Youngstown, OH-A marathon day capped a marathon week in Youngstown, Ohio and the Cleveland State softball team emerged victorious as the Vikings captured the program's third Horizon League Championship and the first since 2009 with a 6-1 victory over Northern Kentucky in the second game of the day at Youngstown State's Softball Complex. Cleveland State advanced to the championship final as the winner's bracket representative, needing only one victory to claim the title. NKU forced the deciding "If Necessary" game with a 5-4 win in the first game of the day before the Vikings captured game two to claim the tournament title and NCAA Tournament bid. 

Five student-athletes were named to the All-Tournament Team and Melissa Holzopfel was named the Tournament MVP after a stellar performance both in the pitching circle and at the plate. Becky Hurosky, Brooke Albaugh, Kylie Gorsuch and Kiera Frascone joined Holzopfel in earning All-Tournament Team honors. 

Cleveland State used a five-run outburst in the fifth inning of game two to seal the championship victory. The game was tied 1-1 going into the fifth before the Vikings strung together six hits to bring home five runs in the bottom of the inning. Gorsuch and Frascone recorded back-to-back singles to put two on with one out. Albaugh followed with the first of two key hits in the inning as she roped a line drive down the right field line for a triple which scored both runners and gave the Vikings a 3-1 lead. Jenna Deang kept the rally going with a single that scored Albaugh to give CSU a three-run cushion. Holzopfel followed with the knockout blow, a two-run home run to left field that was gone the moment it left the bat. 

Holzopfel retired six of the final seven batters she faced to finish off the game and seal the victory. She went the distance in both games, allowing just four hits and one earned run in the clincher. She earned Tournament MVP honors after throwing 40 total innings and allowing just five earned runs for the week (0.87 ERA) along with 35 strikeouts. Offensively, she hit safely in every single game including the home run in the clinching victory.

In the first game, NKU jumped out to a 4-1 lead early before the Vikings rallied in the sixth inning. Two of the first three batters reached on a hit and a fielder's choice which put two on with one out. Hurosky launched a home run to dead center field which cleared the bases and tied the game at four apiece.

NKU responded with a run in the top of the seventh to re-take the lead 5-4. Cleveland State was one hit away from claiming the title with two runners on in scoring position in the bottom of the seventh, but NKU was able to work out of the jam to force the deciding second game. 

Hurosky had a huge week offensively, totaling five hits including three for extra bases, and five RBI. Albaugh recorded seven hits, including a 3-for-4 effort in the clinching game, and drove in four runs. Gorsuch recorded five hits and an RBI, including a multi-hit game in the semifinal win over Robert Morris. Frascone hit safely in every game, totaling six hits for the tournament.

Cleveland State moves on to the NCAA Tournament, with the regional round set to begin on May 16 or 17 at campus sites across the country. The Vikings will learn their NCAA destination tonight at 7:00 p.m. EST as part of the NCAA Softball Tournament Selection Show on ESPN2.