History Cleveland, OH-The Cleveland State softball team completed a series sweep of Detroit Mercy as the Vikings took both games of a doubleheader at Viking Field on Saturday afternoon. Cleveland State improves to 10-2 in league play and 14-14 overall. The Vikings have a one-half game lead in the standings for first place. Cleveland State took […]
History
Cleveland, OH-The Cleveland State softball team completed a series sweep of Detroit Mercy as the Vikings took both games of a doubleheader at Viking Field on Saturday afternoon. Cleveland State improves to 10-2 in league play and 14-14 overall. The Vikings have a one-half game lead in the standings for first place.
Cleveland State took the first game of the day 1-0 as Melissa Holzopfel tossed her second career no-hitter. Holzopfel allowed just two baserunners in the game on a walk and a hit-by-pitch and struck out eight. An RBI single from Delaney Ellis in the second inning was enough for the Vikings as Cleveland State held on for the 1-0 win.
In the second game, Detroit Mercy took the early advantage scoring two runs in the first inning off of starter Avery Robinson. Holzopfel took over in relief with two outs in the first and worked out of trouble recording the final out of the inning.
The Vikings responded with a run in the bottom of the first and three more in the third. Elllis recorded an RBI groundout in the first which got Cleveland State on the board. Brooke Albaugh scampered home on a wild pitch in the third to tie the score at two and Emma Gilkerson provided the big hit that proved to be the difference with a two-run home run, her seventh of the season, that made it 4-2 Vikings.
Holzopfel continued her dominance as she did not allow a hit over the final six and one-third innings. She added ten more strikeouts in game two to bring her total for the day to 18. She tossed 13 and one-third hitless innings and surrendered just two total hits on the weekend.
Cleveland State returns to the diamond on Tuesday as the Vikings travel to Purdue Fort Wayne for a three-game midweek series.
