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Softball heads into a showdown against Ball State for a lead in the MAC West standings

(04/26/17 3:58pm)

So far this season, the Central Michigan softball team has won all six of it’s three-game sets against Mid-American Conference opponents, putting them atop the MAC West Division.Yet, this weekends competition could make or break their championship goals.Ball State (29-21 overall, 13-5 MAC) is fighting with the Chippewas (30-13, 13-5) for the regular season MAC West title, both ahead of the rest of the division by three games.“We need to focus on every pitch, and every play because they all matter,” junior utility player Sydney Heath said. “We have to work hard at practice everyday and get ourselves prepared for another big week ahead of us.”While the Cardinals don’t play anyone until they head to Mount Pleasant for the weekend series, CMU will play an in-state opponent earlier this week. It’ll be the Michigan State Spartans (25-18, 7-9 Big Ten) that will come to Margo Jonker stadium to compete against the Chippewas at 4 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon. The Spartans come in after beating Eastern Michigan on Tuesday 13-2 in five innings. MSU has now won three of their last four games.Head coach Margo Jonker knows how big of a week this is, but wants to win every game they compete in this week.“We have made it this far, and it’s exactly where we want to be,” Jonker said. “We have a huge weekend set coming up, but we need to take care of Michigan State first. We are fortunate enough to have all of these games at home this week, it will be important that we take advantage of that.”Scouting the Spartans and Cardinals Michigan State has seven players who are hitting above a .300 batting average this season, and that charge is led by junior outfielder Lea Foerster who is hitting .389 on the year. The Portage native is also leading the squad in home runs (10) runs scored (51) and walks (20).Red-shirt junior pitcher Kristina Zalewski (3-6) is the earned run average leader for the Spartans, sitting at a 3.33 average with 56 strikeouts. Bridgette Rainey (12-7) has the most wins for MSU and has a 4.45 ERA with 111 strikeouts to lead the team.The Spartans are just 5-11 in road games this season, with their last true road win coming against Georgia State on March 9. As for the Cardinals, they come in after losing their final game of the weekend to Toledo, but won two of the three games in the series this past weekend.Toledo has a respectable 7-7 record on the road this season, and that will not change until they take on CMU this week.BSU is led by Rachel Houck and Kennedy Wynn who are both hitting .317 on the season while starting over 40 games. Houck leads the team in RBI (31), runs scored (47) and homers (11). Wynn meanwhile, has a pair of home runs and 26 RBI.Carolyn Wilmes (13-10) does most of the starting pitching for the Cardinals, starting 22 of the 30 games she has taken the circle. She has posted a 2.99 ERA with 12 complete games and 123 K’s to lead the team in both categories.What’s Trending for CMUThe Chippewas come off of another solid week, going 4-1 after a double-header sweep of Valparaiso (24-16, 11-7) this past Tuesday and then beating Northern Illinois (22-18, 10-8) two out of the three games they played against them.Junior pitcher Hanna Warren (10-5) took home the MAC West pitcher of the week after going 2-0 in the 12 innings she pitched in, striking out six batters while only allowing six hits and one run.Sophomore utility player Kayla Noch was nominated for a player of the week award in the MAC West after hitting .467 (7-for-15) this past week, with three runs knocked in and two sacrifice hits. She now has eight sacrifice hits in the season to lead the team.The Chippewas honored their 1987 softball team that was one of Jonker’s best teams in the history of the program."It is special anytime alumni come back, especially when teams were highly successful and they obviously were highly successful," Jonker said. "I'm very excited that they'll be back. A lot of them will be here and it'll be great to see them, and I think it's great for our current players to see the tradition and realize it's about more than the current team, but it's about the program.”Jonker is now in her 38th season as the head coach of CMU and is one of the winningest coaches in sports history at the University.That ’87 team is still the only team to earn a berth in the Women’s College World Series, going 37-14 and 11-1 in the MAC.

https://www.cm-life.com/article/2017/04/softball-preview-wrap-up-04-25-17

Softball's Warren takes home MAC Pitcher of the Week

(04/24/17 10:47pm)

