Softball Drops Pair to Cleveland State

Saturday, March 29

WSU Softball Field

1:00 PM

Wright State University

11-14, 1-1

Cleveland State (Game 1)

11-5, 1-0

Wright State

Cleveland State

3/29/2008 12:00:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: WSU Athletic Media Relations

Wright State set a new single-season record in home runs by hitting three round trippers on the day, but could not hold on to the lead as Cleveland State rallied with two runs in the bottom of the seventh in both games to take a pair of 4-3 decisions in Horizon League action at the WSU Softball Field Saturday afternoon.

The first Raider home run came in the first inning of the first game as Jherica Williams hit her seventh of the year, a two-run shot to left. Cleveland State answered with a run in the bottom of the frame, but WSU extended the lead to 3-1 in the fifth on the fourth homer of the season by Jamie Perkins to left center, a blast that capped off a 12-pitch at bat.

Perkins' home run was the 26th of the year for Wright State, breaking the previous single-season mark of 25 set by the 1999 squad.

The Vikings, though, cut the margin to one on a RBI double by Christa Coppus in the fifth and then won the game in the seventh as after loading the bases with no outs on hits by Natalie DeMatteis and Danielle Young and Whitney Willard being hit by a pitch, a ground ball off the bat of Coppus was thrown away at the plate as two runs scored.

Cleveland State (12-5, 2-0 Horizon) opened the scoring in the second game with an unearned run in the first, only to see the Raiders go in front an inning later as Bridget Henry singled and Mollie Berry followed with her first collegiate home run to center.

Like the first game, WSU extended the lead to 3-1 in the third on a RBI hit from Williams, but, again like the opener, the Vikings would come back as they scored a run in the sixth and completed the sweep in the seventh on a two-run double by Haley Keller.

Williams had two hits in both games to pace the Wright State offense while Haney had two hits in the second game.

Sharon Palma (6-6) was the tough-luck loser for the Raiders in both games despite giving up just two earned runs in 12.1 innings of work with 12 strikeouts and only two walks.

Wright State, now 11-15 overall and 1-2 in the Horizon League, wraps up the three-game series against Cleveland State with a single game on Sunday starting at noon.