March 25, 2010
Final Stats
Contact: Brian McCann
MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. - Freshmen Tess Sito and Dara Toman each hit first inning home runs and Brandy Holmes allowed just one unearned run in four innings as Cleveland State defeated Robert Morris, 6-1, in a game shortened to five innings because of rain.
The win, CSU's 10th in a row, improved the Vikings to 19-7 on the year while Robert Morris dropped to 6-9.
"We really did some nice things today," CSU head coach Angie Nicholson said. "I was a little worried because we had a little layover since playing in Florida last week and the weather wasn't the best, but we came out ready to play and excelled in just about every phase of the game.
"We jumped on them right from the start when both Tess and Dara hit bombs and then we played some good, fundamental softball after that."
The Vikings jumped right on Colonial starter Annie Dubovec in the first. With one out, Sito opened up the scoring by hitting a solo home run to right field to put CSU ahead, 1-0. It was the 10th of the season for Sito, the third-highest single season total in Viking history and three short of the season record.
CSU wasn't done. With two outs, Lia Gordon doubled and Toman followed with a two-run home run to left. It was her sixth homer of the year and allowed her to tie Sito for the team lead with 24 RBIs.
RMU scored its lone run in the bottom of the first when Jaci Timko beat out on infield single to open the game. She went to second on an error and came into score on a single by Jessica Calderone to trim the Viking lead to 3-1.
Cleveland State answered right back, adding a pair of runs in the second.
Alicia Nichols led off with a walk and stole both second and third, her 10th and 11th stolen bases of the season. Burt followed with a single to left to score Nichols.
Burt then used her speed to score the fifth run of the game, stealing second, her 16th in as many chances this year. When Katelyn Ciminelli grounded to third, Burt waited for the throw across before breaking to third, coming into score when the throw from first baseman Megan Picinic was wild.
Toman scored the final run in the third when she walked to open the inning, advanced to second on a ground ball, to third on a passed ball and scored on a Gabby Gillilan ground ball.
That was all Holmes needed. She scattered five hits in four innings, striking out one without a walk to improve to 3-0 on the year.
Holmes benefited from the defense of Burt in the fourth. With runners on first and second with no outs, Maritza Jimenez hit a long fly to center that Burt saw all the way. As she approached the fence, she lined her distance up with her hand and then made a leaping grab over the fence to rob Jimenez of a three-run home run. Holmes then enticed Kayla Crooks to fly out to right and Britta Grafton to strike out to end the inning.
"That was an amazing play by Jessica," Nicholson said. "She had it all the way and she wasn't going to let the fence stop her from making the play.
"That is the kind of momentum shifting play that we missed with her out of the lineup last year."
Sito replaced Holmes in the circle in the fifth, striking out four batters in one inning to close out the win. The rains came midway through the bottom of the fifth and the game was called once the inning was complete.
Sito's home run allowed her to extend her hitting streak to six games in a row and 24 of the last 25.
Nichols went 0-for-1 with a walk and a run scored but saw her nine-game hitting streak come to an end.
The Vikings will take the weekend off from competition, returning home to host Buffalo in a doubleheader on Wednesday, March 31 beginning at 3:00 p.m. at Viking Field. The twinbill will serve as the home opener, starting a stretch of 11 straight home games.
"It will be good to play at home next week," Nicholson said. "We have played 26 games away from home and we are ready to get back to Cleveland."
