Purdue Fort Wayne
Cleveland State
Mastodons Split with Cleveland State
4/22/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 22, 2008
Cleveland, OH - The IPFW softball team split a double header with the Vikings of Cleveland State University on Tuesday afternoon, falling in the opener 11-3 before coming back to claim a 4-1 victory in the nightcap.
IPFW threatened for a run in the top of the first, as the Mastodons put runners on second and third with just one out; but a groundout to third and a strikeout ended the hope. The Vikings followed by reaching the scoreboard first in the contest, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first inning on a pair of RBI singles.
Another run for Cleveland State in the third gave the hosts a 4-0 lead, before the Vikings scored two more to open up a 6-0 advantage.
The `Dons rallied in the sixth inning, scoring three runs in the frame, the first coming when Abby Liden singled in Sarah Swanson, ending the shutout bid for Viking pitcher Amanda Macenko. Tara Mickelson followed with a triple down the right field line, scoring Amanda Olender. The final run of the inning came when Kristina Karpun hit an infield single, scoring Mickelson, and cutting the deficit in half.
CSU erupted in the bottom of the sixth inning, scoring five runs and pushing the game to an 11-3 Viking lead, pushing the game to an eight-run rule.
Liden was 2-for-3 in the game, picking up half of the team's four hits. Mickelson and Karpun picked up the other two hits, as the aforementioned trio each drove in a run. Rachel Staschuk picked up the loss in the circle, pitching five innings, scattering eight hits and allowing six earned runs while striking out four.
In the second game it was the `Dons that reached the scoreboard first when Abby Liden scored on an error by the Cleveland State first baseman. The Vikings evened the score with a run in the bottom of the second inning when Whitney Willard singled, scoring Lia Gordon.
IPFW rallied with three runs in the top of the third inning, as the `Dons loaded the bases, with Karpun driving in Staschuk and Liden with a double, before Mickelson scored on a groundout by Olender.
The run in the third inning would be the last of the game as the contest turned into a pitchers duel, with both teams combining for just four hits in the final four innings.
Each of IPFW's five hits came from five different batters, with Karpun driving in two, and Liden scoring twice.
Amanda Olender went the distance for the `Dons, giving up just one run on eight hits while striking out one.
The squad next travels to Fargo, North Dakota to take on the Bison of North Dakota State University on April 26 and 27.
