Purdue Fort Wayne
14-19, 6-3
Cleveland State
10-23, 6-3
Mastodon Win Streak Comes to an End in Heartbreaking Fashion
4/11/2023 6:48:00 PM | Softball
The Mastodons' nine-game winning streak marks as the second-longest in program history.
Tuesday's game was a battle of the Players of the Week, as Purdue Fort Wayne's Tori Countryman and Cleveland State's Melissa Holzopfel were named Player of the Week and Pitcher of the Week for the Horizon League just 90 minutes before first pitch. Holzopfel won the matchup, throwing all eight innings with eight strikeouts and a solo home run in the first.
Trailing 4-3 in the sixth, the Mastodons scored two to take the lead in the bottom of the inning with a throwing error and a single up the middle. The Mastodons were one out away from picking up the win, but CSU's Emma Gilkerson hit a three-run home run to go up 7-5. The 'Dons responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning to send it to extras. Taryn Jenkins had a triple, Grace Hollopeter had a single, then Sonia Solis had a double. Solis' double was less than a foot away from being a walk-off home run to win it.
In the eighth, Cleveland State put three runs on the board and the Mastodons could not answer in the final half inning.
Taryn Jenkins had three hits from the leadoff spot, including a double and a triple. She also pitched in one of three stolen bases. Brayden Lickey and Brooke Lickey had one steal each. Epiphany Hang, Solis and Bailey Manos each had two hits.
Gracie Brinkerhoff threw 5.1 innings of relief and took the loss to fall to 5-4. Holzopfel got the win to go to 8-7.
Purdue Fort Wayne falls to 14-19, 6-3 Horizon League while Cleveland State pulls even with the 'Dons at 6-3 in the league, 10-23 overall. These two teams will meet again tomorrow (Wednesday, April 12) for a doubleheader at 1 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Melissa Holzopfel (8-7)
L: Brinkerhoff, Gracie (5-4)
Batting:
2B: Meridith Rankl 1 ; Becky Hurosky 1
HR: Becky Hurosky 1 ; Melissa Holzopfel 1 ; Emma Gilkerson 1
RBI: Becky Hurosky 4 ; Melissa Holzopfel 1 ; Peyton Mueller-Stenz 1 ; Emma Gilkerson 3
SH: Emma Gilkerson 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Brooke Albaugh 2 ; Meridith Rankl 1 ; Becky Hurosky 2 ; Jenna Watts 1 ; Melissa Holzopfel 1 ; Peyton Mueller-Stenz 2 ; Emma Gilkerson 1
SB: Emily Yacapraro 1
HBP: Emily Yacapraro 1
Batting:
2B: Jenkins, Taryn 1 ; Solis, Sonia 1 ; Manos, Bailey 1
3B: Jenkins, Taryn 1
RBI: Jenkins, Taryn 1 ; Hollopeter, Grace 2 ; Solis, Sonia 1 ; Manos, Bailey 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Jenkins, Taryn 2 ; Hollopeter, Grace 1 ; Carriere, Ella 1 ; Warne, Taylor 1 ; Lickey, Brooke 1 ; Manos, Bailey 1
SB: Jenkins, Taryn 1 ; Lickey, Brayden 1 ; Lickey, Brooke 1
