CLEVELAND – The Cleveland State softball program split its Horizon League doubleheader against visiting Youngstown State at Viking Field on Wednesday afternoon. The Vikings picked up a big win in their opener behind a complete game by Melissa Holzopfel and improved to 11-4 in conference play, good for third overall in the Horizon.
Notables from the two-game stint include Holzopfel (now second in the Horizon with 155 strikeouts, third with 10 wins, fourth with four complete games and seventh with a 3.22 ERA) and Jenna Deang (combined 3-for-5 on the day and now ranks seventh in the HL with a .356 average and tied for ninth with 32 hits).
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Cleveland State – 2, Youngstown State – 1 (seven innings)
LOCATION: Viking Field – Cleveland, Ohio
RECORDS: Cleveland State 15-17 (11-3 Horizon), Youngstown State 22-20 (7-7 Horizon)
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Jenna Deang led the way for the Vikings on offense as she finished 2-for-3 with the game-winning RBI.
- Mackenzie Tucker was the only other CSU student-athlete to record a hit, but she made it count in a big way with a 1-for-1 performance that included scoring the game-winning run, a RBI and a walk.
- Katie Holmes also crossed the plate for the Vikes. It was her ninth run scored on the season.
- Holzopfel went the distance for her tenth win of the year as she completed all seven innings and allowed just four hits and a single unearned run to go with six strikeouts.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The two teams were locked into a pitcher's duel through the first four innings before Youngstown State struck first in the top of the fifth to take a 1-0 advantage. The damage could have been worse, but Albaugh caught the second out and fired a strike into home from deep right field to catch the YSU runner to end the inning.
- The Vikings answered right away in the bottom half of the frame as Deang singled to right field to plate Ettinger to knot things at 1-1.
- Cleveland State moved ahead in the bottom of the sixth off a deep double to center field by Tucker to score Holmes to take a 2-1 edge.
- Holzopfel and the CSU defense shut the door in the seventh to collect the 2-1 win.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Cleveland State – 2, Youngstown State – 3 (seven innings)
LOCATION: Viking Field – Cleveland, Ohio
RECORDS: Cleveland State 15-18 (11-4 Horizon), Youngstown State 23-20 (8-7 Horizon)
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Jenna Deang paced the Vikes again with a RBI off a 1-for-2 performance. She also recorded a walk.
- Brooke Albaugh (1-for-3) and Kiera Frascone (1-for-2) both scored for CSU.
- Courtney Fernette (1-for-3) and Kaelin Ettinger (1-for-3) also posted hits for the Vikings.
- Melissa Holzopfel went 2 2/3 scoreless innings in relief. She retired all eight batters she faced in a row, which included a punchout.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Vikings got out to an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second as Albaugh doubled to deep center field and later came around to score off a YSU error.
- Youngstown State responded right back in the top of the third with a two-run homer to jump ahead 2-1.
- The Penguins added to their lead with another run in the top of the fifth to move ahead 3-1.
- Deang singled to left field, which scored Frascone, as the Vikings moved back into it at 3-2 in the bottom of the fifth.
- CSU was able to muster just a single base hit over the last two innings as YSU closed out the victory.
NEXT UP
Cleveland State will be right back on the diamond as the Vikes get ready to host Oakland in a Horizon League series on Friday, April 22 through Saturday, April 23. Friday will feature one game with a first pitch of 3 PM ET, while Saturday's doubleheader will get underway at 1 PM. Admission to all three contests is free of charge.
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