Knapp now 9-2, only getting better
Freshman pitcher Rachael Knapp may be a new face to Central Michigan softball, but the young ball player continues to impress.
She earned her ninth win against WMU on Sunday, pitching her seventh complete game this season.
Knapp has been taking the spotlight as one of the premier freshman players in the Mid-American Conference. She received her first conference award for MAC West Player of the Week on March 10.
During conference play, Knapp has improved rapidly, helping the team win game two against Western Michigan this weekend.
Knapp threw a one-hitter in the Chippewas 4-1 victory.
She allowed one run for WMU, and her pitching opponent Erin Binkowski allowed nine hits and four runs.
After expectations of competing alongside seniors Morgan Yuncker and Chelsea Sundberg, Knapp has been training hard while receiving help from her teammates and coaches. The training has allowed Knapp to adjust to intercollegiate athletics quickly.
Knapp also pitched her eighth win against Buffalo by striking out seven Bills players and allowing three hits on April 11.
Knapp has two shutouts under her belt, against Louisville and Indiana University-Purdue Fort Wayne.
In Knapp's first full game as a pitcher, Knapp was stuck in a bases-loaded jam with no outs April 3 against IPFW. Jonker called a timeout to bring the women around for a pep talk.
"Coach came out and said to take it a pitch at a time, one batter at a time, and that really helped to slow things down and not to worry and have my mind wander," Knapp said.
After Jonker took care of her team, Knapp took it upon herself to get IPFW out of the seventh inning with no runs, and no hits.
In her first season, she has proven her ability to compete with the team's top pitchers.
