Cleveland State at UIC
Friday, April 16 | 2:00 p.m. | 4:00 p.m.
Flames Field | Chicago, Ill.
2:00 p.m. | Watch | Live Stats
4:00 p.m. | Watch | Live Stats
Cleveland State at UIC
Saturday, April 17 | 2:00 p.m. | 4:00 p.m.
Flames Field | Chicago, Ill.
2:00 p.m. | Watch | Live Stats
4:00 p.m. | Watch | Live Stats
SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State Vikings softball team wraps up a stretch of 10 straight games against the current top three teams in the #HLSB standings with this weekend's four-game road matchup in Chicago against UIC. The Vikings (9-23, 4-16) are looking to snap an eight-game skid after being swept against Oakland last weekend. The Vikes came up short 4-1 in the series opener, taking an early lead on Kaelin Ettinger's RBI single before the Golden Grizzlies responded with four runs in the third frame. Taylor Betz tossed a pair of complete games in the series while Hanna Griffin went the distance in the opening contest.
SCOUTING UIC
The third-place Flames (15-7, 18-14) strung together six consecutive victories before splitting a pair of doubleheaders on the road against Robert Morris last week in series that featured three games decided by a single run. Kayla Wedl is hitting .422 on the campaign, second-best in the Horizon League, and leads UIC in RBI (29), doubles (13), triples (five) and homers (eight). Christina Toniolo has tossed 90.2 innings, compiling a 4.67 ERA to go with a 9-4 record and 50 strikeouts.
AGAINST THIS OPPONENT
Since the head-to-head series began in 1987, Cleveland State has posted an 25-56 mark against UIC. The Flames have had the upper hand as of late and swept the most recent series between the two programs, a three-game set in Chicago on March 22-23, 2019. The Vikings' most recent win came in an eight-inning affair that saw Cleveland State pull out a 9-8 victory on April 1, 2016.
DON'T RUN ON COURTNEY
Senior backstop Courtney Fernette had big weekend behind the plate against Oakland, gunning down four would-be base-stealers. In the final contest of the weekend, Fernette threw out a pair of runners in the opening inning, becoming the ninth Viking with multiple caught stealings in a game and the first since Riley Ries accomplished the feat on March 16, 2019. The performance made her the #HLSB leader with eight runners caught stealing on the campaign. Fernette has also been heating up at the plate, recording at least one hit in four straight games and 10 of her last 12 overall.
BAJUSZ'S BREAKOUT YEAR
Senior outfielder Sydney Bajusz has emerged as the best hitter in the Vikings' lineup while posting career bests in nearly every category. The Illinois native is slashing .314/.381/.598 while driving in 20 runs and totaling 16 extra-base hits, including her first-ever triple. Bajusz ranks among the top five in the Horizon League in runs scored (23), hits (32), doubles (nine) and homers (six).
BOMBS AWAY
The Vikings are tied for third in the conference with 20 homers on the season. Sydney Bajusz and Torrie Jenkins have combined for over half of Cleveland State's blasts while Aly Packish has four. Gabby Shackelford has also homered twice while freshman Alexa Sieger and junior Mackenzie Tucker have hit their first career bombs this season.
HIT THE ROAD
The Vikings are in the midst of a stretch in which 12 of 16 games are on the road which will culminate in a four-game series at Youngstown State to close the month of April. Cleveland State's regular season will wrap up on May 7-8 with a pair of doubleheaders against Robert Morris at Viking Field.
RISING IN THE HORIZON OVERALL – IN THE CIRCLE
Hanna Griffin ranks within the top 10 in the league in innings pitched (72.2) while Taylor Betz is eighth with 55 strikeouts. Jenna Watts and Torrie Jenkins are two of nine #HLSB pitchers to record at least one save.
HORIZON LEAGUE WEEKLY AWARDS
Hanna Griffin and Taylor Duncan were named Horizon League Pitcher and Player of the Week, respectively, on Feb. 23 , giving the Vikings four individual #HLSB honors through two weeks of action. In doubleheaders against Charleston Southern and College of Charleston, Griffin tossed back-to-back complete games, including a shutout, while Duncan hit at a 6-12 (.500) clip at the plate with a pair of doubles and three RBI. Griffin and Duncan joined Bajusz and Betz as Vikings with 2021 Horizon League weekly awards.
