YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - The Cleveland State Vikings softball team dropped a doubleheader against Youngstown State to open a four-game weekend series, falling by scores of 8-0 and 9-2 to the Horizon League-leading Penguins.
GAME ONE - Penguins 8, Vikings 0 (5 innings)
Friday's opener got off to a promising start for Cleveland State when Kiera Frascone led off the contest with a single to left field before stealing second to move into scoring position.
After Youngstown State escaped the inning with a pair of strikeouts and infield pop-up, the Penguins took advantage of a Vikings error and wild pitch en route to a five-run inning. The hosts rattled off three straight one-out hits, including a pair of doubles.
Frascone singled again in the third inning before swiping her second stolen base of the afternoon, but Youngstown State starter Maddi Lusk worked out of the inning with no damage once again.
The Penguins added a run in the bottom of the third on an RBI single before claiming an 8-0 win via the run rule on a three-run homer with two outs in the fifth frame.
Freshman Torrie Jenkins worked 4.2 innings for the Vikings and was charged with seven earned runs on eight hits.
GAME TWO - Penguins 9, Vikings 2
Cleveland State stayed within a run at 2-1 midway through the ballgame, but Youngstown State plated five runs in the fourth inning to clinch a sweep on the day.
The Vikes ran into trouble in the opening frame when the Penguins singled, drew a pair of walks and had a batter reach via hit by pitch, but Hanna Griffin entered the game with one out and limited the damage to only two runs thanks to a flyout and a groundout.
Cleveland State cut the deficit in half at on Sydney Bajusz's team-leading seventh home run of the season down the left field line, making the score 2-1.
Griffin retired each of the first eight of the first nine batters she faced with the lone baserunner reaching on an error, but the Penguins used another five-run fourth inning to take a commanding 7-1 lead.
Looking to answer in the top of the fifth, the Vikings loaded the bases with two outs when Kaelin Ettinger singled before consecutive walks by Katie Holmes, who made her first #HLSB start in left field, and Frascone. Unfortunately for Cleveland State, what had the makings of a big inning was foiled by a long flyout to right field.
Youngstown State tacked on another run in bottom of the fifth for an 8-1 edge before the Vikings manufactured their second run of the contest in the sixth inning. Mackenzie Tucker led off the frame with a walk before taking second on a passed ball and moving to third on a groundout. Tucker hustled home on yet another passed ball to make the score 8-2.
The Penguins made it a 9-2 final on a solo homer in the sixth frame. Griffin threw 5.2 innings in relief, allowing seven runs on nine hits while striking out three.
Bajusz went 1-for-2 with a homer and a walk while Frascone drew a pair of walks out of the leadoff spot.
UP NEXT
The Vikings will wrap up the four-game series against the Penguins tomorrow afternoon starting at 2:00 p.m. from Youngstown Softball Field.
#GoVikes
