May 13, 2011
Contact: Brian McCann
CHICAGO, Ill - KC Boldt's solo home run to lead off the sixth inning proved to be the difference as Valparaiso rallied past Cleveland State, 2-1, on Friday morning at the Loyola Softball Park.
The loss eliminates CSU from the tourney and the Vikings end the year with a 29-21 record. Valpo (34-20-1) advances to face the loser of Friday's No. 3 Butler vs. No. 5 UIC game at 5:00 p.m. today.
"This is a tough loss to take," CSU head coach Angie Nicholson said. "We had a couple of calls go against us that definitely hurt but we battled to the end but just couldn't string together some hits.
"We got things going in the first inning with two outs and even though we pushed a run across, we weren't able to come up with the big hit that could have broke the game open. That meant we had to battle and the first time we made a mistake, it cost us.
"This was another good season for the Vikings. Even though we had to battle poor weather for the entire spring, we played together as a team and we represented CSU well. I will miss our five seniors because of all they have done for the program, but I think good things continue to lie ahead for CSU.
Playing as the home team in the game, the Vikings took a 1-0 lead in the first. With two outs, Tess Sito beat out an infield single and Dara Toman walked. Andrea Nagy followed with a ground ball to the left side that Valpo shortstop Angie Doerffler fielded cleanly but with the speedy Sito headed for third, rushed her throw and threw it wildly allowing Sito to score.
Boldt keyed the Valpo rally in the fourth. After Sarah Strickland was safe on an error, Boldt lashed a double just inside the line at third to put runners at second and third with no out. Sito got Jordan Rutkowski to strike out swinging and Sadie Conner followed with a grounder to short that Nagy fielded cleanly, looked the runner back at third and then threw across to first. Strickland broke for home on the throw and Katelyn Ciminelli's throw to the plate was on the money with Amy Powell making the tag for the out. Plate umpire Michael Mazur however ruled the runner safe, ruling Powell guilty of obstruction.
Sito was able to pitch her way out of the jam, but the Viking offense struggled after the first as Valpo starter Alex Lagesse (13-12) retired 17 of the next 18 Vikings, including 14 straight, before Ciminelli singled with two outs in the seventh. She gave up one unearned run on three hits, striking out three and walking a pair in seven innings.
Sito was the loser, giving up two runs (one earned) on five hits, striking out 10 and walking one.