Another pitcher from the Central Michigan softball team took home an award this week.Junior pitcher Hanna Warren was named the Mid-American Conference West division pitcher of the week for the first time this season.As CMU went 4-1 this past week, sweeping Valparaiso and taking two of the three games from Northern Illinois last weekend, Warren was responsible for two of the wins.The Canton native pitched 12 innings while posting a 0.58 earned run average with one shutout. Warren struck out a total of six batters over the two games and only allowed six total hits. Warren on the season is now 10-5 overall with a 2.50 ERA, while striking out a total of 56 opposing batters.Another CMU team member who was nominated for player of the week in the MAC was sophomore utility player Kayla Noch.Noch led the Chippewas at the plate with a .467 batting average (7-for-15) and three runs batted in. She also had two sacrifice hits, and leads CMU with eight of those on the season.The Chippewas (30-13 overall, 13-5 MAC) will return to the diamond on Wednesday at 4 p.m. to take on Michigan State at Margo Jonker stadium.

https://www.cm-life.com/article/2017/04/breif-softball-04-24-17

Softball splits double-header, takes series against Northern Illinois

(04/22/17 10:03pm)

Last Friday, the Central Michigan softball team earned the 2-1 win over Northern Illinois, taking the first game of the three-game set.After blowing out the Huskies 9-1 in the first game of the afternoon in five innings, the Huskies got revenge by beating CMU 2-1 in the series finale to take one game.Head coach Margo Jonker said both games had different feels to them.“It was a tale of two games, the first game we did well and played good defense,” Jonker said. “In the second game we made errors and we didn't hit, if I knew the answer to why I would tell you by now but we just need to work on it.”Ball State (29-21 overall, 13-5 Mid-American Conference) lost to Toledo earlier today, leaving the Chippewas (30-13, 13-5) in a tie for first place in the MAC West Division with the Cardinals.The Chippewas scored early in game one. Sophomore center fielder Allison Curtis earned a walk, followed up by a Maison Kalina triple on the first pitch at bat to give CMU a 1-0 lead.The Chippewas didn't stop there. Junior utility player Sydney Heath poked a single between the first and second baseman, bringing Kalina home for their second run of the afternoon.After squandering a good scoring opportunity in the second inning, CMU didn't waste time taking advantage of its next chance.After Kalina led off the inning with a double in the right field gap, sophomore second baseman Rachel Vieira hit a single back up the middle to extend CMU’s lead to 3-0.Sophomore shortstop Kayla Noch laid down a bunt for a suicide squeeze that brought home Kalina from third, and then the throw to first base hit Noch for an error and resulted in a 4-0 CMU leadThe miscues continued for NIU as sophomore third baseman Sam Schmidt bobbled the ball and let it trickle into the outfield, scoring CMU sophomore pinch runner Shanel Waters from second base. Lorimer followed with a triple off the right field wall, which scored Lewallen. CMU was blowing the doors off the Huskies, leading 6-0. Back-to-back singles from Curtis and Kalina to start the fourth inning set up Heath for her three-run homer over the right field fence to give the Chippewas a 9-0 advantage.Junior pitcher Hanna Warren (10-5) closed out the game for the mercy rule in the top of the fifth, as she cruised for most of the afternoon, but did have trouble in the fifth.With the bases loaded and just one out, Warren got a ground ball to second base for the second out, but NIU scored on the play to cut the deficit to 9-1. A ground ball to the short stop on the next at-bat ended the contest.Warren only allowed four hits in the five innings, earning the one run against her with a strikeout and a pair of walks. CMU tallied 10 hits in the first game, with Heath having the biggest afternoon. She went 2-for-3 with a walk and a home run, giving her four runs batted in and one run scored of her own. Kalina also had a solid game going 2-for-3 with a triple and a double, scoring two runs and one RBI.“I just had to make some adjustments today, because the pitcher was throwing a lot of change ups,” Heath said. “I just needed to wait on the ball and be patient, and it worked out for me today. We needed to win these games.”In game two, Knapp got the start for CMU, and she had to work out of some trouble right away.After giving up a single and a walk with two outs, Knapp got a soft ground ball hit to Lewallen at third who just stepped on the base for the force out to end the threat in the top of the first frame.CMU picked up right where it left off in the first game. The inning started with a pair of outs for NIU junior pitcher Keegan Hayes, but she then walked a pair of batters to set up Noch for a single that the outfielders bobbled. Kalina scored from second to give the Chippewas the early 1-0 lead. Starting the third inning, NIU got a couple of runners on base, resulting in a suicide squeeze bunt from first baseman Kayt Grable, scoring the runner from third and tying the game at one run a piece. After a walk to put runners on the corners, NIU stole second base, and on the throw to second, the runner at third came home to give the Huskies the 2-1 lead. Neither team had much going until the bottom of the fifth inning when junior left fielder Lacy Tolfree led the inning off with a single and got to second base with only one out. CMU, however, couldn't get her across the plate keeping the game at 2-1 heading to the sixth frame.The sixth was scoreless, leaving CMU one last chance to get a run in the seventh to potentially sweep the doubleheader. With a runner on second base, Knapp allowed a single to left field, where Tolfree picked up the ball and gunned down the runner at home plate to keep it a one run game.The Chippewas couldn't answer the bell in the bottom of the final frame however, dropping the finale of the day. Knapp picked up the loss, dropping her to 17-8 on the season, while Keegan picked up her sixth win of the year for NIU. Jonker said the team is where it needs to be right now.“This where we want to be, and we certainly can compete for this whole thing,” Jonker said. “We just have to put in the work and get ourselves in the position to win these games.”The Chippewas will welcome Michigan State to Margo Jonker Stadium at 4 p.m. Wednesday before a weekend series against Ball State in a battle of two top teams in the MAC West.

