Down by three in the seventh inning, Olivia Pastin stepped into the box ready to start a rally. With a runner on second and one run already in, it was up to Pastin to keep the line moving.
With the stadium quiet enough to hear the birds chirping in the distance, Cleveland State’s starting pitcher, Melissa Holzopfel wound up, and delivered the pitch to Pastin. She didn’t miss a stitch, lining into the outfield. The Vikings center fielder Brooke Albaugh—-with the game on the line—made a miraculous catch to win the game for Cleveland State, 6-3.
In game one, NKU’s bats came alive, scoring seven runs on 11 hits, including a three-spot in both the third and sixth inning. Campbell Beaty and Pastin led the way for the Lady Norse offense, both recording multi-hit performances along with Brielle DiMemmor and Mack Brow being responsible for four hits, three runs and two RBIs combined.
The Lady Norse held a comfortable lead for most of the game. However, entering the seventh inning, with starting pitcher Brooklyn Ballis still on the mound, Cleveland State fought back with a pair of two-run home runs by Brooke Albaugh and Emma Gilkerson to bring the game within one run.
Alicia Flores was summoned from the bullpen and escaped the treacherous inning with a save as the Vikings stranded the tying run at second. Ballis was credited with the win, pitching six innings, giving up five runs on ten hits, and striking out six, as NKU extended their conference win streak to one of a perfect seven games.
In game two, Cleveland State starting pitcher Holzopfel pitched seven innings of three-hit softball, limiting NKU to just one run. NKU was just one for 11 with runners in scoring position and struck out nine times. Their lone run of the game came off a bases-loaded walk that was followed up by a strikeout by Stella Wulker.
The Lady Norse were unable to capitalize on their opportunities on offense and were unable to rely on their pitching to keep them in the game. Flores saved NKU in game one; however she was proven ineffective in game two, allowing four runs on five hits, and walking two.
Kyndall Ford pitched a scoreless seventh, but the damage had already been done as the Vikings snapped NKU’s conference winning streak and evened the series.
In game three, Holzopfel took the mound for her third start of the series. The Lady Norse were eager to get going offensively, but Holzopfel did not waver, tossing her second complete game of the series, allowing three runs on five hits, and striking out seven.
The Cleveland State offense was shut out every inning except for the second, where NKU’s pitching again suffered a disheartening inning, giving up six runs on five hits and leaving no runners on base. This inning would be all that the Vikings needed, winning 6-3 after a rally in the bottom of the seventh by the Lady Norse, where they scored one run on two hits.
NKU stands at 16-16 overall and 7-2 in conference play after letting the series slip away into the hands of Cleveland State.
The Lady Norse offense, which started hot in the first game of the series, went cold in the last two, scoring just four runs on nine hits compared to seven runs on 10 hits. NKU has relied on pitchers Ballis, Ford and Flores, who combined have an ERA of 5.18, a WHIP of 1.77 and a walk-to-strikeout ratio of 1.33.
The Lady Norse still sit in second place in the Horizon League standings but have struggled to find consistency in their offense and pitching productivity.
NKU will take on Robert Morris on the road next Tuesday, April 4 at 3 p.m. as they prepare for a get-right game against a struggling Horizon League opponent.