Softball struggles in pair of losses to Ball State
Sophomore pitcher Rachael Knapp throws to a Ball State batter Saturday at Margo Jonker Stadium. The Chippwas fell to the Cardinals, 14-7.
Central Michigan University’s softball team finished its doubleheader against Ball State University to open up Mid-American Conference play on Saturday with a 9-5 loss at Margo Jonker Stadium.
Freshman pitcher Hanna Warren was handed the loss, going six innings while giving up 10 hits and five earned runs. Warren is 2-6 on the season.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Chippewas scattered 13 hits and consistently had the leadoff hitter reach base, but it did not translate into a victory. They scored two runs in the third and fourth innings respectively.
"If you had told me we would've had that many hits in a game and that many runs in two games, I would've thought we'd win," said Head Coach Margo Jonker.
Senior right fielder Kristen Kuhlman went 1-for-3 in the loss while junior second baseman Chelsea DeLamielleure went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a home run in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Kuhlman's batting average moves up to .346 and DeLamielleure sits four ticks away from .300 at .296.
"Obviously (Ball State) outplayed us all the way in every aspect of the game today," Jonker said.
CMU’s record now drops to 8-15 overall.
Game One
The women took a 6-3 lead into the seventh inning but could not hold onto it, as they ultimately fell to the Cardinals 14-7.
It started off on a positive note for CMU, as all nine players batted in the second inning, scoring six runs on five hits and two Cardinal errors. This was punctuated by a three-run triple to right field by Kuhlman.
It did not last for the Chippewas, however, as they relinquished the lead in Ball State’s half of the seventh inning.
CMU surrendered 11 runs on seven hits and two errors in the top of the seventh inning, allowing the Cardinals back into the game en route to the loss.
"Everything broke down," Jonker said. "You could see that we were not playing with confidence at that point in time. It was a total nightmare."
CMU will play next on the road on April 1 against University of Detroit Mercy in a doubleheader.
