Softball Hosts Green Bay in Four-Game Series Athletics

Posted: Apr 22, 2021

SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State Vikings softball team returns from an eight-game road trip looking to halt a lengthy losing skid as they play host to Green Bay. The Vikings (9-27, 4-20) have been tasked with some tough opponents as of late, taking on each of the top three teams in the Horizon League standings in consecutive series. Last weekened against UIC, Cleveland State sandwiched a pair of close losses around two blowout defeats in a four-game set in Chicago. Friday's series opener saw the Vikes pull within 3-1 on Courtney Fernette's RBI single in the sixth before the Flames put the game away with a homer in the bottom of the frame. The Vikes jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning of the fourth and final contest of the weekend on back-to-back RBI singles by Becky Hurosky and Torrie Jenkins, but UIC tacked on runs in the third and fourth frames to claim a 4-2 win and finish out the sweep. Taylor Betz tossed six strong frames in the circle in her seventh complete game of the campaign, allowing four runs on six hits while striking out six.

SCOUTING GREEN BAY
The Phoenix (17-15, 12-12) are coming off a two-week hiatus after last weekend's scheduled four-game series against Detroit Mercy was canceled due to COVID issues within the Titans' program. In its most recent action on April 9-10, Green Bay dropped three of four against Youngstown State but came within three runs or less in each loss and logged an impressive 6-5 upset in extra innings in the second contest of the weekend. Tiffany Giese leads a group of five Green Bay hitters batting at least .300, sporting a .360 average to go along with 12 RBI and five extra-base hits. Brittany Baneck's 2.77 ERA leads the Phoenix and ranks eighth in the Horizon League. Baneck has posted a 7-2 record to go with 44 strikeouts and 30 walks over 12 appearances and has gone the distance in six of 10 starts, including a pair of complete-game shutouts.

AGAINST THIS OPPONENT
The all-time head-to-head battle between Cleveland State and Green Bay is knotted at 39-39, but the Vikings own an active three-game win streak and have recorded victories in four of the last five meetings overall. In the most recent series in 2019, Cleveland State logged three consecutive one-run wins in a series that saw Hanna Griffin pick up a pair of "W's" to improve to 6-9 on the campaign.

HEATING UP
Sophomore Becky Hurosky is working her way back into the lineup after a slow start to #HLSB play. The infielder notched a 3-5 clip at the plate in a doubleheader at UIC on Saturday, driving in the game's opening run with a single through the right side before doubling to deep left center in the sixth inning, marking her second extra-base knock against Horizon League foes. Junior Mackenzie Tucker's hot bat has also moved her back into the thick of things in Cleveland State's outfield. The left-handed hitter leads the Vikings with a .296 average in conference play and went 5-10 (.500) with a double during a three-game stretch from April 10-16. Tucker, who launched her first career homer over the fence in center field against Northern Kentucky on March 27, appears to be rounding back into form following a breakout sophomore year that saw her compile a team-best .409 average at the plate.

DON'T RUN ON COURTNEY
Senior backstop Courtney Fernette had a big weekend behind the plate against Oakland on April 9-10, 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 current #HLSB leader with eight runners caught stealing on the campaign.

BAJUSZ'S BREAKOUT YEAR
Senior outfielder Sydney Bajusz has emerged as the top hitter in the Vikings' lineup while posting career bests in nearly every category. The Illinois native is slashing .297/.361/.559 while driving in 20 runs and totaling 16 extra-base hits, including her first-ever triple. Bajusz ranks among the top 10 in the Horizon League in runs scored (23), hits (33), doubles (nine) and homers (six).

BOMBS AWAY
The Vikings are tied for fourth 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.

HOME SWEET HOME
Following an eight-game road swing, the Vikes play eight of their final 12 contests at home, including this week's matchup against Green Bay in addition to a four-gamer with Robert Morris on May 7-8 to close the season.

RISING IN THE HORIZON OVERALL – IN THE CIRCLE
Hanna Griffin ranks within the top 10 in the league in innings pitched (79.0) while Taylor Betz is tied for sixth with 65 strikeouts.

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.

The Official Home of the Cleveland State University Vikings

Softball

Softball Hosts Green Bay in Four-Game Series

#GoVikes