The softball team’s winning streak now stands at a season-high six games after a 3-1 victory over Ball State on Sunday.

“I’m proud of the way our team competed today and all weekend,” said coach Margo Jonker. “It’s been a real team effort this past weekend to get the sweep.”

With only four games left in the regular season, the Chippewas are looking to pick up as much momentum as they can going into the postseason.

“To get on a good winning streak at this point in the season means everything,” said senior Amy Hudson. “The most important part of the season is at the end as we lead into the Mid-American Conference Tournament and hopefully beyond that.”

The team will finish the season with a doubleheader Friday at Kent State and single games Saturday and Sunday against Buffalo.

The dominance of Central’s pitching staff played a big role in the team’s wins all weekend. Sophomore Kari Seddon (9-6) and junior Ali Pettit (10-8) each pitched complete games in their outings.

Run support came from all over for Pettit and Seddon this weekend. Jonker said anyone in her lineup can be counted on to get a hit when the team needs it.

“If one person can’t get it done, we trust the next person can,” she said.

Sophomore Katie Greenman was the first to get it done for Central on Sunday, scoring sophomore Christina Novak on an RBI bunt single for the team’s first run of the game in the third inning.

A double by sophomore Jill Shultz and a single by junior Kim Cozat brought around the other two runs for CMU (25-14 overall, 14-3 MAC) in the only inning in which it scored.

Pettit was able to make that three-run lead stick, giving up only one run on four hits.

Good start

Central had to stage a late game rally to pick up the 10-4 win against BGSU on Saturday.

After falling behind 4-2 in the second inning, the team put up three runs in the sixth and five in the seventh to seal the victory.

“Our bats were a little slow getting going,” Jonker said. “In clutch time, we were able to come through.”

Schultz picked up two RBIs in the seventh with a double to left-center field, scoring Merchant and Novak. Cozat and Kaatz also batted in runners in that inning.

“We played together as a team really well in the end and got the hits that we needed,” Hudson said.

After allowing the four early runs, Seddon was able to shut down the Cardinal offense, allowing only three more hits and no runs from the third inning onward. She also struck out a career-high 12 batters and recorded her 100th strikeout of the year.

The Chippewas put up eight hits in each game Friday to pick up 8-1 and 4-0 wins over Miami.

“We thought Miami was a very tough team going in,” Jonker said. “Scoring in the late innings in those games was crucial. It set the tone for the entire weekend.”

A six-run fifth inning broke things open for Central in the first game. Hudson notched the first RBI of the inning on a single that scored Kaatz. Seddon brought in a run on a sac fly to center, followed by a Merchant double that brought around Novak.

Seddon gave up her only run in the first inning. She allowed six hits in the game while striking out five.

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