Softball finishes 1-3 in first tournament of 2018 season
To kickoff the 2018 season, Central Michigan softball participated in the Macon Invitational this weekend in Macon, Georgia.
CMU finished the tournament 1-3, with a scheduled fifth game against Appalachian State on Sunday cancelled due to rain.
The Chippewas lone win came against the Mountaineers on Friday night, 12-6.
CMU lost two games to Morehead State, 4-1 Friday morning and 3-2 on Saturday. Mercer also earned a victory over CMU, winning 8-3.
Eagles soar
The Morehead State Eagles jumped to an early 3-0 lead in the first with only one hit. Junior outfielder Allison Curtis provided CMU with their lone run of the game with a home run to right field.The Eagles would add a run in the third.
Chelsea McManaway would allow six hits, one earned run and one walk while striking out 10 for the Eagles.
CMU’s Hannah Warren pitched four innings, allowing four runs (two earned), two hits and two walks, striking out three.
The Chippewas and Eagles would clash again on Saturday, but the result remained the same.
CMU trailed 1-0 entering the bottom of the sixth and scored two runs off a costly throwing error to take a 2-1 lead going into the seventh.
Paige Scruggs would blast a two-run home run to right field off of CMU reliever Taylor Weaver to give the Eagles their second victory over CMU in the tournament.
McManaway would give another strong performance for Morehead State, throwing for seven innings while allowing three hits, two earned runs, no walks while striking out eight.
Chippewa freshman Cloe Mallory pitched six innings, surrendering six hits, two earned runs, four walks and struck out three. Senior Taylor Weaver allowed two runs (one earned) no walks and struck out one in the seventh.
Underwood smacks two over Mountaineers
Junior Erica Underwood registered two home runs and six RBI’s in the Chippewas 12-6 victory over Appalachian State.
The Pittsford junior blasted a three-run shot to left field in the first inning, and would do the same thing in her next at-bat as part of a six-run third inning.
Both teams committed three errors in the game, with 10 of the 18 runs being earned.
Freshman Samantha Howell pitch two and two-thirds inning, allowing no hits, two runs (none earned) while walking three and striking out one.
Defense struggles in tournament finale
The Chippewas finished the 2018 Macon Invitational against Mercer.
CMU would commit five errors in an 8-3 loss. The Chippewas registered an error in each of the first two innings. Mercer scored two run in both the first and second inning.
CMU trailed 4-1 entering the sixth, but would cut their deficit to one behind Underwood’s two-run home run to center field.
The bottom of the sixth, however, saw CMU commit three errors, leading to a four-run sixth inning for the Bears. The Chippewas threatened in the seventh, but would fall to the Bears 8-3.
CMU softball participates in the Liberty Softball Challenge on Friday, Feb. 16 and Saturday, Feb. 17, in Lynchburg. Virginia. The Chippewas open the Tournament Friday at 12:30 p.m. against Delaware State.
