Vikings Advance to Championship Game After a Thrilling 3-2 Win Over Wright State

CLEVELAND - No. 1 Cleveland State (44-13) advances to the title game after a 3-2 win over No. 2 Wright State (27-28-1) in Game 7 of the 2010 Horizon League Championship.  The Raiders will now play the winner of No. 4 Valparaiso and No. 5 Green Bay in Game 9 on Saturday.

Wright State took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning, as junior Justine Shilt was called safe at home after she stole third and continued running on a Cleveland State throwing error.

CSU knotted the game at 1-1 when Raider Sharon Palma’s wild pitch sent Viking Megan Bashak home from third.  Bashak just beat the play at home as she slid underneath the tag applied by Palma.

The game remained tied until the top of the sixth inning when Wright State’s Mollie Berry was able to reach first base on a Cleveland State fielding error.  Raider Amanda Bradshaw took advantage of the CSU miscue as she safely ran home from third base, giving WSU the 2-1 lead.

The Vikings wasted no time answering back as first basemen Lia Gordon scored on a Mimi Mahon single to right field.  The poke snapped an 18 at-bat hitting streak for the senior.  Later that inning with the bases loaded, freshman Gabby Gillian was able to cross home plate as teammate Jessica Burt was walked.  Cleveland State held the 3-2 edge for the remainder of the contest.

The Wright State loss snapped a nine-game winning streak at Viking Field during Horizon League Championship play, spanning back to 2003.

Game 8 features No. 4 Valparaiso vs. No. 5 Green Bay in a rematch of the championship’s first contest.  Valpo won the first meeting by a final score of 4-0.