Softball uses early run, six-run fourth inning to beat Toledo
The Central Michigan softball team used a fast start and a big fourth inning to beat Toledo 9-1 Saturday for its first Mid-American Conference win.
Center fielder Christina Novak started the offense with a leadoff single, her first of three hits in the game. She stole second and third, her team-leading 17 and 18 of the season, and was sent home on junior Brittini Merchant’s single.
“We set the tone early,” said coach Margo Jonker. “Our bats came alive and Novak stole a couple key bases early.”
But the Rockets stayed within reach until the fourth inning, when CMU scored six runs, four coming with two outs, setting the defense up with an opportunity to end the game early in the fifth with a mercy.
The offensive spree started with a double by Gilson and ended with senior Jill Schulz stealing home. Schulz finished with three hits and an RBI.
Early
The Rockets had a chance to even the score in the bottom of the first after a triple by Katie Ricchio, but junior pitcher Kari Seddon (7-5) got out of the inning unscathed with a groundout to second.
Sophomore Ashley Gilson added a run in the second with a solo home run, her second of the season, and sophomore shortstop Molly Coldren followed suit in the third, her seventh of the season. Coldren finished with two hits on the day and three runs batted in.
A third inning fielding error by Coldren allowed Brooke Gates to reach second, and then score off a Sam Troy single, putting Toledo (7-23) on the board.
The team looked committed an error and had two wild pitches with one out in the bottom of the fifth.
But with runners on first and third, Seddon put the game away, striking out the last two batters. She finished the game with ten strikeouts, allowing one run (unearned) on three hits in five innings.
“We all realized we were playing for ourselves (yesterday) instead of each other,” Coldren said. “Today we realized we needed to play every out and every inning instead of looking at the end result.”
Said Jonker: “The game today was great in all aspects and was truly a Chippewa softball team win."
The teams will meet again at 1 p.m. Sunday at Scott Park. Freshman Kara Dorbos is the projected starter.
“Are pitcher tomorrow needs to have the same fire Kari brought today and if we stay aggressive we can’t be stopped,” Coldren said.
CMU (14-10) advanced to 1-2 in conference play.
