Jonker not pleased with team’s home-opener performance
Freshman outfielder Macy Tolfree runs to first base March 28 at Margo Jonker Stadium.
Returning to Mount Pleasant to play at Margo Jonker Stadium for the first time this season was supposed to be a special occasion the Central Michigan University softball team.
The Chippewas dropped both games of their doubleheader to Ball State University by scores of 14-7 and 9-5 respectively, falling to 8-15 on the season and 0-2 in Mid-American Conference play.
“It’s always good to come back home, but it’s disappointing to me when we don’t play very well in front of our home fans,” Head Coach Margo Jonker said. “We have so much support from so many different people. It’s just so disappointing.”
Game 1
For six innings in game one against the Cardinals it seemed as if the Chippewas would cruise to victory, scoring six runs in the bottom of the second inning.
CMU maintained a 6-3 lead, playing error-free going into Ball State’s final at-bat in the top of the seventh inning.
The Cardinals then scored 11 runs on seven hits, including a 3-run home run and won the game with a last-inning comeback.
“The whole thing broke down for us (in the seventh inning)," Jonker said. "We had a couple balls go through third base and, all of a sudden, it got in our heads a little bit.”
Game 2
CMU grabbed the lead early, scoring two runs in the second and third innings, only to have the Cardinals come back to score two in the third, fourth and sixth innings.
According to Jonker, defense and pitching were the two primary problems afflicting her team on Saturday.
"Our defense and pitching broke down,” Jonker said.
Offensive Highlights
Despite the two home losses at the hands of the Cardinals, collectively the Chippewas tallied 21 total hits during the two games. Senior right fielder Kristen Kuhlman went 2-for-3 with three runs batted in during game one, which included a bases-clearing triple to put CMU up by a sizeable margin.
“There were a couple good things I saw out of (Kuhlman) and I'm really excited with the way she's playing,” Jonker said.
Kulman’s batting average now leads the team at .346.
Junior second baseman Chelsea DeLamielleure, whose average sits at .296 on the season, was another source of offensive stability in the two losses.
DeLamielleure smacked a home run to right center field during the Chippewas’ final at-bat of the afternoon, making her the team leader in home runs with three on the season.
She, along with freshman left fielder Lacy Tolfree and senior center fielder Sara Hansen had multi-hit games, with Tolfree and Hansen reaching base twice on a pair of base hits each.
