Feb. 21, 2010
Final Stats
Contact: Brian McCann
LAS CRUCES, New Mexico -- Freshman Tess Sito hit two more home runs and drove in five runs but eight Viking errors led to 10 unearned runs as Cleveland State dropped a pair of games, falling 9-3 to host New Mexico State and, 12-8, to No. 22 Tennessee to end play in the 21st annual Troy Cox Invitational with a 2-3 record.
"This was a very good experience for us," CSU head coach Angie Nicholson said. "We started five freshmen today and it is going to take them some time to play up to their potential. Still, we played two very good teams and if we hadn't made some defensive lapses, the outcomes may have been different.
"We got better every time we took the field and that is a good sign because we played five pretty good softball teams, including two today that will most likely be in the NCAA Tournament. Our performance is a very promising sign because I know that we can correct our problems."
Sito was a one-person wrecking machine for the Vikings in the nightcap against Tennessee, going four-for-five with three runs scored and five RBI. She tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the first when she hit her third home run of the season to left field.
Tennessee came back to score six unearned runs in the second as three CSU errors extended the Lady Vols rally.
The Vikings answered right back, scoring four runs in the bottom of the frame. Jessica Burt got things going when she doubled home a pair of runs. Sito followed with an RBI double to right and then came around to score on Gabby Gillilan's single to right.
Tennessee added a single run in the fourth on a Kat Dotson RBI double, and then pushed their lead to 12-6 with four runs, three of which were unearned, in the fifth.
CSU refused to quit, scoring a run in the sixth on a Sito leadoff homerun and then scoring twice in the sixth to close to within 12-8 when Sito singled home Megan Bashak and Afton Allred.
Amanda Macenko went the distance for CSU, allowing 12 runs (4 earned) on 10 hits. She struck out four and walked four.
"The stats don't show how well Amanda threw the ball today," Nicholson said. "If we had played defensively behind her like we are capable of doing, then the outcome would have been much different."
The first game of the day pitted the Vikings against the host Aggies and the CSU bats were silent until the sixth.
Trailing 4-0, Gabby Gillilan and Lia Gordon each had one out singles and Dara Toman followed with a double to score Gillian. After a NMSU pitching change, Katelyn Ciminelli greeted new pitcher Alex Villalobos with a double that scored both Gordon and Toman and brought the Vikings to within 4-3. The rally ended their as Villalobos enticed Mimi Mahon to pop to short and Macall Shepperd to strike out to end the inning.
Ashley Maroda put the game out of reach, leading off the bottom of the sixth with a homerun to start a five-run Aggie barrage.
Macenko threw the first 5.1 innings for CSU, allowing eight rungs (six earned) on eight hits. She struck out six.
The Vikings continue their early season tournament schedule by playing Sacred Heart, Niagara and host UNC-Greensboro next week in the UNC-Greensboro Invitational. The tourney will be played Friday-Saturday, Feb. 26-27.
