Kara Dornbos pitches more than 21 innings over weekend
Senior pitcher Kara Dornbos showed why she is one of the best pitchers in the Mid-American Conference this weekend after pitching two complete games — and then some more.
Dornbos holds a deceiving 6-7 record as she hit her stride against Buffalo and Kent State, giving up only two runs in her appearances over the weekend.
"I need to focus on each pitch more and more," Dornbos said. "Cory (DeLamielleure) is doing a great job behind the plate; we kept mixing pitches, and I kept hitting my spots. We've also been having great defensive plays, and I feed off of that, too. So, I think, all in all, we've been playing better as a team, and that makes me play better."
She began the weekend on Friday against the Bulls, giving up only one hit on a lead off home run over the left field wall on the first pitch of the third inning. Dornbos was solid, aside from the slight hiccup, allowing five hits in the 7-1 victory.
The following day, Dornbos was called on again in what would prove to be a pitcher's duel. After getting ahead on back-to-back home runs from junior Cory DeLamiellure and sophomore CarolAnn Sexauer, it was up to Dornbos to keep the Golden Flashes down for the rest of the game.
She had no trouble, pitching one of her best games of the season with a shut-out victory, allowing only three hits and recording six strikeouts.
“I had to come out and bring my A-game,” Dornbos said. “I just had to focus on every pitch, and that’s how I need to play every game.”
On Saturday, junior Chelsea Sundberg was having trouble in the circle against Kent State, thanks to defensive errors by the Chippewas that loaded the bases. Down by two runs, head coach Margo Jonker put her faith in Dornbos again to keep the Golden Flashes off the scoreboard.
Without warming up, she quickly ended the inning forcing a pop out and silenced the Kent State bats for six innings until another error allowed a run to end the game.
"I'm just always ready whenever they need me," Dornbos said. "I did not know that I would be pitching, but I was prepared to give it my all every pitch."
Dornbos has 39 strikeouts in her 15 appearances thus far this season and leads the team with a 1.88 ERA.
