Fort Wayne, IN-The Cleveland State softball team split a doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon at Purdue Fort Wayne to close out a three-game midweek series. All three games were tightly contested with the Vikings taking the first game of the day 7-4 in extra innings before falling in the second game 4-3.
 
Cleveland State took the series opener yesterday and two of three overall for the series. Cleveland State saw its winning streak come to an end at 10 games but the Vikings continued a streak of six consecutive series victories to start conference play. Cleveland State is 15-3 in the Horizon League and remains in first place. Purdue Fort Wayne is 8-6 in league games. CSU is 20-15 overall.
 
In the opener Purdue Fort Wayne took an early lead with two runs in the bottom of the third inning. Cleveland State answered back with four runs in the top of the fifth to take the lead. Delaney Ellis connected on an RBI single for the first run of the inning and the Viking rally prompted a PFW pitching change. Following the change three consecutive hit batsman pushed two more runs across to give the Vikings the lead. An RBI sacrifice fly from Haley West scored the fourth run of the inning.
 
The Mastodons answered back with two of their own to tie the score at 4 headed to the late innings. Neither team pushed a run across in the sixth or seventh setting the stage for extra innings. Cleveland State once again used the home run ball to surge ahead as the Horizon League home run leaders hit two more in the top of the eighth. Brooke Albaugh launched a solo shot to left field on the first pitch she saw to put Cleveland State back in front and Emma Gilkerson followed later in the inning with a two-run shot to make it 7-4. The home runs were Albaugh's fourth and Gilkerson's team-leading ninth of the season.
 
Melissa Holzopfel went the distance for her 14^th win of the season and set a new career mark with 18 strikeouts. Holzopfel walked just two batters and eclipsed 700 strikeouts in her Cleveland State career.
 
In game two Cleveland State took the early lead as the Vikings tallied a run in the second and two more in the third. Sophie Spellman provided an RBI double in the second scoring Peyton Mueller Stenz. Delaney Ellis and Gilkerson posted RBI hits in the third to make it 3-0.
 
Starting pitcher Katie McDonald cruised through the first three frames allowing just one hit but Purdue Fort Wayne got to her in the fourth and fifth as it was the Mastodons' turn to utlize the long ball. PFW clubbed three home runs which provided all four of its runs in game two. The Mastodons jumped in front 4-3 on a solo shot in the sixth that proved to be the difference.
 
Cleveland State put a runner on in the seventh but could not push the tying run across. The Vikings have the weekend off before returning to Viking Field next weekend, April 25-26, for the final home series of the season against Robert Morris.