Horizon League Softball Championship Game Four: Cleveland State 4, Green Bay 3
May 8, 2008
CHICAGO - Cleveland State University edged the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay 4-3 in nine innings in game four of the Horizon League Championship at Loyola Softball Park. The Vikings will advance to the semifinal round of the winner's bracket and await the winner of game nine. The Phoenix will face the University of Detroit Mercy in game eight at 11:00 a.m. on Friday.
Cleveland State sophomore Amanda Macenko picked up the win and earned her League-best 25th victory on the year. Macenko worked 9.0 innings and struck out 10 batters. The CSU right-hander has struck out 10 or more batters seven times this season.
Green Bay junior left-hander Ama Margelofsky took the loss after she came on in relief for senior starter Anna Bluemel. Bluemel worked 5.0 innings allowed three runs on six hits.
With the win, the Vikings collected their 30th victory on the year and improved to 2-4 in extra inning contests.
Cleveland State took a 1-0 lead in the third inning as sophomore outfielder Jessica Burt singled to centerfield to drive in senior Whitney Willard from second base. Willard reached base after she was hit by a pitch and then stole second. Willard's stolen base was her 21st swipe of the season.
The Vikings added another run in the fourth frame to increase their lead to 2-0. Freshman first-baseman Katelyn Ciminelli led off the inning with a double to left-center field. Junior Amanda Kern then came on to run for Ciminelli. Junior Amanda Houchin came up next and drove in Kern to pick up her second RBI of the year.
Green Bay responded in the top half of the fifth and cut the CSU lead in half to make the count 2-1. Senior Jenna Woepse picked up her fifth RBI of the year as she drove in sophomore Melani Niederer from second.
Green Bay held the Vikings to just one run after Cleveland State loaded the bases with just one out in the sixth inning. Junior infielder Natalie DeMatteis picked up the only RBI of the frame driving in Ciminelli to increase its advantage back to 3-1.
The Phoenix was down to its last out in the top half of the seventh, but freshman outfielder Sara Junion singled up the middle to drive in two runs to tie the game at two and send the contest into extra innings.
In the bottom half of the eighth inning, Cleveland State had a golden opportunity foiled after Green Bay senior Dana Brockman threw out Houchin at home following a two-out single into leftfield from junior Natalie DeMatteis.
In the bottom of the ninth, Willard, who was on third base charged home after CSU junior Christa Coppus hit a ground ball to Green Bay first-baseman Vanessa Lefan. Lefan then threw the ball home and the Phoenix had Willard in a run down, but the CSU junior eluded junior catcher Missy Schleicher's tag to score the game-winning run.
For complete coverage of the 2008 Horizon League Softball Championship check out the tournament homepage at www.horizonleague.org.
