CMU softball falls short at Michigan
No. 2-ranked Michigan beat the Central Michigan softball team 3-0 in Ann Arbor on Wednesday night behind a one-hitter by Wolverine ace Jordan Taylor.
“You have to take into consideration we played a good game against the No. 2-ranked team,” said CMU head coach Margo Jonker.
In the top of the sixth, CMU’s freshman Brittney Horan was standing on second base as the tying run in Michigan’s Wilpon Complex, a place only one team has gone in and won in a regular season game in the last three years. But Horan was stranded after sophomore Summer Knoop grounded out, ending CMU’s upset opportunity.
Taylor didn’t give the Chippewas many opportunities. Taylor, a senior and last year’s Big Ten Pitcher of the Year, threw a one-hitter and allowed one walk in her eighth shutout of the year.
“She had an excellent changeup that was very difficult to read,” Jonker said. “She has the best change-up we’ll see this year.”
The Chippewas didn’t come in intimidated by Taylor or the Wolverines though and they came out swinging.
“We had some hard hits in the first,” Jonker said. “But they made some adjustments.”
Following the first inning, whatever adjustments Taylor made worked. In each of the next four innings she struck out two batters and finished with nine strikeouts on the day.
“(Kara) Dornbos pitched a really nice game,” Jonker said. “She just missed one pitch and they hit it out.”
That came in the bottom of the sixth when Michigan got some breathing room from a Alycia Ryan two-run home run, putting the Wolverines up 3-0.
Horan, who walked in the sixth, also picked up CMU’s only hit with a single in the third. She stole second and was stranded on second base then too as the only Chippewas base runner.
“Horan had an excellent offensive game,” Jonker said.
Michigan (36-3) posted nine hits on the day but key CMU defense held them. Two double plays helped turn by senior Brittini Merchant helped limit the U-M offense.
CMU (20-13, 5-3 in MAC) dives into Mid-American Conference play on Friday, hosting Miami for a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. in Margo Jonker Stadium.
