CMU softball goes 2-1 against Akron
Central Michigan's softball squad opened up MAC play with a three game series against Akron. After a few cancellations and rain delays, the Chippewas and the Zips finally got to play. CMU (11-11, 2-1) came out on the winning end winning two out of the three games.
Game one
Coming back from a three-hour rain delay in the second inning the Chippewas failed to produce runs resulting in an 8-2 loss to Akron Saturday in the Mid-American Conference opener.
Kaitlyn Bean took the mound for the Chippewas to start, allowing three runs on one hit. Maddy Wallace and Caitlyn Britton pitched in relief.
Akron's early start in the second inning put the Chippewas down 3-0 before the weather put opening day on hold.
Coming back from the break, the Zips wasted no time scoring two more runs to double their score. Akron took advantage of back-to-back walks, infield singles, and a CMU error.
The Chippewas finally crossed the plate in the top of the fifth due to an RBI single by Samantha Mills. Kelsey Alexander homered in the seventh inning, her third of the season, adding one more run for the Chippewas.
Game two
The bats were electric for the Chippewas resulting in a 7-5 win over the Zips in the first game of Sunday's doubleheader.
The Chippewas brought in two runs when Alexander ripped a shot up the middle putting the Chippewas up early. The Chippewas' rapid bats forced a pitching change in the very first frame.
Grace Lehto took the mound for the Chippewas for the first game of the day. Lehto ended the game with 10 strikeouts.
The Zips combined runs from separate innings to tie up the ball game at two. A homer and two base hits.
The top of the sixth inning word for the Chippewas as they gathered three more runs across the plate. From a homerun, a pitching change by the zips, back-to-back walks and a Sannon Stein single up the middle drew factored in a 5-2 lead for the Chippewas.
The Zips answered right back with two shots to the left side, a double and a home run, to bring them within one run heading into the seventh inning.
In the last opportunity to add to their lead the Chippewas were introduced to another pitcher for the Zips. Bases loaded with three walks in a row crossed two Chippewas across the plate to bring their lead 7-4.
The Zips homered in the bottom of the seventh but the Chippewas pitching, and defense stopped it any further ending the game 7-5.
Game Three
The Chippewas bats were fired up with an impressive five inning 8-0 win over Akron to end the weekend.
Kaitlyn Bean dominated in the circle for the Chippewas keeping Akron hitless in the second, third, and fourth inning. She tossed 59 pitches with five strike outs. Bean and the Chippewas defense knocked down the Akron only allowing two hits in five innings.
Emily Bracamonte opened the scoring for the Chippewas with an RBI out to score Kelsey Alexander and make the score 1-0. Shannon Stein added onto the Chippewas lead in the third with her eighth home run of the year and make the score 2-0.
Staying fired up even with a pitching change from Akron, Caitlyn Britton joins the homerun club knocking in three more runs and taking a 5-0. The Chippewas ended the inning with a six-run lead with heads up base running from Alyssa Hollo, who scored on a wild pitch.
Britton and her bat would stay rolling with another home run in the fourth inning to extend the Chippewas lead to seven. Tailynn Knapp would record the Chippewas run final of the game.
Bean and the Chippewas defense finished off the fifth inning in style with a double play and a strikeout to end the game, leaving the final score 8 for the Chippewas and 0 for Akron.
The Chippewas head to East Lansing to take on the Spartans on Tuesday March 22 at 5 p.m.
