May 3, 2009
Contact: Brian McCann
VALPARAISO, Ind. -- Cleveland State banged out 13 hits and jumped on host Valparaiso for six runs in the first three innings as the Vikings completed the three-game sweep of the Crusaders and set a Horizon League record for wins in a league season with a 7-1 victory on Sunday afternoon at Valpo Softball Field.
The Vikings end the regular season on a five-game winning streak, improving to 31-15 overall and finishing in second place in the Horizon League with a 17-5 mark, one game behind regular season champion UIC (16-4).
The win was CSU's 18th in its last 21 games dating back to March 29.
"As I have said all season, when we come ready to hit the ball, we are a very difficult team to beat," CSU head coach Angie Nicholson said. "Everybody came to the field today with a business-like attitude where we wanted to take care of this game and then get home so that we can get ready for the tournament.
"We jumped on them right away and didn't let up. That allowed me to use our bench and get some players a little action in order to sharpen them up for the tournament."
"Although I am disappointed that we didn't win the league regular season title, we are not going to let that slow us down. We set a league record for the most league wins and we really only had one bad weekend since March. Last year we won the regular season title and finished second in the tournament so maybe it is time that we turn that around," Nicholson added.
After scoring nine runs with two outs in the second game yesterday, the Vikings picked right up where they left off on Sunday, adding three runs in the first inning.
Amanda Houchin started the rally by being safe on an error with two outs. Lia Gordon walked and Houchin took third on a wild pitch. Shalyn Adams laced a double to the gap in right center allowing Houchin to score and Adams to take third. Natalie DeMatteis stroked a single to left that scored Gordon and Houchin scored on a throwing error by the left fielder.
CSU added three more two-out runs in the third, the first coming when Gordon scored from second when Valpo centerfielder Karen Korb couldn't make a play on a Natalie DeMatteis fly ball, sending Dematteis to second and Adams to third. Both runners came into score on a single to left by Mimi Mahon to put CSU ahead, 6-0.
The Vikings added their final run in the fourth on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Houchin that plated Danielle Young, who had singled.
The large lead allowed Nicholson to rest starter Amanda Macenko, who threw just three innings, allowing two hits and striking out one. She gave way to Bate in the fourth, who allowed just one baserunner in two innings to pick up the win for the third time in CSU's last four games, improving to 5-3 on the year.
Kala Allred came on to pitch the final two innings for CSU, allowing a sacrifice fly by Whitney Warner in the sixth inning.
After the first three spots in the order dominated the offense on Saturday, it was the middle of the order to take over on Sunday as the quartet of Lia Gordon )(2-3, 2 runs), Adams (3-4, 2 runs, RBI), DeMatteis (2-4, RBI, run) and Mimi Mahon (2-4, 2 RBI), who batted in the fourth through seventh spots, combined to go nine-for-15 with five runs scored and four RBI.
The Vikings will not play again until opening Horizon League Championship play against the winner of No. 5 Butler vs. No. 8 Youngstown State on Thursday (May 7) at 6:00 p.m. on Pendleton, Ind. The tourney will run through the weekend with the championship game being slated for Saturday afternoon (May 9) with a possible rematch for Sunday morning (May 10).