https://www.cm-life.com/article/2017/04/gamer-softball-04-22-17

Softball sweeps Valparaiso in a doubleheader without ace pitcher

(04/19/17 12:11am)

In its first nonconference game in a few weeks, the Central Michigan softball team headed to Indiana for a doubleheader against Valparaiso on Tuesday afternoon. Playing outside their conference didn't shake the Chippewas on any aspect of the games.CMU swept the Crusaders, winning game one 6-0 and 8-0 in game two, hitting three total home runs on the day courtesy of sophomore second baseman Rachel Vieira and sophomore first baseman Erika Underwood.For the first time all season, the six-time Mid-American pitcher of the week Rachael Knapp didn't pitch in a doubleheader — but the Chippewas didn't suffer. Hanna Warren, Laura Vaccaro, and Taylor Weaver combined to throw all 14 innings, allowing just three hits and zero runs on the day. Head coach Margo Jonker said it wasn't only the pitchers that impressed her today.“The battery, which is our pitching, was impressive today so I want to give credit to them,” Jonker said. “In reality though, the defense played outstanding behind them today, not allowing some hard hit balls to touch the ground.”The sweep moved CMU (29-12 overall, 13-4 MAC) a full game ahead of Ball State (27-20, 11-4), in the MAC West Division standings, who did not play on Wednesday.The Chippewas didn't waste anytime getting the scoring started in game one, scoring two runs in the first inning. After a pair of singles to start the inning from sophomore center fielder Allison Curtis and junior left fielder Lacy Tolfree, CMU was able to hit both of them in to score the opening runs of the game. Vieira and designated player Sydney Heath were credited with the runs batted in.In the bottom of the second inning, Warren walked back-to-back batters to put runners on first and second base with only one out, forming an opportunity for Valpo. However, senior infielder Taylor Lewallen ended the threat by stepping on third base and proceeding to toss it across the diamond to complete the double-play and end the second inning.CMU didn't waste time to get back on the scoring trail, and Vieira did it by drilling a solo home run down the left field line in the top of the third inning, extending the Chippewa lead to 3-0.The next few innings went by with no scoring for either side, but in the top of the seventh inning CMU really got to the Crusaders freshman pitcher Lindsay Zdroik.Heath singled again to center field and bagged two more runs batted in for herself to total three on the day, and pushed CMU to a 6-0 lead.Warren came back out to finish the game strong, and did so by retiring Valpo in order, to finish her complete game and earn her ninth win of the season. In what may have been her best performance of the season, Warren only allowed two hits while striking out five and walking three. Playing shortstop for the afternoon, sophomore Kayla Noch had a solid game at the plate, going 3-for-4 that were all singles. Heath went 2-for-4 while driving in three runs, and Vieira went 1-for-3 with a walk, had one run batted in and scored two herself.In the second game it was Vaccaro who got the call, and picked up right where her teammate Warren left off. The sophomore didn't allow a hit until the fourth inning, and only gave up one hit and no runs through five innings of work to earn her second win of the season.    The Chippewas once again started the scoring for the contest, as Heath continued to drive runs in on the day with another single that scored Curtis to give CMU an early 1-0 lead.It was then Vieira for the second time on the afternoon crushing a home run over the left field wall giving CMU the 4-0 lead.Underwood would double later in the third inning to bring home another run, and CMU was already starting the route early with a 5-0 advantage. When it started to pour, it didn't stop for CMU.Curtis hit a double off the top of the right field wall, and it scored Tolfree from second base to extend the Chippewa lead to 7-0.Then to put the icing on the cake in the seventh inning, Underwood went yard for the fourth time this season, and gave CMU a 8-0 lead.Curtis had a solid day at the plate, going 3-for-4, while knocking in a pair of runs and scoring three of her own. Junior pitcher Taylor Weaver would then come in to close out the game for the final two innings, allowing no hits and retiring all six batters she faced in order. Jonker said moving forward, wins like today show what this team is really built of.“I had a fan come up to me today and say, ‘You guys have a great pitching staff, and we didn't even face your number one did we?’ and I told her no,” Jonker said. “It shows that we have players on this team that can step up and compete at anytime.”CMU will head back to Mount Pleasant for a three-game weekend set against Northern Illinois. The first pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. from Margo Jonker Stadium.

