The softball team continued its offensive struggles during an 8-0 loss to Oakland University on Wednesday at Margo Jonker Stadium.

Freshman Courtney King started for the Chippewas but was replaced after just two innings. She allowed two runs (one earned run), two hits and walked four batters.

“We are not getting it done in the box or the circle,” said coach Margo Jonker. “We didn’t pitch well. We threw too many pitches down the middle.”

King’s day ended after she gave up a two-run home run to senior infielder Caitlin Lynch, who led off the third inning. Sophomore Kim Campbell took the circle for CMU in the third inning and allowed two more runs on junior Haley Emerson’s double and junior Ashley Sullivan’s RBI single.

Jonker said the team failed to follow through on its game plan to break out of its offensive slump.

“We wanted to get ahead of the batter and offensively we wanted to score the first run,” she said. “I think we faltered in a number of areas, but without scoring runs it doesn’t really matter. You have got to score runs no matter what, bottom line.”

The game remained 4-0 until the top of the fifth inning, when junior Anne Cicchini knocked two runs in with a single. She advanced to third base on an error by freshman left fielder Ashley Gilson. The Golden Grizzlies added two runs in the sixth inning on four hits.

Campbell allowed six runs on nine hits and walked three in four innings.

“She got behind in the count and threw the ball down the middle too much,” Jonker said. “She also walked too many people.”

Brittini Merchant was perfect from the plate despite the team’s struggles. She went 2-for-2 and walked once.

“She has put in extra time hitting in the last week and that has paid off,” Jonker said.

Sophomore Amanda Patrick said she felt embarrassed because she thought her team was better than it showed.

“We are better than they are,” she said. “Coach said that if they were to recruit any of us we probably wouldn’t have gone there because we are such a better school than that one. So, that was pretty embarrassing and we are not proud of it.”

King picked up the loss in the game which dropped her to 0-3 on the season. OU’s Jessica Granger improved her record to 8-8.

The Chippewas will try to bounce back when they play Akron and Ohio in back-to-back doubleheaders starting Friday in Akron, Ohio.

sports@cm-life.com

E-mail the author: Jacob Lougheed