Softball falls to Kent State 5-4, finishes weekend 3-1


Softball finished the long weekend of Mid-American Conference games 3-1 after splitting a two-game series with Kent State in a tough extra-innings loss Sunday.

CMU was on a six-game win streak after defeating MAC East rival 3-0 Saturday but were unable to replicate its performance, falling 5-4, in part due to fielding errors and missed opportunities.

“It was a tough game,” said head coach Margo Jonker. “I was proud of us for coming back, but, as a team, I think we just gave it away offensively and defensively.”

Kent State kicked things off with a home run in the first inning, but the Chippewas responded quickly in the second after a RBI single from sophomore Lauren Smith.

The Golden Flashes piled on two runs in the third after an error from freshman left fielder Eve Lorimer allowed runners to score with two outs. Kent State scored again in the fourth, putting it ahead 4-1 from a walk that brought in another runner.

Junior pitcher Chelsea Sundberg was replaced by senior Kara Dorbos, who kept the Golden Flashes down long enough for her team to rally back with three runs in the seventh. Senior Macy Merchant hit a RBI single followed by a two RBI sacrifice ground ball from sophomore CarolAnn Sexauer to tie the game.

In extra innings, the Chippewas put runners on base multiple times but were unable to score and fell to the Golden Flashes after another error brought in the winning run to end the game 5-4.

Merchant led with five hits on the day, three coming from slap bunts where she showcased her speed to beat out throws that would have claimed lesser runners. She tied a school record for most hits in a game, but it would not be enough to win for her team.

The Chippewas played admirably in their previous games, defeating Buffalo handily in two games on Friday. They were able to take advantage of the Bulls’ pitching staff, winning 7-1 and 6-1. Dornbos and Sundberg combined for a strong pitching effort leading into the games against a tough Kent State program.

On Saturday, Central Michigan beat the Golden Flashes with back-to-back home runs from junior Cory DeLamielleur and Sexauer, while Dornbos pitched her second full game of the weekend, striking out six batters in the shut-out victory.

“We did play well all week and to finish it on a loss is not how you want to go,” Jonker said. “So, we have to go back to the drawing board and start all over. We’ll get back and figure it out and be better next week.”

Tuesday, the Chippewas will play Michigan State in East Lansing. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m.

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