April 2, 2010

Game One Stats Game Two Stats

Contact: Brian McCann

CLEVELAND, Ohio. - Amy Powell's walk-off home run with two out in the seventh inning gave Cleveland State a split of its Horizon League opening doubleheader with UIC. The Flames claimed the first game, 12-0 in six innings before dropping the nightcap, 4-3.

The first game loss snapped CSU's 10-game winning streak and moved CSU to 20-8 on the season and 1-1 in league play while UIC improved to 8-23 overall and 1-1.

"This was a weird day," CSU head coach Angie Nicholson said. "We had good practices all week long but then in the first game, we absolutely laid an egg. There was nothing positive about the game at all.

"Then we took a 20-minute break and we were a different team, playing like we were capable of doing. Jessica (Burt) started it off with a big hit and then Tess (Sito) really came through with a strong effort in the circle.

"Not only could we not get a big hit in the first game, we barely got a hit. Then in the nightcap, Megan (Bashak), Tess and Amy really came through for us. Hopefully, that is a good sign."

After the Vikings managed just one hit and three base-runners in the opener, Burt led off the bottom of the first by lining a triple off the wall in straight away centerfield, coming into to score when the Christie Seddon's relay throw to third was wild and went down the line into left field.

CSU made it 2-0 in the fourth when Sito, who was batting cleanup for the first time in her career, lined a two-out home run to centerfield. The ball barely cleared the 10-foot fence for Sito's team-leading 11th homer of the year, the second-highest season total in Viking history and two short of teammate Lia Gordon's team record set last season.

UIC tied the game in the fifth. With a runner at second and two out, Melinda Macias beat out an infield single that moved pinch-runner Kara Komp to third and Komp scored when the throw from Dara Toman to first base was wide, eluding Katelyn Ciminelli. Macias then came around to score on a double by Stephanie Chavez.

The Flames took a 3-2 lead in the sixth on a Carly Demarco RBI single. The inning could have been much worse but with runners at first and second and one out, Toman made a diving catch on a line drive by Kelsey Sturgeon and then doubled up Demarco, who had left second on contact.

Burt manufactured a run to tie the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the frame when she led off with a single and stole second, her 18th steal in 18 attempts this season. Burt went to third on a wild pitch and came into score on Bashak's seeing-eye single through the right side.

Sito, who made her third start of the season in the circle, gave way to Amanda Macenko after throwing six strong innings, allowing three runs on seven hits.

With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Powell turned on a pitch from Devin Miller and lined a shot down the left field line that bounced off the foul pole for her first homer of the year and gave CSU a 4-3 win.

"Amy hits ball after ball after ball out during practice but until today, she hasn't been able to transfer it to a game," Nicholson said. "That was a big time hit and it couldn't have come at a better time"

Macenko threw a scoreless seventh inning to improve to 16-8 on the season, recording her 96th career victory. Miller, who threw a one-hitter in the opener, allowed four runs (three earned) on seven hits to move to 3-9 on the year.

The opener was a nightmare for the Viking bullpen.

Macenko started and solo homers by Melinda Macias, Stephanie\ Chavez and Coryn Schmit as CSU trailed, 3-0, in the fifth.

With one out in the fifth, Christie Seddon singled and came around to score on a double by Macias, one of six hits on the day for the Flames centerfielder.

Nicholson turned to her bullpen, bringing in freshman Brandy Holmes to replace Macenko and the game only got worse as Holmes allowed seven runs (six earned) on seven hits in one inning. Junior Kala Allred finished off the game, retiring the two hitters she faced but by then, UIC had a 12-0 advantage.

The Vikings managed just one hit, an infield single by Gabby Gillilan in the fifth.

"It was good that we were able to bounce back in the second game. That was the team that had won 10 straight, not the one that played in the first game," Nicholson said.

The two teams will finish the three-game series on Saturday with a single game at 12:00 noon at Viking Field.