Seniors Kari Seddon, Amanda Patrick lead CMU softball to extra innings win at Michigan State
Senior Kari Seddon pitched all 11 innings and Amanda Patrick hit a game-winning three-run homer as CMU softball beat Michigan State 8-3 in East Lansing Tuesday.
“Great win today,” said CMU head coach Margo Jonker. “Kari Seddon pitched a great game today and Patrick obviously had a big hit. We were clicking on all cylinders.”
The two teams went scoreless in three extra innings knotted up at 3 until Patrick, a senior infielder, put the ball over the right field fence, scoring freshman Brittney Horan and sophomore Macy Merchant.
“It was awesome to see,” said Seddon, who was able to enjoy the sight from the on deck circle. “As soon as it hit the bat I knew it was gone.”
Seddon threw her ninth complete game of the year, allowing three runs off eight hits and five strikeouts.
“It was very important to Kari for a number of reasons,” Jonker said. “I’m sure it was nice for her to beat Michigan State.”
Seddon earned her 10th victory of the season and 40th of her career.
“I had great defense today, they made awesome plays to get out of jams,” Seddon said. “Cory (DeLamielleur) did a great job behind the plate framing pitches and my change-up felt good. My ball was moving well.”
Trailing 3-1, Michigan State came back in the bottom of the sixth. Lindsey Hansen hit her second home run of the game — her 15th and 16 this season, respectively — to make the score 3-3.
“One player had (Seddon’s) number, and we just starting walking her,” Jonker said.
The Spartans had several opportunities in extras as they left five runners on base. In the eighth, ninth and 10th innings, MSU put a runner in scoring position but couldn’t capitalize as Seddon pitched her way out of jams in each frame.
“Most innings they had runners on and we just had awesome defense,” Seddon said. “Molly and Brittini (Merchant) made some awesome plays so I just knew we were going to get out of them.”
Junior Molly Coldren scored in the second and fifth from a double and single, respectively. She also added two insurance runs by hitting a two-run homer after Patrick in the 11th.
“I could finally breathe after that,” Seddon said.
Coldren finished the day 3-for-4 with three runs scored, two runs batted in and two walks.
“Molly had a really good day at the plate,” Jonker said. “She was seeing the ball well and hitting pitches in the middle. They started walked her a couple times. They remember two years ago she hit one over the fence against them.”
Beating Michigan State is nothing new to CMU. The Chippewas have beaten MSU in four of the last five years.
“It’s not abnormal,” Jonker said. “You like to beat all your in state rivals.”
CMU will host in-state rival Eastern Michigan on Saturday and Sunday at Margo Jonker Stadium.
