YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Cleveland State softball program put on a valiant comeback attempt, but in the end the Vikings dropped their opening game of the 2022 Horizon League Championships to NKU by a 5-4 margin at the YSU Sports Complex on Thursday.

THE BASICS

FINAL SCORE: Cleveland State – 4, NKU – 5 (seven innings)

LOCATION: YSU Softball Complex – Youngstown, Ohio

RECORDS: Cleveland State 22-23 (18-8 Horizon), NKU 27-27 (14-13 Horizon)

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

 - Melissa Holzopfel led the Viking attack with a 2-for-4 day that included a game-high three RBI and a run scored.

- Jenna Deang was effective atop the Vikes lineup with a 2-for-4 showing. She tied for the game-high with two runs scored.

- Becky Hurosky added the other CSU RBI off a 1-for-4 day.

- Aly Packish recorded the other Cleveland State run and chipped in a 1-for-3 outing.

- The No. 7, 8 and 9 batters all went 1-for-3 for the contest. The Vikes were Kaelin Ettinger, Sydney Bajusz and Sophie Spellman.

- Holzopfel also threw a complete game in the circle and allowed seven hits and five runs (just two earned) to go with seven strikeouts.

HOW IT HAPPENED 

- NKU took advantage of some CSU fielding errors to open the game as the Norse pushed two unearned runs across the plate in the top of the first to take a 2-0 lead.

- A Northern Kentucky two-run shot extended its lead to 4-0 in the top of the second.

- Cleveland State started to battle back in the bottom of the third. Holzopfel beat out a single to first base that scored Deang to cut the NKU lead to 4-1.

- Holzopfel struck again in the bottom of the fifth with a two-RBI triple to right-center that plated Packish and Deang to make it 4-3.

- One batter later, Hurosky sent a ball back up the middle, that brought Holzopfel home to tie the ballgame at 4-4.

- NKU loaded the bases in the top of the sixth, and CSU almost got out of the jam but a two-out RBI poke through the infield gave the Norse the lead back at 5-4.

- Northern Kentucky held Cleveland State scoreless over the final frames to escape with the 5-4 win.

NEXT UP

Cleveland State and Robert Morris University will meet in a win-or-go-home contest on Friday, May 13 at noon ET at the YSU Softball Complex. The game will be featured in front of a national audience on ESPN+. The winning team will move on to another elimination game on Friday at 5 PM, also on ESPN+.

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