Cleveland State Softball Hosts Robert Morris to Conclude Season Athletics

Posted: May 06, 2021

SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State Vikings softball team wraps up the 2021 season with a four-game series against #HLSB rival Robert Morris at Viking Field on May 7-8. The Vikings (10-34, 5-27) came up short in a pair of doubleheaders at Youngstown State last weekend as the Penguins swept their way to the regular season Horizon League title. Cleveland State nearly pulled off an upset in the final contest of the weekend but dropped a 3-1 decision in extra innings. In the loss, Mackenzie Tucker drove in the tying run with an RBI sac-fly in the third frame while Alexa Sieger tossed 7.1 innings in her second career start, allowing three runs on eight hits.

SCOUTING ROBERT MORRIS
The Colonials (23-15, 18-12) can lock up a Horizon League Tournament bid this weekend and could potentially leapfrog Oakland for the conference's third seed. Robert Morris had its scheduled series against Northern Kentucky canceled last week. In their most recent matchup, the Colonials split a pair of doubleheaders with Youngstown State thanks to a pair of eight-inning victories. Natalie Higgins ranks second in the conference with a .417 batting average to go with 40 RBI and 19 extra-base hits, including nine homers. In the circle, Rachael Rhinehart owns a team-best 2.98 ERA across 12 appearances (seven starts), striking out 37 in 44.2 innings of work.

AGAINST THIS OPPONENT
The Vikings and Colonials have battled 43 times since 1991 with Cleveland State holding a 25-18 advantage. Robert Morris swept the Green and White in a doubleheader on March 23, recording wins of 10-2 and 14-6.

KEYS TO SUCCESS
The Vikings are a much different team when they plate the game's opening run, going 6-9 when scoring first while dropping 25 of 29 games when the opponent strikes first. Cleveland State has also posted an 8-4 mark when out-hitting the opponent or having hits tied compared to 2-30 when being out-hit. It's also important for the Vikes to jump out to a quick start as the team has won 10 of 15 games when leading or tied after four innings.

SIEGER STEPS UP IN THE CIRCLE
With Cleveland State competing without its top two starters in Hanna Griffin and Taylor Betz, freshman Alexa Sieger made her collegiate debut in the circle, pitching in all four of Cleveland State's games against Green Bay on April 23-24. The Cleveland native compiled a 2.56 ERA (5 ER/13.2 IP) in the series and helped the Vikings snap a 14-game skid in a 4-3 win on April 24, throwing a complete game in her first-ever start. Sieger scattered 11 hits while allowing only one earned run and striking out three over seven frames to pick up her first win. Last week, Sieger's number was called for another start and she turned in yet another strong performance, holding league-leading Youngstown State to one run through seven innings before the Penguins walked off on an eighth-inning homer. The freshman's 3.28 ERA leads all Vikings hurlers.

HEATING UP
Freshman Kiera Frascone owns the longest active on-base streak of any Viking at seven games, tying the second-longest streak by a Cleveland State hitter in 2021 (longest: Sydney Bajusz & Aly Packish, 10 games). The Ohio native is batting .368 (7-for-19) with five walks and three stolen bases during that stretch. She has shown a keen eye at the plate, drawing 10 walks compared to only 11 strikeouts in conference play. On the season, Frascone ranks tied for second in the Horizon League with 17 stolen bases and her six multi-hit games are tied for second-most of any Viking.

PICKING UP WHERE SHE LEFT OFF
Since appearing in only nine of the Vikings' first 23 #HLSB games, Mackenzie Tucker has played in 13 straight contests, batting .351 (13-for-37) with two doubles, a homer, four RBIs and three walks. After mainly splitting playing time in center field with freshman Kiera Frascone to begin the year, Tucker's hot bat and solid defense has turned her into an everyday player for Cleveland State. The junior, who hit .409 in a shortened campaign in 2020, leads the Vikings with a .300 (15-for-50) batting average in conference games.

RISING IN THE HORIZON OVERALL
Freshman Kiera Frascone ranks tied for second in the Horizon League with 17 stolen bases while Sydney Bajusz sits tied for ninth in runs scored (25) and tied for sixth in home runs (seven). Becky Hurosky has been one of Cleveland State's top defensive players with the fifth-best fielding percentage in #HLSB at .990 despite having the sixth-most total chances (207). Jenna Deang has settled in to her role as a second baseman and ranks fourth in the conference with 79 assists.

RISING IN THE HORIZON OVERALL – IN THE CIRCLE
Hanna Griffin ranks within the top 10 in the league in innings pitched (88.0) while Taylor Betz is 10th with 65 strikeouts despite not pitching since April 17.

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.

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Cleveland State Softball Hosts Robert Morris to Conclude Season

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