CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cleveland State Vikings softball team dropped a pair of games to IUPUI in a twin bill on Saturday afternoon at Viking Field, falling 6-3 before a 3-0 setback to end the day.
Aly Packish cranked a three-run homer over the left field fence in the opening game, but the blast represented the Vikings' only offense of the day.
Hanna Griffin went six innings in the series opener while Taylor Betz tossed a complete game as the Vikings' bats were unable to overcome a strong effort from the Jaguars' pitching staff.
Game One Recap - Jaguars 6, Vikings 3
Griffin was locked in over the first three innings, holding IUPUI hitless while logging a strikeout and surrendering one walk. After a Cleveland State error put runners at the corners with no outs in the fourth frame, Vikings Head Coach Amy Kyler shuffled her infield, moving all four players to new positions. The adjustment paid off as the Vikings did not commit an error the rest of the way.
The Jags took a 2-0 lead in the same inning on an RBI single and a fielder's choice on a ball hit back to the circle. The Vikings threatened with consecutive walks by Taylor Duncan and Alexa Sieger in the bottom of the fourth, but IUPUI ended the threat with a pair of strikeouts.
The Vikings nearly broke through in the fifth when Jenna Deang singled and stole second before Sydney Bajusz doubled to right center, advancing Deang to third to put a pair of runners in scoring position with only one out. Jaguars starter Lexi Lucas, who went the distance, forced a foulout before a flyout to centerfield prevented any potential Cleveland State runs.
Griffin cruised through the fifth and sixth innings with only one baserunner but ran into trouble in the seventh, allowing a two-run single for a 4-0 IUPUI lead, prompting Kyler to insert Torrie Jenkins in relief. The Jaguars added two more runs on a pair of ground balls before the Vikings were able to retreat to their dugout down 6-0.
After the Vikings' first two batters reached in the bottom of the seventh, Aly Packish launched her three-run bomb to left to cut the deficit in half at 6-3. Duncan and Sieger kept Cleveland State's hopes alive with back-to-back two-out singles to put the tying run at the plate, but Lucas escaped from the jam with a game-ending pop up.
Griffin allowed six runs (four earned) on seven hits while striking out a pair during her six innings of work. Jenkins surrendered only one hit and was not charged with any runs during her inning of relief.
Packish went 2-4 with a home run and three RBI while Duncan notched a 2-2 clip while drawing a pair of walks. Both teams recorded eight total hits.
Game Two Recap - Jaguars 3, Vikings 0
Betz overcame nine walks to throw her third complete game of the year, holding IUPUI to only one earned run on three hits while striking out a season-high seven batters.
IUPUI drew four walks in the fourth inning to take a 1-0 lead before scoring a pair of insurance runs on an RBI double and a wild pitch in the sixth.
Valeri Broschk made her second start of the season at third base and played well, recording three assists and a putout en route to a perfect fielding percentage.
UP NEXT
The Vikings and Jaguars finish their four-game series tomorrow afternoon from Viking Field. First pitch is set for 12 p.m. and both games will be broadcast on ESPN+.
