Feb. 26, 2010

Niagara Game Stats
Sacred Heart Game Stats

Contact: Brian McCann

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Lia Gordon stroked a bases loaded double in the eighth inning to drive in three runs and Amanda Macenko threw all 15 innings to lead the Vikings to a sweep of games on the opening day of the UNC-G Spartan Invitational. CSU defeated Sacred Heart, 1-0, and came back to edge Niagara, 5-3, in eight innings.

The wins improved CSU to 4-3 on the year while both Sacred Heart and Niagara fall to 0-1.

"I am so impressed with the way we came ready to play today," CSU head coach Angie Nicholson said. "We left a lot of runners on base but other than that, we had a very good day.

"Even though we might have been ahead by just a run for most of the day, we didn't press ourselves or panic. We just played and continued to get outs. That was really nice to see.

"We played so well defensively today which was an area of concern last weekend. Not only did we make the routine plays look easy, but we made some good choices and some tough plays. It was really the difference in the games," Nicholson added.

With the score knotted at two going into the eighth inning, the tourney tie-breaker was put into affect with Alicia Nichols opening the inning at second base. With one out, Nichols stole third and Tess Sito walked. Sito stole second leading to Gabby Gillilan being walked to load the bases.

Enter Gordon, who led the team with a school-record 13 home runs and 39 RBI a year ago. She ripped a 3-2 pitch into the gap in right center allowing all three runners to score to put CSU ahead, 5-2.

"Lia has been there so many times in her career that she just stepped up and had a great at-bat," Nicholson said. "She just turned on the pitch a bit and drove it to the wall in right center."

Niagara added an unearned run in the bottom of the frame and could have had more, but Andea Nagy threw out a runner from right field who was trying to take third base on a single and Macenko enticed the final two batters to ground out to end the game.

Macenko went all eight innings to improve her record to 3-3 on the year. She allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits, striking out four with just one walk to pick up her ongoing school record 83rd win of her career.

"Amanda had a nice day in the circle," Nicholson said. "She dominated in the first game and then came back to throw a nice game against Niagara. It really showed how much she has grown over the years because she didn't try to just blow the ball by every batter."

Niagara dew first blood in the bottom of the third of the nightcap when Jennifer Hare led off the inning with a solo home run to left field to put the Purple Aces ahead, 1-0.

The lead did not last long as Tess Sito and Gabby Gillian led off the fourth inning for CSU with back-to-back homeruns to left field to put the Vikings ahead, 2-0. It was the league-leading fifth of the season for Sito and second for Gillian.

Niagara tied it in the fifth when with runners at second and third, Kristin Kill lined a two-out single to left to score Kristin Sito from third but Viking left fielder Alicia Nichols gunned down Gabrielle Lustrinelli at the plate when she tried to score from second.

The Vikings had a chance to win it in the seventh when Katelyn Ciminelli led off with a walk, was sacrificed to second by Mimi Mahon and went to third on a ground ball, but pinch hitter Caila Ferro struck out to end the inning.

Niagara had a chance to win it in the seventh when Kristin Sito doubled to left with one out, but she went no farther as Macenko struck out Hare and pinch hitter Jaclyn Russell to send the game to extra innings.

"Niagara is a nice team with some good hitters so I am happy that we were able to come away with the win," Nicholson said.

The only run of the first game came in the first inning when Jessica Burt led off with a walk and stole second. After Tess Sito walked to put runners at first and second, Gabby Gillilan sacrificed the runners to second and third. Lia Gordon followed with a ground ball to second to score Burt.

That was all Macenko needed as the senior threw a one-hitter. She struck out 13, including nine of the first 11 batters she faced while walking just one.

After putting the first 12 batters down to open the game, Macenko ran into a problem in the fifth when Amanda Bradley led off with a walk . One out later, Adrian Fitzsimon singled through the left side to send the runner to third. Macenko buckled down after that, getting Nicole Sidor to strike out swinging and pinch hitter Liz Tsipouras to ground to second to end the inning.

Russell went the distance for Sacred Heart, allowing one run on four hits. She struck out nine and walked two.

"She was the best pitcher that we have seen so far this season," Nicholson said. "She kept us off-balance all day and hit her spots well. "

The Viking conclude the round robin portion of the tournament with a 1:00 p.m. game against host UNC-Greensboro on Saturday (Feb. 27). After that, the teams will be seeded based on performance in the round robin with No.1 facing No. 4 at 3:30 p.m. followed by No. 2 vs. No. 3 at 5:30 p.m.

Tourney play then concludes on Sunday (Feb. 28) with championship and third-place games.