May 12, 2007
UIC Stats | Wright State Stats
CLEVELAND - Cleveland State is building up quite a collection of bridesmaid dresses, as the Vikings finished as the runner-up at the Horizon League Championship for the third time in the last five years. Seventh-seeeded Wright State claimed the title on Saturday afternoon at Viking Field, rallying to upend No. 2 CSU, 7-3, to complete a perfect 4-0 showing in the tournament.
Amazingly enough, the Raiders pulled off the same feat when the Vikings last hosted the tournament in 2003. Seeded eighth that year, WSU was also 4-0, defeating CSU, 7-5, in the title game.
The Vikings (33-14) jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the third, taking advantage of an error by the Raiders to plate three unearned runs. Amanda Houchin had an RBI single in the frame, while Sarah Milosek's two-out, two-run single chased starter Allison Cox.
The lead was short-lived however, as WSU (25-33) strung together four straight hits in its next at-bat to even the score at three.
The game would remain deadlocked until the eighth when CSU was let down by its defense. The first two Raider batters reached on errors and they loaded the bases on a fielder's choice on which no out was recorded. Kristen Farley then delivered the biggest hit of the game, ripping a bases-clearing double to the gap in right field. She then came in to score two batters later on a single by Erica Schroeder.
"It was tough to lose like that," CSU head coach Angie Nicholson said. "We'd battled so hard to reach the championship game and the errors ended up being our undoing. But the fact that we were even in the game says so much about the heart and talent this team possesses. Not once did they quit or think they weren't going to win."
Reliever Jamie Perkins allowed just two hits while fanning three in 5.1 innings of work to improve to 10-20 on the year.
CSU's Amanda Macenko took the loss, giving up eight hits and seven runs -- just three earned -- while striking out a pair in the complete game effort.
Christa Coppus, Lia Gordon and Macenko each earned a spot on the all-tournament team, with Coppus garnering the batting champion award after hitting .545 (12-for-22) in six games. The barrage pushed Coppus' season average to .405, allowing her to become just the third player in school history to top the .400 mark for a season.
Meanwhile, Perkins garnered both the MVP and pitching awards.
The Vikings advanced to the title game after a wild 8-7 win over UIC in the morning, their fourth consecutive victory after dropping the opening game of the tournament to Wright State.
CSU jumped on starter Sarah Clynes for three runs in the first. Coppus led off the game with a double and scored on an error and Danielle Young's two-out, two-run single capped of the solid start.
The Flames wasted no time in surging ahead, tagging Macenko for four runs in the top of the second to take a 4-3 lead. Nikki Rogers plated two of the runs with a double.
UIC added three more in the third off of reliever Christina Swierz to push its advantage to 7-3. Mallory Studzinski's two-run double was the big hit in the frame.
The Vikings answered right back with three of their own in the bottom of the third. Young drove in her third run of the game with a double, Milosek scored on an illegal pitch and Erica Remshard capped of the burst with an RBI single.
Still trailing by a run in the fifth, Haley Keller led off with a double. Remshard sacrificed pinch runner Amanda Kern to third and Coppus delivered a single to tie the game at 7-7.
After Swierz retired the flames in order, CSU pushed the winning run across in the bottom of the sixth. Milosek started the inning with a walk and Gordon moved pinch runner Tara Meyer over with a sacrifice bunt. Two batters later, Keller delivered a clutch single up the middle to score Meyer.
Swierz (5-3) earned the victory in relief, giving up five hits and three runs (one earned) in 5.0 innings.
UIC reliever Chelsea Fuemmeler fell to 3-17 after surrendering six hits and five runs in 5.0 innings of work.