https://www.cm-life.com/article/2017/04/gamer-softball-04-18-17

Softball looks to keep winning 'one game at a time'

(04/18/17 1:40pm)

Once again, the Central Michigan softball team wasn't quite perfect this past week, going 3-1 over the four games it competed in.However, neither was Ball State (27-20 overall, 11-4 Mid-American Conference). CMU (26-12, 11-4) is still tied for first place in the MAC West Division.Head coach Margo Jonker said the teams focus isn't that far ahead yet.“We just need to continue to focus on ourselves and not the opponent,” Jonker said. “We have been doing a good job putting swings on the ball lately, and we’ve played good defense. If we keep up those two things every game, we will get where we want to be.”The Chippewas started this past week by completing the season-series sweep of their rival Western Michigan on Wednesday at Margo Jonker stadium, defeating the Broncos 10-2 in five innings.Knapp grabbed the win, which moved CMU into a first place tie with Ball State, going five innings and allowing two earned runs on five hits and one walk. She struck out eight batters.CMU exploded for six runs in the fifth inning to help get to a double-digit scoring day. It was the Chippewas first three hitters (junior left fielder Lacy Tolfree, sophomore center fielder Allison Curtis, and junior catcher Maison Kalina) doing most of the damage with the bats.Tolfree went 3-for-4 in the lead-off slot, getting one run batted in and scoring two of her own. Curtis went a perfect 4-for-4 at the dish, knocking in and scoring two runs. Then Kalina went 1-for-3 with two RBI and one run scored.Next up was a road trip to Toledo, Ohio to take on the Rockets for a three-game weekend series where the Chippewas’ won two of the three contests.The first game on Friday versus the Rockets was the opposite of the team’s previous game against WMU earlier that week, going to nine innings before CMU was finally able to push across a run.Lacy Tolfree hit a single and went on to steal second base, setting up the perfect opportunity for Curtis, and she nailed a double in the left field gap to score Tolfree, eventually being the game winning run in CMU’s 1-0 victory.Toledo’s sophomore pitcher Heather Webb went eight innings before CMU could even get a hit, and it still wasn't enough to beat Knapp. Knapp went the complete game, tossing a shutout while only allowing four hits and she struck out eight hitters.“I was very proud of Knapp and the way she pitched throughout the entire afternoon, and our defense for making the plays behind her,” Jonker said. “However, I was disappointed with how the offense preformed today, we have to be better than that. Luckily, one big hit was enough to win the game today.”To finish the series on Saturday, Knapp (16-7) wasn't as successful in the first game of the double-header on Saturday.The St. Joseph native allowed an unusual eight hits and four runs while only striking out four batters on the afternoon, as the Chippewas fell to Toledo by a final score of 4-2. Jonker said that the fatigue from pitching the nine innings just one day before didn't affect her game."I think it was just an off day for her," Jonker said.Junior Hanna Warren (8-5) got the call to hurl from the circle in the finale of the series, and she pitched a complete seven innings allowing four runs on eight hits while striking out two to get the win, in a 6-4 final.The real hero of the day was junior Sydney Heath who bombed a homer in the top of the seventh inning to eventually be the game winning runs.What’s up Next?The Chippewas will have some out-of-conference competition to start this week, playing Valparaiso in a double-header on Tuesday starting at 3 p.m.The Crusaders come in at 22-13 overall and are riding a three-game winning streak. Junior pitcher Mackenze Grossman leads the team in pitching, coming into this week with a 2.93 earned run average and a 15-7 overall record. The 5-foot-10 pitcher has 85 strikeouts this season.On offense, the Crusaders are led by senior and sophomore infielders Sam Stewart and Carly Trepanier, who both have a .388 batting average and have started all 35 games they've played in.The Chippewas will close out the week back in Mount Pleasant to take on Northern Illinois in one of their final three conference series of the season. The first game is Friday at 3 p.m., and then is closed out with a double-header on Saturday with the first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.The Huskies are led in the circle sophomore pitcher Alex Frenz who has a 3.08 ERA and is 11-6 on the year. Junior pitcher Emma Ray leads the squad in ERA sitting at a solid 2.62 this season.Senior Kayti Grable leads the team with the bat, starting all 37 games she’s played in this season while posting a .400 batting average. She has 46 hits, 29 RBI, 16 runs scored, and seven deep balls.Jonker said that the teams recent winning has been in part of the entire team stepping up when it needs to.“The competition has been really intense, and we found a way to win most of those games,” Jonker said. “Im really proud of the players for coming through, and it’s been different people, which is great.“Knapp had an off day, and then Hanna (Warren) had a great day. Knapp has great days most of the time, but when she doesn't we have other people who can pick her up.”The Chippewas have won seven of their last nine games leading up to this week.

