Highland Heights, KY-It was a near perfect performance from the Cleveland State softball team on Saturday afternoon, as the Vikings posted a dominant 10-0 run rule victory over Northern Kentucky in the opener of a three-game weekend series. The win is the first for the Vikings in Horizon League play this season.
Melissa Holzopfel threw a no-hitter and struck out five in five innings. She allowed just one baserunner, a leadoff walk in the fifth inning, and retired the other 15 hitters she faced. She went the distance throwing 61 pitches with 43 strikes. It is the 12th no-hitter in program history and the first since 2010.
The Viking offense struck early and often in securing the victory. It started in the top of the first inning as Cleveland State started a rally with two outs. Meridith Rankl reached on an error and Becky Hurosky followed with a single. Holzopfel then stepped up and crushed a three-run home run over the right field fence, helping her own cause and staking the Vikings to a 3-0 lead. The home run is her first of the season.
Holzopfel retired the first nine hitters she faced, paving the way for more offense in the fourth. Peyton Mueller-Stenz led off with a single and Sophie Spellman reached on an error to put the first two runners aboard. Kiera Frascone followed with an RBI single, and two batters later a sacrifice fly from Rankl scored Frascone to make it 5-0 Vikings.
Following another three-up, three down inning the Viking offense dealt the decisive blow in the fifth. An RBI double from Emma Gilkerson drove in Holzopfel to make it 6-0 and the Vikings tacked on four more runs in the inning to push the lead to double digits at 10-0.
Holzopfel carried a bid for a perfect game into the bottom of the fifth but surrendered the leadoff walk to NKU's Trinity Robertson. She settled back in and retired the next three to secure the victory and the no-hitter.
All but two of the nine Cleveland State hitters recorded at least one hit in the game, and three Vikings finished with multi-hit games: Holzopfel, Mueller-Stenz and Jenna Deang.
The series continues with a doubleheader tomorrow. First pitch for game one is scheduled for noon. Both games will be broadcast on ESPN+.
