Wright State captures 2007 Softball Championship with victory over Cleveland State
May 12, 2007
Wright State 7, Cleveland State 3 (8 inn.) - Box ScoreCleveland, Ohio - For the second time in five years, Wright State is heading to the NCAA Tournament, punching their ticket Saturday afternoon with a come-from-behind 7-3 win in eight innings over Cleveland State in the Horizon League championship game at CSU's Viking Field.
Cleveland State scored what turned to be all of its runs in the third. With one out, Christa Coppus reached on a Raider error, advanced to second as Jessica Burt laid down a sacrifice bunt and scored on an Amanda Houchin single up the middle. Michele Penney followed with a single to left center and after moving up to second as the WSU defense tried to get Houchin at third, both runners came in on Sarah Milosek's hit to center.
The Vikings, however, did not have the lead for long as Wright State answered with three of its own in the top of the fourth. CSU pitcher Amanda Macenko (26-10) had retired the first 10 batters she faced, but Kristen Bradshaw broke that up with a double down the left field line and Jherica Williams followed with a triple along the right field line to make it 3-1. A Jamie Perkins single up the middle cut the margin to one and, one out later, Jacqueline Macy tripled to right center on a full count pitch to knock in Perkins from first and tie the game.
Cleveland State had a runner on third with two outs in the fifth, but Perkins struck out Penney to end that threat and Macenko pitched out of a two on, two out situation in the Wright State seventh to force the game into the decisive eighth.
The Raiders loaded the bases with no outs on two Viking errors and a fielder's choice on a Williams bunt, but Macenko retired Perkins on a line out to short. Kristen Farley, however, followed with a double to the gap in right center to drive in three and Erica Schroeder later lined a hit over the second baseman to plate Farley with the fourth run.
Perkins then retired Cleveland State (33-14) in order in the bottom of the eighth to close out the game.
Macy had two hits to pace the Raider offense while Bradshaw and Williams each scored twice.
It's the second trip to the NCAA Tournament for Wright State, who first made the tournament in 2003 under similar circumstances. In 2003, the Raiders were the eighth seed in the Horizon League Tournament and went 4-0 in taking the title in Cleveland, including a come-from-behind 7-5 win over Cleveland State in the championship game on a three-run home run by Stephanie Salas in the seventh. This year, WSU was the seventh seed and again went 4-0 in Cleveland, capped off by the come-from-behind win over the Vikings on Saturday.
Six Raiders received All-Tournament honors, led by Perkins, who was selected for both the MVP and Pitching Awards. Perkins hit .500 in the tournament offensively with four runs scored and in the circle, was 2-0 with a save, did not allow a run and gave up just five hits in 10.2 innings with five strikeouts and no walks.
Also named to the All-Tournament Team was Malerie Klingler, who hit .417 in the tournament; Allison Cox, who earned the win over Butler in the winner's bracket semifinals and hit .400 at the plate; Farley, who along with the three-run double in the championship had two other double and drove in a team-high five overall; and Macy, who .467 with three RBI. Freshman center fielder Briauna Birl rounded out the list of honorees as she was chosen for the Defensive Player Award.
Wright State, now 25-33 on the season, will find out its destination and first-round opponent for the NCAA Tournament Sunday afternoon as the pairings and sites are announced on ESPNEWS from 3-4:00 p.m. (EST).
All-Tournament TeamJamie Perkins, Wright State (MVP) Allison Cox, Wright StateKristen Farley, Wright StateMalerie Klingler, Wright StateJacqueline Macy, Wright StateChrista Coppus, Cleveland StateLia Gordon, Cleveland StateAmanda Macenko, Cleveland StateSarah Clynes, UICBrooke Frydendall, UICJenny Jacobs, ButlerNikki Naffziger, Butler
Batting Champion: Christa Coppus, Cleveland StateDefensive Player: Briauna Birl, Wright StatePitching Award: Jamie Perkins, Wright State
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