Softball splits double header with Kent State
Sophomore pitcher Rachael Knapp throws to a Ball State batter March 28 at Margo Jonker Stadium.
With a 4-0 win on Friday afternoon, Central Michigan University’s softball team split a double header with Kent State University.
CMU climbs above .500 once again with a record of 18-17 and 6-4 in the Mid-American Conference.
“It was good to come back after our bad first game,” said Head Coach Margo Jonker. “I’m really proud of the kids for working hard, not giving up and fighting for the second game.”
The Chippewas drew first blood in the bottom of the third inning with an RBI double by senior shortstop Trista Cox, plating freshman leftfielder Lacy Tolfree in the process.
Cox went 3-for-4 with an RBI in the victory over the Golden Flashes while junior first baseman Katelyn Rentschler ended her afternoon going 2-for-4 with a run scored.
An inning later CMU extended its lead over KSU on an RBI base hit to right field by senior designated hitter Karly Hansen, scoring her sister, freshman centerfielder Sara Hansen after she tripled to begin the inning.
Sara Hansen’s RBI single in the bottom of the fifth inning made it a 4-0 lead in favor of the Chippewas and that was all the scoring they would need to put away the Golden Flashes.
“Sara (Hansen) does a really nice job for us for a freshman,” Jonker said. “I’m just excited to see how much better she’s going to get by the end of her career.”
Hansen finished the second game going 2-for-3 with a couple of RBIs and a run scored.
Freshman Hanna Warren started in the circle for the Chippewas and earned the win to bring her record to 5-7 on the season.
In a complete-game shutout effort, Warren surrendered five hits and four walks, striking out five batters.
"I thought (Warren) did a nice job. I also thought she tired out a little bit-she hasn't pitched a full game in quite a while," Jonker said. "She really hung on to do a great job to finish it."
The Canton-native also pitched her way out of a bases loaded situation in the top of the sixth inning and a two on, no out jam in the top of inning number seven.
Game One
CMU’s offense was nonexistent in the first game of the double header. Failing to pick up a base hit in the contest until their final at-bat, the Chippewas lost by a margin of 7-0
Senior Karly Hansen broke up the no-hit bid with a pinch-hit single with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning for CMU’s only hit of the contest.
The stagnant Chippewa offense managed to get a handful of runners on base in the loss with some walks but could not put anything together to threaten the KSU lead.
Sophomore Rachael Knapp made her 16th start of the season in the circle. She was handed the loss after going all seven innings, giving up 10 hits and seven earned runs, walking four and striking out six.
Knapp’s record on the season falls to 11-6 overall while her ERA climbs to 2.24.
Opposing Knapp in the circle for the Golden Flashes was senior Emma Johnson. Entering the game with a 14-5 record and a 1.11 ERA, Johnson proved to be too much for CMU’s bats.
Going the distance earning the win for Kent State was Johnson. In defeating the Chippewas, Johnson gave up a single hit, walked four batters and struck out 10.
Kent State scored a pair of runs in the top of the first inning after Knapp walked the first two batters to start the game.
They added five more runs after batting around the lineup in the top of the fifth inning to make it a 7-0 KSU lead.
CMU will play again at 2 p.m. and 1 p.m. respectively on Saturday and Sunday against the University at Buffalo Bulls.
