April 26, 2008
Game 1 Stats
Game 2 Stats
Contact: Brian McCann
CHICAGO, Ill. -- Amanda Macenko recorded her 21st and 22nd wins of the season as Cleveland State took a big step closer towards winning the Horizon League regular season title by sweeping Loyola, 5-2 and 4-2, on Saturday at the Loyola Softball Park.
The Vikings, who improved to 27-13 overall and 12-3 in league play, opened up a one-and-a-half-game lead over second place Valparaiso (10-4) with just four league games remaining. CSU plays a single game with Loyola on Sunday (April 27) and then hosts Valpo for a three-game series next weekend.
"We did all of the right things today," CSU head coach Angie Nicholson said. "We had some great pitching, our defense was outstanding, our base-running was superb and we came up with some timely hits. I couldn't have asked for more.
"It is good to see us rebound after a pair of so-so doubleheaders earlier this week. What a difference a couple of days have made because we really put it all together today.
The Vikings rode the right arm of Macenko, a sophomore who is the first pitcher in school history to record 20 wins or more in consecutive seasons. She threw both complete games (14 innings), allowing five runs (two earned) on 14 hits, striking out 18 and walking just three.
With a 22-10 mark this year, Macenko has recorded 48 wins in her two seasons at CSU.
"Amanda has been the ace of our staff all season long and today was no exception," Nicholson said. "
The Vikings jumped out quickly in the opener, scoring a pair of runs in the first and one in the second to take a 3-0 lead.
With Whitney Willard on second with one out in the first, Christa Coppus struck out swinging but was able to reach safely on first when Loyola catcher Jenna Grimm couldn't handle the third strike for a passed ball. Coppus beat the throw to first and took second when Willard came around to score from second. Amanda Houchin followed with an infield single with Coppus scoring on a wild throw to first by shortstop Haley Ambrosch.
Willard drove in CSU's third run of the game when she singled to center with one out in the second, allowing pinch runner Amanda Kern to score from third.
Danielle Young extended CSU's lead to 4-0 in the fourth when she hit a bases-loaded single to score Amy Powell.
A throwing error by Macenko led to a pair of unearned runs for Loyola in the fourth to close to within 4-2 but the Vikings got one of the runs right back when Katelyn Ciminelli scored on a bases loaded error by second baseman Bridget Lally.
Loyola threatened in the seventh, stringing together three singles to close to within 5-3, but Kristen Medrud pinch-hit into a game-ending double play grounder to second.
Macenko earned the win, allowing three runs (one earned) on nine hits. She struck out 11 batters for her sixth double-digit strikeout effort of the year.
Good baserunning proved the key for the Vikings in the nightcap.
CSU jumped on top with three runs in the second. With the bases loaded and one out, Amy Powell hit a sacrifice fly to left that Loyola's Stephanie Cihlar dropped, allowing Amanda Houchin and Coppus to score.
With runners at first and third later in the inning, the Vikings executed a perfect double steal with Tara Meyer stealing second and Amanda Kern stealing home.
CSU made it 4-0 in the fourth when Willard hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Andrea Nagy.
Loyola rallied with single runs in the sixth and seventh.
Lindsay O'Gean singled to score Ambrosch with one out in the sixth, but a strike out and ground out ended the inning.
Loyola scored an unearned run on a throwing error by Amy Powell in the seventh and had runners at second and third with one out before Ambrosch hit a line drive that Viking first baseman Katelyn Ciminelli grabbed and then threw across to double Cihlar off third base to end the game.
Macenko went the distance, scattering five hits and striking out seven to get the win. She has been the pitcher of record in all 15 league games this year, going 12-3 with a 1.26 ERA, throwing 100 of the possible 106 innings.
The Vikings will return to the diamond on Sunday (April 27) when they close the three-game series with Loyola with a 12:00 noon single game against the Ramblers.
