April 4, 2009
Final Stats
Contact: Brian McCann
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Christa Coppus, Danielle Young and Natalie DeMatteis each drove in a pair of runs and Amanda Macenko moved closer to the CSU career wins record by throwing her 65th and 66th career victories as Cleveland State swept a doubleheader from Butler, 3-1 and 6-3 on Saturday at the Butler Softball Diamond.
The Vikings pounded out 19 hits in the two games but struggled in the clutch, leaving 18 runners on base in the twinbill.
:"We are playing pretty good softball right now, but we aren't even close to playing to the level that we are capable of," CSU head coach Angie Nicholson said. "We had something going in just about every inning but missed out on too many opportunities. If we want to go on and achieve our goals for the season, then we will need to do a better job of scoring runs.
"Our defense was spectacular today. It proved to be the difference for us," Nicholson added.
The Vikings jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of third in the first game when Natalie DeMatteis led off with a double and went to third on a single by Amy Powell. Andrea Nagy ran for Powell and immediately stole second. Megan Bashak drove in the first run on a single to left and Coppus followed with a double to bring in Nagy.
Butler scored its only run in the bottom of the third when Erin Jackson stroked a two-out double and came around to score on an RBI single by Alex Boros.
The Vikings would add an insurance run in the seventh when Amanda Houchin hit a bases-loaded fly ball that wasn't deep enough to score the run, but when Butler pitcher Breanne Fisher mishandled the throw in from the outfield, Danielle Young was able to score from third.
The Bulldogs could muster only one run as Macenko allowed just seven hits, striking out eight with just one walk to improve to 13-8 on the season.
Cleveland State would jump out to a 3-0 lead in the nightcap, scoring once in the second and twice in the third.
The first run came when Mimi Mahon doubled to lead off the second and scored on a Natalie DeMatteis single.
With two outs in the second, the Vikings would load the bases when Lia Gordon singled, Mahon walked and Shalyn Adams singled. An infield single by DeMatteis would score Gordon and Mahon came in when pinch-hitter Andrea Nagy was hit by a pitch.
The Bulldogs would answer with two runs in the bottom of the third to close to within 3-2. Lauren McNulty doubled and scored the first run on a wild pitch and Boros singled and eventually scored on a single by Paige Ashton.
The Vikings increased their lead to 4-2 in the sixth when Christa Coppus doubled to score pinch-runner Alicia Nichols. The RBI was the 117th of Coppus' career, an on-going school record.
Butler countered with a solo homerun by Bridget Paine in the bottom of the sixth to close to 4-3, but a two-run single by Danielle Young in the top of the seventh put the contest out of reach.
Macenko again went the distance for the Vikings, allowing three runs on six hits with four strikeouts. She is now 14-8 this year with her 66 career wins being two shy of the school record of 68 set by Amy Kyler from 1993-97.
"Amanda wasn't at her best today, but she battled through it," Nicholson said. "She is really developing into an outstanding pitcher because she is learning how to win when everything doesn't necessarily go right for her."
The Vikings will face Butler again for the final game of this three-game series on Sunday (April 5) beginning at 12:00 noon at the Butler Softball Diamond.
