April 6, 2008

Final Stats

Contact: Brian McCann

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Katelyn Ciminelli hit a two-run homer and Amanda Macenko scattered six hits en route to earning her 11th win of the season as Cleveland State raced past Butler, 6-1, on Sunday to take two of three from the Bulldogs this weekend.

The win improves CSU to 15-8 overall and 4-2 in league play, good for a third place tie with Valparaiso. Butler falls to 14-15 overall and 3-5 in the Horizon League.

"This was a good ending to a decent weekend," CSU head coach Angie Nicholson said. "It was good to see a number of players who had been struggling at the plate get hits and have some good at-bats that led to outs. I hope it is a sign of things to come."

The Vikings jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second when Ciminelli, Natalie DeMatteis and Amanda Kern had consecutive singles to load the bases with one out. Jessica Burt followed with a line drive single to center to score Ciminelli. On the play, Butler centerfielder Erin Jackson over-ran the ball, allowing DeMatteis and Kern to come around and score a pair of unearned runs.

CSU made it 5-0 in the third when Amanda Houchin led off with a single and Ciminelli followed with a homerun to right, her first of the season. Ciminelli went two-for-three with two RBI and a pair of runs scored in the contest.

The Vikings appeared headed for a mercy rule ending in the fifth. Coppus doubled home Houchin to extend the lead to 6-0 and then CSU loaded the bases with two outs before a strike out ended the frame.

Butler scored its only run in the sixth when Bridget Paine hit a solo homerun to straight away centerfield.

Macenko was solid again, allowing the one run on six hits, striking out 8 and walking none to raise her record to 11-7. In her last nine appearances (covering 58 innings), she has struck out 62 batters while walking just two.

"Amanda was Amanda today," Nicholson said. "It is so nice to be able to put a pitcher on the mound who you just know is going to throw a good game. She had her locations targeted today and did a nice job of changing speeds."

The Vikings will play a Tuesday doubleheader at Eastern Michigan before returning home to host Detroit for a Horizon League doubleheader on Thursday (April 10) beginning at 2:00 p.m. at Viking Field.