Cleveland, OH-In a game that featured two of the top teams in the Horizon League standings, the first game between Cleveland State and Youngstown State at Viking Field on Thursday lived up to its billing. The Penguins came away with a 1-0 victory in extra innings in what was a classic pitcher's duel between Cleveland State's Melissa Holzopfel and Youngstown State's Sophie Howell. YSU was finally able to crack the scoreboard in the eighth inning and prevailed with a 1-0 victory. YSU improves to 16-3 in Horizon League play with the win and Cleveland State falls to 11-8.

The two teams combined for just seven hits and four walks combined as both pitchers were stellar throughout the game. Holzopfel tied her career high with 15 strikeouts in the contest. Howell added six for YSU.

The Penguins threatened to break the game open in the fifth inning, loading the bases with no one out behind a single, a hit-by-pitch and a walk. Holzopfel buckled down, inducing a fielder's choice ground ball to second which resulted in a force play at home plate, and promptly struck out the next two batters to keep the game scoreless. 

Cleveland State advanced runners into scoring position in the second and sixth innings but Howell was equally up to the challenge, retiring the side both times to keep runs off the scoreboard. 

YSU finally broke through in the eighth as Lydia Wilkerson reached on an infield hit to the left side with two outs. That brought Jillian Jakse to the plate as she struck a line drive to right field that fell in and caromed off the wall, allowing Wilkerson to make it home just ahead of the relay throw for the game's only run. 

The Vikings went down in order in the bottom of the inning allowing YSU to escape with the 1-0 victory. The two teams will meet again tomorrow for a doubleheader with both games scheduled to air on ESPN+.