Homer-happy Chippewas sweep Detroit
Molly Coldren broke the program record with her 20th and 21st career home runs as the Central Michigan softball team swept the Detroit Titans Wednesday at Margo Jonker Stadium.
The Chippewas only needed five innings to put away Detroit in both games. The first game CMU won 10-0 behind a one-hit shutout from senior right-hander Kari Seddon. Game 2 of the doubleheader was more of the same, with three more Chippewa bombs en route to a 11-0 victory.
“We swung that bat really well,” said CMU head coach Margo Jonker. “(Being) loose and relaxed and also pitch selection contributes to that kind of power.”
Game 1
Coldren, a junior, hit her record-setting home and Seddon was three outs away from a no-hitter in the Chippewas’ 10-0 win against Detroit in the first game.
“I was going to put in another pitcher, but she had a no-hitter going so I left her in,” Jonker said. “She did a little better today hitting spots. We need to keep getting her better and build on that.”
Seddon threw her 44th complete game and tossed her 20th shutout, moving her to sixth all-time in program shutouts. She finished the mercy-rule shortened game walking four Titans while striking out seven in the one-hitter.
“I felt better today,” Seddon said of her pitching performance. “A lot more comfortable, a lot more relaxed.”
Macy Merchant got the game off on the right foot by singling, stealing second and scoring on her sister Brittini Merchant’s double.
CMU broke the game open in the second by scoring nine runs off five hits, three walks and two Detroit errors. Brittini hit her second double in as many at bats, driving in two more runs.
The Chippewas scored 10 runs off nine hits in the first game. The victory improved Seddon’s record to 5-5 and lowered her earned run average to 2.12.
Game 2
Coldren wasn’t done as she put an exclamation point to her record-setting day with her second home run of the day, wrapping it around the left-field foul pole in the fourth inning to cap off an 11-0 win.
“I was relaxed and loose,” Coldren said. “We were hitting so well the momentum just kind of went with me too.”
Sophomore Brogan Darwin made it consecutive back-to-back home runs when she hit one to dead center field to give the Chippewas their second mercy-rule win.
“Molly obviously hits for a lot of power,” Jonker said. “But a lot of people hit for a lot of power today.”
The Chippewas jumped out to another early lead in the first when three consecutive hits helped score two runs. Brittini Merchant got another first inning RBI and scored on a senior Amanda Patrick single.
In the third, Seddon took her big day from the circle to the batters box with a two-run home run, her first homer of the season.
Leading 4-0 Dornbos didn’t look back, throwing a complete-game five hitter without walking a Titan and striking out three.
