Central Michigan University Athletics
Softball Splits With Marshall
3/23/2001 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 23, 2001
HUNTINGTON, W.Va.--The pitchers were in complete control in Central Michigan's doubleheader split with Marshall on Friday afternoon.
The Chippewas prevailed, 2-0, in the opening game while Marshall took 12 innings to win the nightcap by a 1-0 count.
Amber Puchalski was the hero in the opening game, throwing her second no-hitter of the season.
Puchalski, who fired a no-hitter earlier in the season against Northwestern, struck out 10. She becomes just the third pitcher in CMU history to have posted two or more no-hitters. Puchalski improves her record to 5-5 on the season.
The Chippewas got on the scoreboard first with a run in the second inning when Michelle Brander smashed a double to score Jen Skuta.
The Chippewas added an insurance run in the seventh to make it 2-0. Lindsay Horvath drove in Skuta with single to extend the lead.
Skuta hit 3-for-3 and scored both runs to lead the Chippewas.
Game two was a pitchers duel between CMU's Wendy Stephens and Marshall's Sierra Davenport.
Stephens kept Marshall off the scoreboard for 7 1/3 innings while giving up just seven hits.
Davenport had a no-hitter going for 5 2/3 innings before Becky Manson hit a double. Davenport then retired the next 13 batters before Brander singled to record CMU's second hit of the game.
Marshall then took Davenport out of the game and put in first-game starter Sara Gulla. Gulla held CMU hitless for the final 1 2/3 to get the victory.
The game was scoreless through 11 innings when the international tiebreaker rule was put in play. Central couldn't score in its portion of the 12th but Marshall's Nikki Wilcox singled up the middle to drive in the winning run.
Jenni Rasmussen took the loss for the Chippewas. She pitched the final 4 1/3 innings and gave up just one hit.
CMU (9-13 overall, 1-1 Mid-American Conference) travels to Ohio for a doubleheader on Saturday.