https://www.cm-life.com/article/2017/04/preview-wrapup-softball-04-17-17

CMU escapes possible no hitter with 1-0 victory over Toledo

(04/14/17 9:43pm)

Toledo’s sophomore pitcher Heather Webb went eight innings without allowing a hit to the Central Michigan softball team.It still wasn't enough to beat senior pitcher Rachael Knapp and the Chippewas.Sophomore center fielder Allison Curtis hit a clutch double in the left field gap to win the game for CMU in nine innings of play.Knapp earned her 16th win of the season, going the complete nine innings without allowing a run and only four hits. Knapp also stuck out eight Rocket batters to total 203 K’s on the season.Head coach Margo Jonker said that she wasn't totally satisfied with the teams efforts, but it was enough.“I was very proud of Knapp and the way she pitched throughout the entire afternoon, and our defense for making the plays behind her,” Jonker said. “However, I was disappointed with how the offense preformed today, we have to be better than that. Luckily, one big hit was enough to win the game today."Ball State (26-19 overall, 10-3 Mid-American Conference) beat Eastern Michigan 8-0 today, keeping them tied with CMU (25-11, 10-3) atop the MAC West division standings.The win gave CMU their sixth victory in their last seven contests.In the first couple of innings neither team was able to get much going on offense, with both squads going hitless and only managing a pair of base runners with walks.In the bottom half of the third frame, the Rockets had the first real threat of the game, getting a pair of singles to pot runners on first and second with two outs.However, Knapp was able to get a line out that was hit right at sophomore first baseman Erika Underwood that she snagged with a snow cone catch, ending the threat.After that, no one could get anything going on offense, as Knapp and Webb continued to dominate in the circle throughout the day.The Rockets had a small threat in the bottom of the seventh inning, getting a runner on second base with two outs, but freshman outfielder Maddie Emery who was called upon to pinch hit flew out to end the frame and send the contest into extra innings.In the ninth inning, CMU finally broke through Webb’s dominance with a single from junior right fielder Lacy Tolfree, who proceeded to steal second base, setting up Curtis for the dramatics. Curtis got the game winning double, and Knapp shut down the Rockets in the bottom of the ninth to win the game.Jonker said she was extremely impressed with how Knapp preformed today, but it isn't unusual.“(Knapp) has been doing this all season long, this wasn't even her longest outing of the season,” Jonker said. “It was difficult though, knowing the other pitcher had a no-hitter going and she still found a way to get through the game without allowing anything. Im very proud of her for today.”CMU will return to the same setting tomorrow to take on Toledo once again, but this time it will be a double-header. The first pitch is set for 1 p.m. in Ohio.

https://www.cm-life.com/article/2017/04/gamer-softball-04-14-17

Softball sweeps rival Western Michigan in doubleheader, keeps pace in MAC West

(04/04/17 10:21pm)

