May 13, 2010
Final Stats
Contact: Brian McCann
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Amy Powell's two-out bases loaded single in the bottom of the eighth inning lifted Cleveland State to a 1-0 victory over Valparaiso, sending the Vikings into Friday's semi-finals of the 2010 Horizon League Softball Championship, which is being played at Viking Field on the Cleveland State campus.
In a classic dual between two of the top pitchers in the Horizon League, the Vikings scraped together three hits and a walk in the eighth to improve to 43-13 on the year. CSU will face the Wright State at 2:30 p.m. on Friday. The Raiders rallied from a 7-0 deficit to defeat Butler, 11-9.
"Every game in this tournament is going to be a battle," CSU head coach Angie Nicholson said. "Once we got through the first couple of innings, I knew that the winning team was going to be the first one to come up with a timely hit and we were fortunate that it was us.
"It doesn't mean anything that we won the league by a large margin because each of the teams in the tourney have the ability to beat us. Today was a great example. If the big hit had been in Valpo's favor, the game could have gone the other way.
"Even though we didn't hit as well as we could have, we came through in every other phase of the game. Our defense and pitching was superb and we battled at the plate, especially late in the game.
Battle the Vikings did.
Megan Bashak led off the decisive bottom of the eighth with a single that came on the 11th pitch of the at-bat. In the seventh, Gabby Gillilan extended Valpo starter Alex Lagesse to 16 pitches before grounding out, part of 146 pitches thrown by Lagesse in the contest.
With Bashak on first in the eighth, Tess Sito lined a double down the right field line that sent Bashak to third. Following an intentional walk to Katelyn Ciminelli to load the bases, Lia Gordon struck out on 11 pitches before Powell lined a single up the middle that eluded Valparaiso shortstop Jessie Marinec and bounded into center field.
"Amy has come through all season for us when we needed a big hit," Nicholson said. "When she got to two strikes, she just shortened her stroke and tried to put the ball on the bat. The pitch was inside but she was able to make a good swing and line the ball back up the middle."
The win allowed senior Amanda Macenko, who entered the week leading the nation in victories this season, to improve to 37-13 on the year. She went all eight innings, allowing just three hits, striking out 10 and walking one.
"Amanda has been throwing as well lately as she has at any time in her career," Nicholson said. "She is your typical senior who knows her days in a Viking uniform are almost over and she refuses to leave anything on the field."
After giving up a walk to Joylynn Ichyama with one out in the second, Macenko retired six straight batters before Jill Jacobson single with one out in the third. Jacobson was promptly thrown out trying to steal by Powell, who has now gunned down 10 of the 16 runners attempting to steal in league play this year.
Macenko allowed hits in both the fourth and fifth, but settled down, setting down the final 10 batters she faced.
The loss went to Lagesse, who gave up seven hits in 7.2 innings, striking out seven with just one walk.
Burt had two of CSU's seven hits in the game, including a lead-off double in the first inning that allowed her to break the school record with 17 doubles this season.
In other tournament games on the first day, fourth-seeded Valparaiso defeated No 5 Green Bay and No. 6 Butler out-lasted No. 3 UIC, 4-1, in 11 innings in first round games.
Tournament play continues on Friday with UIC facing Valparaiso at 10:00 a.m. and Wright State playing Green Bay at 12:00 noon with the loser of both games being eliminated from the tourney. CSU will then face Butler at 2:30 p.m. with the winner advancing to Saturday's championship game. The winners of the two morning games will meet at 4:30 p.m. with the loser being eliminated.
For complete Horizon League Championship coverage, log on to either CSUVikings.com or HorizonLeague.org.
