Softball wins in walk-off mercy against Akron; builds three-game win streak
The Central Michigan softball team is making a late-season push.
CMU allowed just one run in two games against Akron during the weekend in an effort to reach the Mid-American Conference tournament.
Sophomore pitcher and first-baseman Karly Hansen solidified CMU’s winning weekend on Sunday with a walk-off 3-run home run in the fifth to mercy Akron, 10-0. It was Hansen’s first career home run.
“It was definitely a thrill for her,” said head coach Margo Jonker. “It was her dream to play at CMU.”
The Chippewas’ third consecutive win keeps their hopes alive for getting into the Mid-American Conference tournament beginning May 9.
The top eight teams make the conference tournament. If the season were done today, CMU (24-25, 9-10 MAC) would hold the last-place seed in the MAC tournament. However, with two games left against Eastern Michigan (21-30, 7-13 MAC), CMU essentially has a tw0-game playoff to win a berth in the tournament.
SUNDAY (complete box score)
Junior pitcher Kara Dornbos pitched five shutout innings for the Chippewas in their 10-0 mercy win against Akron. Dornbos earned the win, giving up five hits and throwing two strikeouts.
Dornbos got into an early jam in the second inning when Akron’s Kellie Roudabush advanced to third on a wild pitch in the dirt, but a pop-up and strikeout kept the Zips from scoring the game’s first run.
“I think that was huge. We’re in a race to see who scores first, so it was huge getting that first run,” Dornbos said. “I think we made some amazing defensive plays that let me relax in the circle and let the pitches move.”
Then, in the bottom of the second inning, CMU exploded for four runs.
Senior infielder Molly Coldren hit her 13th home run of the season in the third inning, increasing CMU’s lead to 5-0. Coldren is now two home runs shy of setting the single-season home run mark, currently at 14.
Coldren has set the last two single-season home run records.
SATURDAY (complete box score)
CMU took the lead in the third inning with a solo home run by freshman utility Chelsea DeLamielleure.
Sophomore pitcher Chelsea Sundberg pitched a complete game win, giving up five hits and striking out one.
The Chippewas scored six runs on seven hits. Akron committed five errors and resulted in three unearned runs.
Brittany Maurer took the loss for Akron. She gave up five runs, three unearned and struck out one.
