Sisterly love on the diamond: Cory, Chelsea DeLamielleure meshing well together
It all came down to a combined family decision that brought both Cory and Chelsea DeLamielleure to the Central Michigan University softball team.
“We were only recruiting Cory at the time and then we heard that the family decided that they wanted to play at the same school," said head coach Margo Jonker. "So we did some quicker recruiting to get them both here."
Before their final decision was made, the family obviously had some traveling to do in order to make the right choice. Mid-American Conference foe Eastern Michigan was after them, and that certainly wasn't an option for coach Jonker and the team. One of the final factors in bringing the sisters to Mount Pleasant, agreed upon by the entire family, was the campus itself.
"We liked the environment and the campus and how it was a little closer together than others," Cory said. "We also loved the facilities and how up to date they were."
The two sisters have been playing softball together since they were little and they have brought their family chemistry to the team. At Regina High School in Warren, Cory played catcher while Chelsea was the team’s ace pitcher.
“They have two completely different personalities, like day and night, but they are still great sisters," Jonker said. "They both have great competitiveness and love for the game and each other."
Cory continues to play catcher for the Chippewas and has started in all 22 games this season. Struggling at the plate this year with only a .164 batting average on 55 at-bats, she has still piled up seven RBI on nine hits, indicating some timely hitting. Behind the plate this year, Cory has a sterling .973 fielding percentage and has been managing a veteran pitching staff to the lowest ERA and opponents’ batting average in the conference.
Chelsea, a sophomore, has not been in as much action this year, but has taken full advantage of the opportunity when given. After being named to the MAC All-Freshman team last year, Chelsea has gone on to hit .286 in 14 at-bats this year.
When asked about their favorite thing about playing with their sister, both responded with “We know each other like back of our hands.”
“(Cory) always knows exactly what to say to me and when to say it," Chelsea said. "I think our relationship creates a good vibe and energy and that brings us together, adding to the already great team chemistry that we have.”
Not only do the sisters bring a great atmosphere to the team, they also have the ability to play all over the field. Cory not only has been doing a great job behind the plate, but also has the ability to play several infield positions when needed. Chelsea started last season off playing second base, but finished the season at third base. They both possess fielding percentages over .950 this year.
