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Softball begins road series at MSU

(04/23/14 3:58am)

Central Michigan softball said farewell to their home field for the remainder of the season last weekend. The Chippewas are set to meet interstate foe Michigan State at 5 p.m. on Wednesday at Secchia Stadium in East Lansing. It will be the first of nine games on the road. The last time the Chippewas met the Spartans was in 2013 at Margo Jonker Stadium during the Indiana Invitational, resulting in a 3-0 win for CMU. In 2012, Central Michigan fell to MSU, 6-1. "If we show up and play our game the way we know how to play, then I think it will still be a great game," said senior outfielder Lauren Bowman. "I think if we show up knowing that we are going to win, then we play a lot better." CMU stands 0-3 against Big Ten Conference opponents this season. MSU won its last Mid-American Conference game, beating Eastern Michigan April 16 on a lone homer in the bottom of the sixth inning. CMU perceives this game as just another team with a name on their jersey, ignoring the in-state rivalry. Senior Chelsea Sundberg said the team needs to stay consistent with their play on offense and defense, instead of focusing on the play of their opponent. On Monday, the Big Ten Conference awarded MSU senior pitcher Kelly Smith Big Ten Pitcher of the Week after her weekend performance. During their game against the Eagles, Smith did not allow a hit – MSU's 20th no-hitter in program history. The Spartans stand 13-29 overall, ranking 10th in the Big Ten. The teams' coaches have past history with one another. MSU head coach Jacquie Joseph, a 1985 CMU graduate, was admitted into CMU's Athletic Hall of Fame last fall. She was part of the 1982 AIAW World Series as well as a CMU softball player, once coached by head coach Margo Jonker, who is in her 35th season. The Chippewas are 28-15 and stand second in the MAC, two games behind Ball State. Following the mid-week game, CMU will travel to Bowling Green to meet for a double-header on Friday.

https://www.cm-life.com/article/2014/04/softball-begins-road-series-at-msu

Knapp now 9-2, only getting better

(04/21/14 3:58am)

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.

https://www.cm-life.com/article/2014/04/knapp-now-9-2-only-getting-better

CMU softball goes down to Western at home

(04/20/14 12:13am)

Central Michigan falls after a tough eight inning battle against Western Michigan. The in-state rivals met in Mount Pleasant at the Margo Jonker Stadium for the two-game battle. Both Central and Western struggled to make a run for seven innings. Mutually the teams fought well defensively, but Western ultimately took the lead with four runs in the extra eighth inning. "Their pitcher did a great job, and our team did not get the job done the way I anticipated," said head coach Margo Jonker. Offensively, CMU made few runs throughout the game, averaging only one hit per-inning. Senior Cory DeLamielleure led offensively with two hits, singling to left in the first and singling to the right in the eighth. Senior Brittney Horan made a stunning diving catch in the top of the sixth, ending the inning for the Broncos. The Broncos topped the eighth inning off well with four runs and four hits made. Western's Ivy Schaaf took the lead by hitting a double to left field and finishing with the first run of the game.  Megan Stamm hit a home run, allowing three RBIs before the final out. This was Stamm's seventh homer of the season. "Defense did a great job. Offensively; we did not get the job done," Jonker said. "I thought the effort was there, energy was there, but the outcome was not." Bronco Allyson Kus (13-14) allowed six hits for the Chippewas. Senior Chelsea Sundberg (9-8) allowed the nine hits made by WMU. Central Michigan still hold on to second place in the Mid-American Conference. The team now holds a record of 6-5 in the MAC, 16-26 overall. The Broncos stand at 7-6 MAC and 16-26. The Chippewas head back to take on the Broncos for game two at the Jonker Stadium, Sunday at 1 p.m.

https://www.cm-life.com/article/2014/04/cmu-softball-goes-down-to-western-at-home