March 23, 2007

Sacred Heart Stats | Niagara Stats

BALTIMORE, Md. - Cleveland State extended its winning streak to five games with victories over Sacred Heart, 7-1, and Niagara, 3-1, on the opening day of the UMBC Spring Classic. Freshman Amanda Macenko claimed both decisions to improve to 10-1 on the year and has now won seven straight decisions. At 13-2, the Vikings are off to the best 15-game start in school history.

In the opener, Danielle Young got CSU on the board in the top of the second inning with a two-out, two-run triple. Michele Penney would push the lead to 3-0 in the next frame with a solo home run -- her first of the year and 10th of her career.

The Vikings blew the game open in the sixth, scoring four runs on two hits, a pair of walks, a stolen base and two Sacred Heart errors.

Macenko gave up just five hits and an unearned run while fanning three.

Megan Spehar (3-3) took the loss for the Pioneers, surrendering three runs and five hits in five innings of work.

Young and Tara Meyer each had a pair of hits to pace the CSU offense, while Whitney Willard saw her 11-game hitting streak come to an end with an 0-for-3 performance.

Game two was scoreless until the top of the fourth when Sarah Milosek started a two-out rally with a single. She moved to third on a double by Amanda Houchin and came around to score on a Haley Keller RBI single.

Niagara knotted the score in its half of the inning when Tory Healy homered off of the left field foul pole.

The teams remained deadlocked until the top of the seventh when a two-out double by Christa Coppus scored Keller and Jessica Burt.

The Purple Eagles appeared poised to tie the game once again in their final at-bat, putting runners on second and third with no outs. However, Macenko sandwiched a pair of strikeouts around a pop-out to escape the jam unscathed.

Macenko allowed four hits and a run whole striking out three. The Brunswick, Ohio native, who has completed all eight games she's started this year, did not give up a walk in either contest.

Keller had her first career three-hit game to lead the Vikings, while Willard, Burt and Coppus each had two hits.

Brooke Viola (1-4) took the loss after giving up two runs in an inning of relief. Niagara starter Tiffany McCroy scattered eight hits in six innings.

"It was great to see Amanda get a pair of called third strikes in the seventh inning against Niagara after throwing the entire day," CSU head coach Angie Nicholson said. "We really solidified our infield defense by moving Amanda [Houchin] to third and inserting Tara [Meyer] at third. Offensively, the team executed everything I asked them to and we were able to manufacture a couple of runs."

Cleveland State rounds out pool play in the UMBC Classic with a pair of games on Saturday. The Vikings will face Holy Cross at 8:45 a.m. followed by a 12:35 contest with the host Retrievers.