Feb. 15, 2009
Final Stats
Contact: Brian McCann
ATHENS, Ga. -- Amanda Houchin singled home pinch runner Christina Stoffer with one out in the bottom of the eighth to give Cleveland State a come-from-behind 5-4 win over Winthrop on Sunday in the final game of the second annual Red & Black Showcase at the UGA Softball Complex.
The Vikings went 1-3 in the five-team tourney to finish in second place and improve to 4-5 on the year. Winthrop drops to 2-1.
"This team never gave up today and fought until the very last at-bat," CSU head coach Angie Nicholson said. "We struggled to find the zone at the plate for most of the day but we finally came around late.
"We won this game because of our defense. They had a number of opportunities to score runs during the game but our good fundamentals -- throwing out the lead runner, making the routine play and not making errors -- allowed us to hold them in check.
"This was a pretty good weekend for us. We saw some good pitching but still managed to hit the ball and any time you get to face a team like Georgia, you are going to be better in the long run for it."
The Vikings fell behind 1-0 when Lenny Stoddart opened the second with a solo homerun to left.
CSU answered in the third when Danielle Young reached base on an error and came around to score on a two-run homer to left by Christa Coppus. It was the first of the year for the Viking senior and it gave CSU a 2-1 lead.
The lead would hold until the seventh.
Lisa Kingsmore led off with a triple for Winthrop and Pearl Coleshill followed with a walk. Mallory Hogan drove a pitch into centerfield to score Kingsmore and send Coleshill to third. Stoddart singled to right to score Coleshill and put the Eagles ahead, 3-2.
The deficit could have been worse but Amanda Macenko struck out Brittany Stoudamire and got Megan Evans grounded out to end the inning.
CSU tied it in the bottom of the seventh when Katelyn Ciminelli led off with a single and Alicia Nichols ran for her. Following a pitching change, Winthrop got Natalie DeMatteis to ground out and Andrea Nagy to fly out but freshman Megan Bashak sent the game into extra innings when she doubled to the gap in left center.
Each team had a runner placed on second base to start the eighth inning and Winthrop scored theirs on a two-out Tessa Thomas triple, giving the Eagles a 4-3 lead.
CSU fought back however. Danielle Young scored from second on a Lia Gordon single and Mimi Mahon was safe on an error on a ground ball to short. Stoffer ran for Gordon at second, coming into score when Houchin lined a shot off the leg of Coleshill at third and down the left field line.
Macenko (4-4) was the winner for CSU, going eight innings and allowing four runs (three earned) on 13 hits. She walked three and struck out four.
The Vikings will now take a week off from competition before resuming their early season tournament schedule at the Eastern Kentucky Invitational from Feb. 28-March 1.
