out. Needing a run to stay alive, the Colonials' Nora Borger hit a deep drive to center. Stocker ran back and caught the ball just as she hit her head on the top of the fence. Falling immediately to the ground, Stocker held on for the last out and the 2-1 win. She also got up on her own and was fine.
In the second game the Colonials got off to an early lead thanks to a two-run homer by Dana Knapp in the first inning. But two big innings from CSU proved to be too much for Robert Morris. In the third Stocker again led off with a single and a stolen base. She moved to third on an error by the center fielder after the steal. Stocker would score on a subsequent wild pitch. The Vikes took advantage of another Colonial error as senior Tiffany Nofziger reached second after an errant throw from third base. Junior Jackie Miller singled and stole second to put two runners in scoring position. Jessica Miller earned one of her three RBI on a sacrifice that scored Nofziger. Sophomore Stephanie Taylor singled to drive in Jackie Miller.
After RMU took the lead back in the fourth inning, sophomore Lindsay Gervais got aboard in the fifth off a walk. Two batters later Jessica Miller drove her homer over the left-center fence. The shot put the Vikings ahead to stay, 5-4.
