CarolAnn Sexauer has strong showing at Lobos Classic
Sophomore CarolAnn Sexauer started off the softball season with a solid performance at the plate this weekend in the New Mexico Lobos Classic.
Sexauer batted .412 on the weekend with six RBI, including two home runs.
In the first game Friday against Bradley, Sexauer batted in senior Macy Merchant after a Bradley error on Sexauer's bunt. CMU won 4-0 but fell in the next game against New Mexico.
After being shut out for the first four innings of Game 2, Sexauer was able to end the drought with a double to left-center field. She was then batted in by a long fly ball by junior catcher Cory DeLamielleur to tie the game.
This would be the only run by the Chippewas, who lost to the Lobos, 4-1.
In the second day of the tournament, Sexauer was most productive with her at-bats, racking up her six RBI. Against Hampton, Sexauer helped a five-run rally in the first inning after smashing a three-run home run to give CMU the lead.
She would go on to earn three hits in four at-bats as her team defeated Hampton, 8-6.
In the fourth of five games this weekend, the shortstop recorded three hits and one RBI. Sexauer helped put the Chippewas up 2-0 over IPFW after junior Brittney Horan batted her in with a single to left field.
CMU began to fall to IPFW in the third inning after giving up three runs. The Chippewas tied the game, 4-4, and went into extra innings where they couldn't hold off IPFW. The Mastadons scored six runs off five hits to put it ahead 10-4.
Sexauer tried to lead a comeback in the eighth inning after Merchant batted in junior Raechel Zharn with her second home run of the weekend, but it was not enough to give CMU a victory.
Sunday's final game of the tournament proved to be a struggle for Central Michigan batters, including Sexauer who went hitless with two at-bats in the second loss against the Lobos.
New Mexico shut the Chippewas down all night, scoring four runs in the first inning and getting eight hits off of senior pitcher Kara Dornbos. The loss put CMU at 2-3 to start the season.
On the infield, Sexauer was a tough defender. In her freshman season, she started all 57 games. She was impressive at the plate last year and finished third on the team in batting (.303) and had a team-high 14 doubles.
Sexauer was also second on the team in home runs, hitting five. She begins this season with two.
