University of Toledo
CLEVELAND STATE
Toledo Splits Doubleheader with Cleveland State
4/27/2005 12:00:00 PM | Softball
April 27, 2005
Toledo, OH - The Rockets (24-24) continue to hold their ground at an even .500 on the season with a doubleheader split against visiting Cleveland State (15-22). The Vikings looked as if they would continue their five-game win streak after taking game one, 2-1, but UT rallied back hard in the nightcap to claim a five-inning 12-1 victory. Senior RHP Kim Pettitt (13-12) hurled all 12.0 innings for the Rockets, allowing a total of 13 hits and two earned runs while fanning five batters.
Game one looked promising for the Rockets as they took advantage of an error by CSU's center fielder for an early 1-0 lead after the first inning. Senior 2B Kris Shultz, who led off the inning with a walk, would score off junior SS Gina Muratori's fly ball into CF, which was dropped by Michele Penney. The Vikings' RHP Grace Luginbule worked herself out of the inning with a fly-out and strikeout.
After a scoreless second inning, Cleveland State evened the score by plating one run in the top of the third. With two outs, Luginbule doubled down the left field line to score Amber Lowe.
The fifth inning seemed to play out like the third, as another two-out rally in the fifth by CSU's Luginbule would seal the Rockets' fate in game one. Lowe, who walked and stole second, was again knocked in by Luginbule's stick for the Vikings 2-1 lead.
Luginbule (10-11) held Toledo to one hit in the last three innings of work to take her third-straight victory for Cleveland State. In her complete-game showing, she allowed three hits, two walks and struck out 10 batters. Recording the Rockets' three hits were Shultz (1-for-2, run scored), Muratori (1-for-3) and sophomore CF Erica Singer (1-for-2, walk).
Cleveland State pitching trouble and hot Rocket bats were the catalysts for Toledo's 12-1 nightcap triumph. UT faced three Vikings from the circle, who each threw a total of 1.1 innings, as starter J.J. Thornberry (4-6) would take the loss. Only one Rocket did not connect at the plate, while three others would record multiple hits against CSU.
Toledo jumped on Cleveland State with five runs in the bottom of the second, and did not lossen its grip as it went on to score four in the third and three in the fourth before taking the run-rule victory by the fifth inning.
Singer led off the charge in the second inning with a double to right field. Two walks loaded the bases with Rockets as the Vikings went for a pitching change and placed Luginbule back in the circle. Her first batter, sophomore RF Denise Van Vossen, would walk to plate run number one of the inning. An RBI, single by Shultz plated freshman 1B Megan McCauley, while junior C Jennifer Susman followed it up with a sacrfice fly into left field to score freshman 3B Brittany Robbins. It did not stop there as Muratori stepped up and singled through the right side to score Van Vossen. Shultz would score on the play as well, after a throw into home got past CSU's catcher Jackie Cornelius, which had Shultz wheeling in from third. The throw to the plate from Cornelius to 1B Thornberry was dropped and Shultz was safe for a Toledo 5-0 advantage.
The Vikings could only muster one run in the top of the third to trail by four. On a first and third situation, Michele Penney grounded out to Pettitt as Shannon Graves took the opportunity on the throw to plate CSU's first, and only, run of the game.
Singer started the madness again in the bottom half of the inning with a single to right center. McCauley had the hot bat next, as she connected for her second home run of the season. Two more singles by Susman and Muratori would plate UT's other two runs of the inning as Cleveland State made another pitching change. Christina Swierz took the rubber and worked herself into a jam after walking her first batter, Pettitt, but quickly recovered with a strikeout to end the inning, 9-1.
Three more unaswered runs in the bottom of fourth gave UT the run-rule advantage to strike down the Vikings in five innings. Another CSU error that inning plated senior LF Kate Moxim, who singled. Susman's double would score Van Vossen and Shultz for the 11 run lead and a 12-1 final score.
Pettitt redeemed herself in the circle for game two, allowing seven hits for one earned run. Susman was UT's offensive powerhouse with a 3-for-3 plate performance, including four RBI. Muratori was also a multiple-hit maker going 2-for-4 with two RBI, while Singer followed up with a 2-for-3 showing and two runs scored. As a team, UT strung together 12 hits.