After a couple of rain delays before the start of the first game, the Central Michigan softball team was eventually able to play a doubleheader against Western Michigan this afternoon in Kalamazoo.When the rain lightened up, CMU came back with heavy showers of offense.The Chippewas used a little bit of offense and pitching to earn the sweep of their rival on Tuesday afternoon, winning game one 9-0 in five innings and game two 1-0. CMU hit three home runs to lead their offense charge of 10 total runs for the day.Senior pitcher Rachael Knapp and junior pitcher Hanna Warren combined to allow zero runs, nine hits, and six strikeouts in both games to hold down the WMU hitters.Head coach Margo Jonker said that the results the team got today didn't come easy“Western (Michigan) is a very good team, I know their record may not reflect that, but they looked really good at times earlier this season,” Jonker said. “We are very fortunate to get a couple of wins today, Rachael (Knapp) and Hanna (Warren) did a great job holding their offense down.”The Chippewas (21-10 overall, 6-2 Mid-American Conference) remain in second place behind Ball State, who swept Northern Illinois in a double-header on Tuesday. CMU is now alone is second place in the MAC West.In the first game, CMU attacked the Broncos early and it was too much for WMU to overcome. After a scoreless first inning, the Chippewa bats woke up in the top of the second inning, and the WMU’s never did.A couple of hits led off the inning, senior catcher Danielle Marlink started the scoring with a single back up the middle to get the first run batted in of the game. That was followed up with another RBI single from sophomore center fielder Allison Curtis, giving CMU the 2-0 advantage.It was then junior catcher Maison Kalina who hit singled to deep center, scoring two runs, which gave the Chippewas some breathing room with a 4-0 lead.They didn't let off the gas pedal.Sophomore first baseman Erika Underwood hit a bloop single, scoring another run, before the flood gates officially opened.Utility infielder Rachel Vieira hit a 3-run home run, her third big fly of the season, to give the Chippewas a comfortable 8-0 lead.CMU tacked on one more run in the third inning, and the game was called after 5 innings of play with the mercy rule in effect. Knapp continued her dominance, pitching all five innings while allowing just one hit and struck out four batters. Knapp picked up her 12th win and has a 1.52 earned run average on the season.In game two, it was the pitching that took over for both teams in a tightly contested game until the finish.It was sophomore pitcher Jordan Kurth for WMU and junior pitcher Hanna Warren for the Chippewas in the circle, and they battled back and fourth all game long, allowing a low amount of hits.CMU struck first in the second inning thanks to a bomb from Underwood that carried out over the left field wall, giving CMU the 1-0 advantage.It turned out to be all the Chippewas would need to get the victory, thanks to the performance of Warren.Warren went 6.2 innings, when the Broncos showed a final sign of life, getting runners on the corners with two outs.Jonker elected to go with Knapp to get the last out, and it turned out to be the right decision, as she got a harmless pop out to finish the game.Warren improved to 7-4 on the season, striking out two batters and only allowing six hits for the game. Knapp got her second save of the season by getting the final out. Jonker said it was her decision to make the change late in the game.“I made the decision because it just seemed like a better matchup and obviously we didn't have a lot of room for error,” Jonker said. “Hanna gave us everything she had, and it was just the a better match up to me to have Knapp finish the game with the timing of the at-bat.”CMU will stay on the road for their next contest against Akron. The game will be on Friday at 3 p.m. from Lee R. Jackson field. “Akron is a completely different team that who we played against today here in Western Michigan,” Jonker said. “They play with a lot of speed in all different kind of areas, so we need to come to the field ready for a fight.”

https://www.cm-life.com/article/2017/04/gamer-softball-04-04-17

Softball begins five-game road trip with Western Michigan

(04/04/17 2:47pm)

