May 7, 2009
Contact: Brian McCann
NOTE: The Wright State-Loyola game on Thursday evening was postponed until Friday morning at 9 a.m. because of bad weather. Loyola was leading, 3-2 in the top of the third. The postponement means that CSU's 1:00 p.m. game moves to approximately 2:30 p.m.
PENDLETON, Ind. - Cleveland State clubbed three home runs and Amanda Macenko hurled a three-hit shutout as the Vikings routed Butler, 7-0, on the opening day of the Horizon League Softball Championship at Legends Field.
The Vikings, 32-15 on the year, advance to a second round game against the winner of Thursday night's No. 4 Loyola vs. No. 3 Wright State game.
In other championship bracket play, UIC outslugged Green Bay, 7-4.
"We didn't have a lot of hits today, but we sure made the most out of the ones we had," CSU head coach Angie Nicholson said. "Our kids were locked in at the plate and ready to hit line drives.
"We talked a lot before the game about going out and getting this championship. If we want it, we have to earn it through our good play this weekend. This was a pretty good first step."
The Vikings jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first when Amanda Houchin blasted a two-run homerun that easily cleared the 200 foot sign in left field. The blast, Houchin's seventh of the season, scored Christina Stoffer who had reached on a fielder's choice.
CSU made it 4-0 after three innings when the Vikings loaded the bases on walksth and Natalie DeMatteis stroked a two-run double off the wall in right field. It was her sixth double of the year and allowed her to drive in her 13th and 14th runs.
The Vikings used the long ball to extend their lead even further in the fifth.
Houchin singled up the middle to start things off and with two outs, Mimi Mahon blasted her first homerun of the season to right-centerfield, giving CSU a 6-0 lead.
Natalie DeMatteis finished off her perfect night by lining her first homerun of the season just inside the foul line in right field, putting the Vikings ahead, 7-0.
After allowing hits in two of Butlers first three at bats, Amanda Macenko settled down, retiring 17 of the next 19 batters she faced. Butler's Annie Dolan was the only runner to reach base, being safe on an error in the third and being hit by a pitch to lead off the sixth.
Macenko allowed her third hit of the game in the seventh as Butler loaded the bases with just one out, be she got Alyssa Coleman to pop out to second and struck out Dolan to end the game.
Macenko, who improved to 25-11 on the year, went the distance, allowing just three hits, striking out nine and walking just one. She now has 77 career wins at CSU and is one win away from equaling her own school record of 26 wins in a season set in each of the last two seasons.
"Amanda was on tonight," Nicholson said. "If she continues to throw like this, then that will be one big step towards a championship."
The Vikings had just six hits in the game, but four were for extra bases.
DeMatteis went three-for-three with a homerun, double and three RBI's while Houchin went two-for-three with a pair of RBIs.
The Vikings will continue tournament play on Friday (May 8) when CSU faces the inner of Friday night's No. 4 Loyola vs. NO.3 Wright State game at 1:00 p.m. A victory would then send CSU into a semifinal contest against top-seeded UIC at 8:00 p.m. on Friday.
