March 7, 2009
Final Stats
Contact: Brian McCann
STILLWATER, Okla.. - Megan Bashak drove in six runs, the last coming on a three-run homerun in the sixth that allowed the Vikings to rally from an 8-0 deficit to defeat Northern Colorado, 15-13, in a first round game of the Mizuno Classic at Oklahoma State. The Vikings then dropped the second game of the tourney, 8-0, to host Oklahoma State.
The split pushes the Vikings to 5-6 on the season, including wins in four of their last six games.
"We had some pretty good moments today," CSU head coach Angie Nicholson said. "We hit the ball hard and found the gaps in the first game and then held our own for the most part against some pretty good competition in the second game. These games are really going to help us for our northern schedule starting in two weeks."
The Vikings started slowly in the first game, allowing three runs in the first, three in the second and two in the third to trail 8-0 going into the bottom of the third.
Then the Viking bats came alive, scoring five times in the third to climb back into the contest.
Bashak started things off with an RBI double to score Christina Stoffer. Christa Coppus followed with a one-out single to score Bashak and Lia Gordon doubled to the wall min right to score Coppus. Mimi Mahon singled to put runners at the corner and Gordon stole home on the back end of a double steal with Mahon taking third. Katelyn Ciminelli finished the rally with a sacrifice fly to center field.
After a scoreless fourth, the Vikings took an 11-8 lead with six in the fifth.
Amando Houchin drove in the first run on a foul-ball sacrifice fly to left to score pinch-runner Shalyn Adams. Natalie DeMatteis doubled to the gap in left center to score Mahon. The Vikings took a 9-8 lead when Bashak doubled to left to score Ciminelli, who had walked, and DeMatteis.
CSU continued to pour it on as Christina Stoffer scored on a ground ball and Coppus singled to score Alicia Nichols.
CSU added four more in the sixth. Houchin started things off with a two-out double and scored on a single by DeMatteis. After Stoffer singled to put runners on first and second, Bashak completed her day by crushing a three-run homer to left.
Northern Colorado rallied to score five unearned runs in the top of the seventh to pull to within 15-13, but Kala Allred got Hilary Van Otterloo to fly to center to end the game.
Allred (1-0), throwing for the just the second time this season, relieved starter Amanda Macenko in the third and pitched the final five innings, allowing seven runs (two earned) on six hits, striking out three and walking two.
The nightcap was all Cowgirls as CSU could only manage singles from Houchin and Ciminelli in the six-inning 8-0 loss.
OSU scored twice in the first and four times in the third, all off starter Macenko. Brittany Bate took over with two outs in the third and threw three innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits. The game ended when Kelsey Anchors' sacrifice fly in the sixth put the Cowgirls ahead, 8-0, invoking the tournament's eight-run rule.
The Vikings are back in action on Saturday, playing Arkansas at 9:30 a.m. and Drake at 12:00 noon.
