QUICK HITS
- Riley Ries had three hits, including a pair of doubles, to lead the CSU offense
- Hanna Griffin allowed just five hits and one run in 5.1 innings of relief
- Kelly Hysong doubled and drove in a run
- Lindsay Ward accounted for the Vikings other RBI
GAME RECAP
LYNCHBURG, Va. -- Riley Ries had three hits and scored a run, but Sacred Heart broke a 3-3 deadlock with a run in the bottom of the seventh inning to defeat Cleveland State 4-3 on Friday in the Liberty Classic at the Liberty Softball Stadium.
The Vikings were leading Quinnipiac 2-0 in the bottom of the fourth inning of their second game of the day before rain forced the game to be postponed until Saturday (March 2).
Cleveland State, which dropped to 1-8 on the season, jumped out to a 3-0 lead against the Pioneers in the first game of the tournament.
Ries led off the Vikings second inning with a double to leftfield and came around to score the first run of the game when Alyssa Rose reached on a throwing error.
Hanna Breeden followed with a single up the middle to advance Rose to third and Lindsay Ward plated the Vikings second run of the game with an RBI groundout.
Cleveland State extended the lead to 3-0 when Mackenzie Tucker singled Breeden to third and Kelly Hysong laced a double to bring home Breeden.
Sacred Heart, which improved to 3-2 on the season, answered right back by scoring three times in the bottom of the second inning to knot the score at 3-3.
The game then settled down into a pitcher's duel between CSU's Hanna Griffin and Kristen McCann, but both teams had opportunities to score.
Cleveland State loaded the bases with two outs in the third inning on a walk to Sydney Bajusz, a Ries double and a walk to Ward, but were unable to cash in on the opportunity.
The Vikings once again loaded the bases in the top of the sixth inning, this time with one out, but could not push across the go-ahead run. CSU got a walk from Ward, a single from Griffin and a walk from Tucker to load the bases, but two consecutive ground outs ended the threat.
CSU put runners on first and second with no outs in the seventh inning, but a double play grounder and a lineout ended that scoring opportunity.
Sacred Heart then ended the game in the bottom of the seventh inning when Katelyn Christian lifted a sacrifice fly to bring home Kylee Harvey with the winning run.
In the second game of the day against Quinnipiac, the Vikings were more opportunistic.
CSU took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Ward walked, advanced to second on a groundout and came in to score from second base on a wild pitch.
The Vikings extended the lead to 2-0 in the third inning. Bajusz doubled and advanced to third on a single by Ries and came across the plate when Ward reached on a throwing error.
Cleveland State is currently scheduled to meet Liberty and Robert Morris on Saturday along with completing the game against Quinnipiac.
