April 22, 2001
The Cleveland State softball team played tough against MCC powerhouse Illinois-Chicago, but could not squeeze out a win in the twin bill. After dropping the first game, 3-1, the Vikings lost a heartbreaker in a nine-inning second game, 7-5.
In the first game both pitchers seemed to dominate until the UIC bats came alive in the fourth. After a Amanda Rivera single, Stefanie Christoferson homered to right center. It was Christoferson's fourth homerun in two days. The Ramblers added another run in the fifth on doubles by Jennifer Tiffany and Rivera.
The Vikes got their only run in the sixth as Tiffany Stocker singled and stole second. Lindsay Gervais moved her to third on a groundout and Jackie Miller drove her in on a fielder's choice.
In the second game UIC came out swinging and grabbed an early lead. In the first inning the Ramblers' Edel Leyden hit a two-run homer to center field to go up 2-0. But the Vikings charged back in the top of the second. Tiffany Nofziger singled to start the inning. Lisa Horton moved her to second base with a sacrifice bunt. Michelle Beightol followed with a single to center to put runners on the corners.
That brought up freshman Heather Hlasko, making her first plate appearance of the season. Hlasko singled to right and earned her first collegiate RBI. She also stole second before the inning ended.
In the bottom of the second UIC came back with two more runs. A hit batsman and singles by Amber Stachura, Melissa Garvey and Emily Hallman put UIC ahead, 4-1.
The Vikes came back again in the fifth with a big inning. Jackie Miller reached on an error at third base and Stephanie Taylor followed with a walk. Jessica Miller doubled to center to score one and leave two runners in scoring position. After pop-ups by Nofziger and Horton, it looked as if UIC would get out of the jam. However, a grounder from Beightol went through the legs of second baseman Emily Stoddard to score two and knot the game at four apiece.
The game was still locked at four until the ninth inning. With two out in the top of the inning Taylor doubled to right for CSU. Jessica Miller followed with a single to put runners on the corners. Nofziger came up with a big single down the left field line to score Taylor and put CSU in position to win.
Yet in the bottom of the ninth UIC refused to give in. Hallman began the inning with a single. Leyden followed with a single of her own. Rivera stepped in and took Miller's pitch deep to left center to win the game on a walk-off three-run homer.
