May 10, 2009

Box Score

PENDLETON, Ind. - Melinda Macias' two-run homer in the sixth to cut Cleveland State's lead to a pair of runs, but were unable to stage a rally in the seventh as the Flames fell to the Vikings, 4-2 in Sunday's Horizon League Championship game.

The Flames (27-26) opened the game with outstanding defense, as starting pitcher Sarah Clynes struck out a pair to get out of a bases loaded jam in the second.

Brooke Frydendall was named the tournament's defensive specialist as she earned the fielding award on the heels of a fantastic performance on Saturday against Wright State and the Vikings, as well as outstanding display this morning.

The junior turned two double plays, one in the third to close out the inning, and again in the fourth which would be crucial as it would prevent a Viking baserunner to advance to third, and the game remained scoreless through four innings.

The league pitcher of the year, Amanda Macenko, kept the Flames hitless through three innings through popouts and infield groundouts, with Stephanie Chavez breaking up the no-no with two-outs in the fourth with a single straight up the middle.

Frydendall would make it back-to-back hits off of Macenko with a linedrive at the Vikings shortstop to get two on. But yesterday's consecutive home run hitter, Melissa Marinacci would be unable to move the baserunners as Macenko threw her first K of the day to end the inning with two Flames on base.

CSU put up the first runs of the game in the fifth with a two-out double to center that would drive in a pair who reached on outfield singles earlier in the inning, putting the Vikings up 2-0.

In the past two contests against Cleveland, the Flames would answer back in the bottom of the frame, as was the case on Friday and Saturday's opening innings, but were unable to steal the momentum back in UIC's favor as the Vikings turned their first double play of the tournament against the Flames, closing out the fifth with the two-run lead.

Through five, UIC had picked up a pair of infield errors off of ground balls that took bad bounces that would end up being meaningless, but miscommunication in the outfield with two outs and runners on first and second allowed a centerfield fly ball to drop and both CSU baserunners came in to score, extending the Vikings lead to four.

After only picking up three hits through five innings, a three-hit sixth inning would put the Flames on the board. With one out and Carly DeMarco on first after opening the inning with a hit to the shortstop that she speedily beat out at first, Melinda Macias cut the lead to two with a deep hit to left center that would bounce off of the centerfielder's glove and over the wall for a two-run homer.

A pair of outfield flyouts and a popup to Shannon Kehr at second base would keep the Vikings from scoring in the seventh, giving the Flames a chance to battle back in the contest.

y00.html" >Ashley Hewett opened the inning with a single straight up the middle past Macenko, and Claire Donyanavard, pinch hitting for Kehr would get hit in the shin with a full count to move Hewett to second. An outfield flyout moved Hewett to third, and after DeMarco fell victim to Macenko's second and last strikeout of the contest, Clynes, in what would be her last at bat as a Flame, hit a ball into the left centerfield gap which looked to bring in Hewett in, but a diving snowcone catch from the leftfielder closed out the game in the Vikings favor.

Frydendall, Hewett and Marinacci were named to the all-tournament team for their efforts over the five-game tournament.

Chavez would go 2-for-3, and Macias drove in the two runs of the day with her fourth home run of the season.

The Vikings move to 35-16 on the season and receive the league's automatic NCAA Regional berth for Cleveland State's first Horizon League championship since 1997.