April 22, 2008
Game 1 Stats
Game 2 Stats
Contact: Brian McCann
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Whitney Willard drove in four runs and Amanda Macenko gave up just four hits over six innings as Cleveland State claimed an 11-3 victory in six innings over IPFW in the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader at Viking Field.
The victory in the opener gave CSU head coach Angie Nicholson her 100th career victory at a Division I school. Nicholson, in her fourth year overall as a coach and second at CSU, is 100-73-1 during her time at Ursuline, Butler and Cleveland State.
IPFW came back to win game two, 4-1, with three runs in the third inning.
CSU, which began the week in first place in the Horizon League (10-3) is now 24-12, while IPFW improved to 14-19.
"We are not playing as consistent as we need to," head coach Angie Nicholson said. "We scored 11 runs in game one and only one in game two. We are not going to win many game by scoring one run."
In game one, the Vikings struck for three runs in the first inning as Christa Coppus drove in two runs with a single and an RBI single from Amy Powell. CSU added another run to extend its lead to 4-0 on an RBI single in the third by Katelyn Ciminelli.
The Vikings put two more runs on the board in the fourth as Willard drilled an RBI single to rightfield to score Jessica Burt, who had singled earlier in the inning, and pinch runner Erica Remshard.
IPFW mounted a comeback with three runs in the sixth inning, but the Vikings came right back to plate five runs in the bottom of the sixth and end the game with the eight-run mercy rule.
Amy Powell began the inning with a solo homerun and Lia Gordon followed with a walk. A single by Natalie DeMatteis moved pinch runner Andrea Nagy to second and Jessica Burt, the reigning Horizon League Player of the Week, followed with a single to load the bases.
Willard then came through with a two-run double and Danielle Young added an RBI groundout. Amanda Houchin then ended the game with a sacrifice fly to score Willard with the 11th run.
Willard finished 3-for-4 with four RBI and two runs, while Coppus and Powell drove in two runs each. Burt and Young scored both scored two runs.
Macenko (19-9) earned the win, going six innings and giving up three runs on four hits. She struck out seven and walked just one.
Game two was a completely different story as CSU was held to one run on eight hits by IPFW's Amanda Olender. She picked up the win to improve to 7-8 this season.
The Mastadons struck quickly with a run in the first, but CSU came back to knot the game at 1-1 on an RBI single by Willard in the second.
However, IPFW used three hits and a walk in the third to score three runs and assume a 4-1 lead. Kristina Karpun delivered the big hit with a two-run double, while Olender aided her own cause with an RBI groundout.
That was more than enough run support for Olender who limited the Vikings to just three hits over the final five innings.
Brittany Bate (3-2) took the loss for CSU, going 2.1 innings. She gave up four runs (three earned) on five hits. Macenko worked the final 4.2 innings, not allowing a hit and fanning four.
Willard, Burt and Gordon had two hits apiece in the nightcap.
The Vikings will be back in action on Wednesday (April 23) when CSU hosts Toledo for a doubleheader beginning at 3:00 p.m. at Viking Field.
