Leesburg, FL-The Cleveland State softball team opened its 2025 season with back-to-back doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday at The Spring Games in Leesburg, Florida. The Vikings earned their first win of the season with a 7-1 defeat of Radford in the second game of the day on Friday. The Vikings fell to Rutgers, Liberty and Middle Tennessee and sit at 1-3 through four regular season contests.

Day 1

In the season opener, the Vikings fell to Rutgers 6-2 in a game that featured high scoring out of the gate. The two teams combined for five runs in the first inning, with Rutgers scoring three runs in the top of the first and Cleveland State responding with two in the bottom of the inning.

The Scarlet Knights scored three runs on two hits and two walks. Cleveland State responded in the home half by loading the bases on two walks and a single. Kylie Gorsuch followed with a sacrifice fly to bring home the first run of the day as Sydney Shammo scored. Freshman Delaney Ellis then singled to center field to bring home a second run, scoring Melissa Holzopfel. It was 3-2 Rutgers after one.

Rutgers scored a single run in the second inning and added two more in the sixth to make it 6-2. The Vikings could not push another run across after scoring two in the first inning. Holzopfel went the distance in the circle, giving up one earned run and five unearned runs, as Cleveland State was charged for five errors. She struck out nine and walked three.

In the second game, Cleveland State once again got off to a fast start scoring four runs in the top of the first inning. Cleveland State put two on with two outs at first and second, and once again Gorsuch came through with an RBI hit, singling to center field to score Holzopfel. Ellis then drew a walk to load the bases, and Sophie Spellman followed with the big blow, a triple to right field that cleared the bases scoring Ellis, Gorsuch and Emma Gilkerson. Radford scored its lone run in the first inning to make it a 4-1 game.

The Vikings struck again in the second as Brooke Albaugh roped a one-out single to left field and was sacrificed to second. Holzopfel followed with a double scoring Albaugh to make it 5-1.

Cleveland State padded its lead late with single runs in the sixth and seventh. Albaugh added an RBI single in the sixth that scored Haley West and Ellis hit an RBI double in the seventh to score Holzopfel.

Katie McDonald got the win in the circle going all seven innings while surrendering just five hits and one unearned run. McDonald struck out three and did not walk a batter in helping to lead the Vikings to their first win of the season, 7-1 over Radford.

Day 2

Cleveland State dropped two tough games on the tournament's second day. The Vikings fell to Liberty 7-0 in the first game. The Flames struck for four runs in the second, one in the fifth and two in the sixth in tallying seven runs on 10 hits.

The Viking offense struggled in the first game as Cleveland State had only three hits, all of which were singles, and was tagged for five errors. Avery Robinson made her first start in the circle, surrendering three earned runs and 10 hits.

In the second game, the Vikings fell 2-1 to Middle Tennessee. Cleveland State struck first as Brooke Albaugh led off the bottom of the first with a triple to center field. She came around to score on the same play after a throwing error by the second baseman.

Cleveland State carried the 1-0 lead into the fifth inning as Holzopfel was once again strong in the circle. She allowed just one hit and three baserunners through the first four frames.

The Blue Raiders tied the game in the fifth, putting two runners on with two outs with an RBI single bringing home the tying run.

Middle Tennessee struck again in the top of the seventh. Back-to-back hits, a double and a single, pushed the go-ahead run across to make it 2-1.

The Vikings mustered just three hits the rest of the way after Albaugh's first inning triple and could not push a run across in the home half of the seventh to continue the game. Holzopfel went the distance in the circle for the second time in two days. She struck out seven and walked just one batter while giving up six hits. 

Cleveland State will play one final game to close the weekend against Louisville on Sunday with an 11:00 a.m. first pitch.