While the Central Michigan softball team was having lots of success over the past couple of weeks winning a majority of their games, the team has had a sudden tough stretch.Following a nine game winning streak, CMU has now lost three of their last five games, finishing the eight-game home stand with a 5-3 record.Despite the recent losses, CMU (19-10 overall, 4-2 Mid-American Conference) is tied with Ball State for second place in the MAC West, just one game back from the first place Northern Illinois Huskies.As head coach Margo Jonker said, she doesn't see the recent losses setting this team back very much.“I don’t have to be worried about this team when it comes to being ready for the next game, they want to play,” Jonker said. “We’ve got a lot of players who have been here for awhile and have been through rough stretches. It hasn't stopped them before, it can imagine it stopping them now.”CMU splits last weekLast Tuesday began the final four games of the Chippewas home stand when they took on the at the time No. 20 Michigan Wolverines.It was a high anticipated pitching duel between a pair of seniors who are the ace’s for their staffs: Rachael Knapp and Megan Besta.At the end of the day, Besta was just too much to handle for the Chippewa hitters. The McDonough, Georgia native only allowed one hit and struck out nine batters in part of a 2-0 Michigan victory.Knapp also had respectable performance, only allowing five hits and two runs while striking out a pair of batters in the losing effort.“I just take it one step at a time, one batter at a time, one pitch at a time,” she said. “I try to play the game normal and not play against who the uniform is that is facing us.” The big hits in the game came from Michigan senior Kelly Christner, who hit a home run to left-center field and singled to drive in both runs of the game for the Wolverines. Following a few days off for the Chippewas and a weather delay for Friday’s game, CMU resumed action on Saturday for double-header against Kent State. CMU swept the two game set, winning the first game 1-0 and the second game 9-2.In the first game, it was a pitching duel once again that involved Knapp and Kent State’s senior pitcher Ronnie Ladines that lasted 11 innings. Knapp got the best of the two, earning her 11th win for the season. The senior only allowed seven hits and struck out 13 batters.Junior catcher Maison Kalina had the walk-off single for the Chippewas in the bottom of the 11th inning to earn the win. Allison Curtis had three of the teams six hits on the afternoon.In the second game, it was CMU dominating from start to finish, racking up eight runs in the first four innings.It was junior pitcher Hannah Warren that was credited with her sixth win of the year, while striking out eight Golden Flashes and only allowing two hits. Sunday in the weekend series finale, it was Ladines and Knapp again, but this time it was Kent State who got the win.Two late costly walks from Knapp (who only allowed three hits for the entire game) allowed Kent State’s sophomore left fielder Bailey Brownfield to hit a double up the gap and score two runs, which gave the Golden Flashes all they needed in a 3-2 win.The loss dropped Knapp to 11-6 overall this season and improved Ladines to 5-11.Back on the RoadThe Chippewas will now head out on the road for five-straight games, starting with a trip to Kalamazoo to take on their rival Western Michigan.The Broncos (13-17, 1-5) come in as losers in six of their last seven games, with their most recent results coming in a split of a double-header against Ohio on Saturday.Jonker said no matter what the situation is against Western Michigan, they always get the same results.“Western (Michigan) is a tough team (because) they usually hit the ball really well,” Jonker said. “They are struggling a bit right now, but I saw them over spring break sometimes rocket the ball and other times they didn't know where it was at, so we anticipate some tough games, hopefully the nice weather holds up.”WMU’s pitching staff is led by sophomore pitcher Jordan Kurth and junior pitcher Holly VanTilburg. Kurth (6-11) leads the team in wins and innings pitched, tossing 87 innings over 19 games. VanTilburg (3-1) on the other hand leads the team in earned run average (2.59) with Kurth right behind her (2.73) in that category.At the dish, the Broncos are led by Kelsea Cichocki who leads the team in batting average (.489) RBIs (34) and games started (30).CMU will then head to Akron, Ohio where they will take on the Zips in a three-game weekend set.Akron (14-18, 3-3) is currently on a two-game winning streak, but has lost four of their last six games. The Zips will have a double-header against Buffalo on Tuesday before playing the Chippewas.Doing most of the pitching for the Zips is freshman Lexie Handley who has tossed 126.1 innings this year in 26 appearances in the circle. The Mogadore, Ohio native has an 11-10 record with a 2.72 ERA while tallying 112 strikeouts.Hitting wise, Akron is led by Ashley Sims who has 35 hits in 90 chances at the plate this season (.444 average.) which leads the team. She also is the top in stolen bases with 31 on the year. Senior right fielder Evelyn Lorimer said the team just needs to improve in a few areas as they head back on the road.“We are going to work on hitting a little bit and we will work on defense and sharpen a couple things up,” Lorimer said. “I have no doubts going to Western, they are one of our rivals obviously, so we are going to pick ourselves up and be ready for a fight Tuesday.”

https://www.cm-life.com/article/2017/04/preview-and-second-day-angle-04-03-17