Softball optimistic as Eagles come to town


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Greg Cornwell | Staff Photographer The Chippewas celebrate on the mound after a defensive play during a doubleheader against Ball State March 28 at Margo Jonker Stadium.

With the postponement of a double-header at Oakland University earlier this week, Central Michigan University’s softball team is set to return home this weekend.

CMU, which is 13-13 (3-3 in Mid-American Conference), will take on the 9-22 (1-4 MAC) Eastern Michigan University Eagles at 2 p.m. Saturday and at 1 p.m. Sunday at Margo Jonker Stadium.

It will be an opportunity for the team to claim their first win at home this season.

The Chippewas won both games they played against the Eagles in Ypsilanti last season by scores of 9-7 and 7-1.

“I don’t know if it’s matter of confidence,” said Head Coach Margo Jonker. “(EMU) is in the league and we want to beat everybody in the league.”

The Chippewas struggled in their two home-opening losses to Ball State on

March 28, giving up a total of 23 runs in two games.

Since then, Jonker’s team has played a more inspired and confident type of softball. With tighter defensive play accompanied by better pitching, CMU appears to have turned a corner, the Chippewas say.

Junior first baseman and catcher Katelyn Rentschler supplied the team with power hitting last weekend, hitting three home runs with six runs batted in during a 14-3 victory over Ohio University last Friday.

“It was amazing,” Rentschler said. “I wasn’t trying to hit home runs, I was just trying to get a good part of the ball with the bat and it just happened to go out. My teammates were as excited as I was. It was a fun time in the dugout.”

Rentschler, who has been hitting out of the fourth spot in the lineup for most of the season, has progressed into her role as cleanup hitter.

The Etiwanda, Calif. native is hitting .329 through 23 games this season. Her 21 RBIs and .632 slugging percent leads the team.

Having won five of their previous six games, the Chippewas have reason to be optimistic as they prepare to play their in-state rivals in front of their home fans.

“I think everybody in the country sees hitting as either contagious or not contagious. That’s the way it goes,” Jonker said. “Obviously we always need someone to set the tone, someone to be the sparkplug and for everybody else to jump on board.”

As a team, CMU has a collective batting average of .270 after 29 games played, which puts them in eighth-place in the MAC out of 12 schools.

The Chippewas are also eighth in the conference with a combined fielding percent of .952.

 

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