April 23, 2008
Game 1 Stats
Game 2 Stats
Contact: Greg Murphy
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Amy Powell hit two homeruns and drove in four runs to lead Cleveland State to an 8-0 victory over Toledo in the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader at Viking Field. Toledo won the opener, 5-2.
CSU, which split a doubleheader for the second straight day, improved to 25-13, while the Rockets are now 15-22.
"It was nice to bounce back and win the second game today, but we have to find a way to become more consistent," head coach Angie Nicholson said. "We have some things that we need to work on as we continue to build toward the league championship."
After being limited to just five hits in game one, CSU came back with eight runs on six hits in just five innings in the finale.
The Vikings tallied a run in the second inning as Haley Keller drew a bases loaded walk. CSU blew the game open with five runs in the third to take a 6-0 for starting pitcher Amanda Macenko.
Danielle Young ledoff the inning with a solo homerun to start the run. Jessica Burt followed with a walk, stole second and came in to score when Christa Coppus reached on an error. After Amanda Houchin singled and Coppus came around to score on an error, Powell drilled her first homer of the game, a two-run shot, to give CSU a 6-0 lead.
Powell then ended the game in the fifth with another two-run homer to leftfield with no outs. Houchin, who walked to start the inning, also scored.
Macenko earned the win by giving up just three hits and striking out two in five innings of work. She improved to 20-10 this season, her second straight season with at least 20 wins.
The opener was a different outcome for the Vikings, as CSU totaled just five hits off Toledo's Hannah Rockhold. She earned the win and improved to 7-9 on the season, striking out three.
Macenko was tabbed with the loss in game one, going all seven inning and surrendering five runs (four earned) on eight hits with nine strikeouts and no walks.
The Rockets assumed control of the opener early with two runs in the first, a single run in the second and two more runs in the third as four different players drove in a run.
Whitney Willard, Young, Houchin, Coppus and Burt had one hit apiece for CSU in the opener, while Coppus and Burt drove in runs in CSU's two-run fourth inning. Coppus delivered an RBI double, while Burt recorded an RBI groundout.
But that would be all the Vikings could muster off Rockhold as she retired 11 of the final 12 batters.
The Vikings, who are in second place in the Horizon League, will return to action in Chicago this weekend with a three-game series at Loyola. CSU will play a doubleheader on Friday before concluding the series with a single game on Sunday.
