Softball splits against Ohio, Dornbos tosses complete game win
It was a tale of two contrasting pitching performances by Central Michigan softball pitchers Friday, in a double-header against Ohio at Margo Jonker Stadium.
Sophomore Chelsea Sundberg gave up seven runs in a 10-6 loss in game one before junior Kara Dornbos pitched a complete game in a 3-1 victory in game two. Dornbos allowed three hits while striking out two.
“She really did a great job,” head coach Margo Jonker said of Dornbos. “Her screwball was on. I thought she really did a good job of keeping them off balance as much as she did.”
A throwing error by Bobcat’s shortstop Alexis Joseph gave the Chippewas (22-25, 7-10 Mid-American Conference) a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth.
Senior Molly Coldren extended the Chippewas lead to 2-0 by driving an RBI double down the left field line. It was her fourth RBI on the day.
“Molly’s had a great career for us offensively,” Jonker said. “She has as much power and bat speed as we’ve had in Chippewa history.”
Ohio (22-25, 9-7 MAC) scored a run in the seventh and brought the tying run to the plate, but Dornbos struck out junior Chelsea Hortman to end the game.
In game one, CMU committed five errors which proved to be costly. Five of the Bobcats ten runs were unearned.
“It was a very embarrassing game,” Jonker said. “We played terrible defense. I thought we hit well enough to win the game, but our defense certainly let us down.”
CMU took a 3-0 lead into the third inning before Ohio scored three runs in the top of the frame.
The Chippewas got one run back in the bottom of the inning on a home run by senior Ashley Gilson.
But the Bobcats erupted for two runs in the fourth inning, three in the fifth, and three in the sixth, building a 10-4 lead.
CMU will resume its home stand Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. against Akron.
