Softball splits doubleheader, takes two of three at Ball State
Coming off of a three-game sweep of the Toledo Rockets, the Central Michigan softball team took two of three games in a weekend series in Muncie, Indiana against Ball State.
Junior Rachael Knapp pitched a complete game on Friday, as the Chippewas won on Friday 1-0.
In Saturday’s doubleheader, CMU (20-22-1, 7-9-1 Mid-American Conference) dropped game one 2-1, but the offense came alive to take the rubber match 9-2 from the Cardinals (19-29, 5-13 MAC).
“I’m proud of the way our team came back and responded in game two,” said Head Coach Margo Jonker. “There was a controversial call that went against us and I challenged us to step it up.”
Knapp (11-11, 2.89 ERA) pitched her third straight complete game and won her fourth straight start.
“It feels great and it’s huge for our whole team as well,” Knapp said. “We are really just trying to work and pull for each other.”
After scoring two runs total in the first two games, the Chippewa bats exploded in the final game of the series.
CMU did most of its damage in the second inning, when sophomore Lacy Tolfree led off the inning with a single and a stolen base. After a walk to junior Taylor Lewallen, sophomore Sarah Hansen was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
Freshman Allison Curtis drove in Tolfree and Lewallen with a single and senior CarolAnn Sexauer delivered an RBI double to score Hansen and Curtis to go up 5-1.
“The way the offense broke out really just made me relax and gave so much more confidence,” Knapp said. “It was a whole different feeling.”
Sexauer and Lewallen each added RBI singled in the sixth inning, followed by a two-run single by senior Katelyn Rentschler. Sexauer finished the game 2-for-4 with three RBI.
“I thought CarolAnn played very well,” Jonker said. “She’s being a leader on and off the field.”
Sophomore Hanna Warren (7-8, 3.60 ERA) pitched a complete game of her own in game one, but an error from freshman Rachel Viera in the second inning allowed one run to score and led to an RBI single two batters later. CMU was unable to make up the difference.
“Hanna did a great job of locating her pitches. Especially inning two through inning seven,” Jonker said. “I was very proud of her performance.”
The Chippewas currently sit in fourth place in the MAC West Division with six games remaining. The team will be back in action on Wednesday when they travel to Ann Arbor to face No. 3 Michigan.
