May 2, 2010
Final Stats
Contact: Brian McCann
CHICAGO, Ill. -- Freshman Dara Toman hit a pair of home runs and had six RBI to lead Cleveland State to a 8-3 win over Loyola on Sunday, allowing the Vikings to complete the sweep of the three-game series and in the process, set a school record for wins in a season.
The victory improves CSU to 39,-13 on the year, bettering the record of 38 wins set by the 1986 squad. More importantly, with a 19-2 league record, a Horizon League record for conference wins in a season, the Vikings have clinched the regular season league crown and will host the 2010 Horizon League Championship at Viking Field from May 13-15.
"We played very well this weekend," CSU head coach Angie Nicholson said. "We struggled early in the week but we came back with focus this weekend. Because of it, we get to come home and play the rest of our games at Viking Field and that will hopefully be an advantage for us."
The day belonged to Toman, who tied the school records for home runs and RBI's in a game and came within one base of equaling teammate Tess Sito's record of 11 total bases in a game. She joins Sara Milosik (vs. Robert Morris in 2006) and teammates Megan Bashak (vs. Northern Colorado in 2009) and Sito (vs. Tennessee this season) as holder of the RBI record. It is also the 11th time one player hit two home runs in a game.
"Dara has really zoned it at the plate," Nicholson said. "She hit everything hard this weekend, and especially today. She was absolutely crushing the ball."
Toman opened the scoring in the second when she stroke a two-out double to center to score pinch runner Alicia Nichols from third.
It was Toman again in the fourth, belting a three-run home run to left that scored Amy Powell and Gabby Gillilan and gave CSU a 4-0 lead.
The Ramblers exploded for three runs in the fifth, piecing together four hits to close to within 4-3.
Cleveland State pulled away in the sixth. After Gillilan led the inning off with a single, Toman crushed her second home run of the game and 15th of the season, to left center to put the Vikings ahead, 6-3. Caila Ferro and Bashak followed with back-to-back doubles with Bashak eventually scoring ona two-out single by Katelyn Ciminelli to give CSU a five-run cushion.
Gillilan went three-for-four in the game, scoring a pair of runs.
That was all starter Amanda Macenko needed as the senior retired the final six batters she faced to record her 33rd win of the season and the 113th of her career. She earlier broke the league record for career wins and she now ranks 23rd in NCAA history in career wins.
"Amanda had a little blip in the fifth inning today when Loyola was able to put the bat on the ball and find some gaps and seams. Fortunately, she was able to regain her focus and finish the job," Nicholson said.
"I think Amanda is like a lot of seniors who realize that her collegiate days are down to a handful and she isn't going to go away without leaving everything on the field. She was really focused this weekend and, with the exception of one inning, Loyola was not able to put much together against her. That's what it has been like all season."
With six strikeouts in the game Macenko raised her career total to 998, leaving her two shy of becoming the second player in league history to record 1,000 career strikeouts.
The Vikings return home to host Dayton for a single game on Tuesday (May 5) starting at 3:00 p.m. at Viking Field. CSU then closes the regular season with a three-game series against Valparaiso on Sat-Sun., May 8-9.
