Cleveland, OH-Sophomore pitcher Melissa Holzopfel(Massilon, OH/Perry HS) has been named the Horizon League Softball Pitcher of the Week, the league office announced today. 

Holzopfel had a stellar weekend in the circle in leading the Vikings to their first Horizon League series win of the season as Cleveland State took two of three at Northern Kentucky. 

Holzopfel threw a no-hitter in the opening game of the series going five innings and retiring 15 of the 16 batters she faced. She needed just 61 pitches, 43 of which went for strikes, in tossing the first no-hitter in program history since 2010. 

Holzopfel also helped her own cause with a three-run home run in the first inning of Saturday's first game, her first home run of the season. The Vikings posted 10 runs in the series opener and the game was shortened to five innings due to the run rule.   

She continued her dominance in the second game of the series as she held NKU hitless for the first three innings of her second outing, starting the weekend with eight consecutive hitless innings. 

She went on to throw another complete game in the second game finishing with 11 strikeouts and two earned runs allowed. For the weekend, she totaled 16 strikeouts against just four walks and finished with a 1.16 ERA. 

This is the first weekly award for Holzopfel and the Vikings this season. Click HERE for the full release from the Horizon League.