Softball Splits With Ohio

March 24, 2001

ATHENS, Ohio--Another day, another split. Central Michigan wrapped up the opening weekend of conference play with a split against Ohio on Saturday afternoon.

The Chippewas won the opener, 6-4, and dropped the nightcap, 8-7, in 10 innings.

In the opening game, CMU got on the scoreboard first with a run in the third when Karly McCormack singled to drive in Lindsay Horvath.

Ohio evened the score at 1-1 with a run in the bottom of the third.

The Chippewas broke the game open with three runs in the top of the fourth. Kim Burke doubled to score Michelle Brander, pinch runner Melissa Luplow scored on a wild pitch and Amy Morrison had an RBI single to score Horvath.

OU got one back in the bottom of the fourth to slice the Chippewas' lead to 4-2.

Both squads each scored on a pair of runs in the seventh to round out the scoring.

Jen Skuta crushed a two-run home run in the seventh for CMU.

Starter Amber Puchalski picked up the win to make her record 6-5. She gave up five hits and two runs in 4 1/3 innings of work.

Reliever Wendy Stephens was credited with the save after holding OU to three hits and two runs (one earned) in the final 2 2/3 innings.

The nightcap was another high-scoring affair. CMU jumped to an early 2-0 lead with single unearned runs in the first and second innings.

Ohio cut the lead to 2-1 with a run in the third inning before CMU increased its lead to 4-1 with a run in the fourth and fifth innings.

Burke had a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning while McCormack had an RBI single in the fifth.

Ohio broke through with five runs in the sixth to take a 6-4 lead.

The Chippewas responded with two runs in the seventh inning to tie the game at 6-6.

Morrison scored on a wild pitch while McCormack drove in her second run of the game to knot the score at 6-6.

The Chippewas kept the Bobcats off the scoreboard in the seventh inning to force the game into extra innings.

Neither team could push a run across the plate until the 10th inning.

McCormack made a bid to be the hero of the game when she slammed a home run to centerfield to give the Chippewas a 7-6 lead going into the bottom of the inning.

The Bobcats loaded the bases in the bottom of the 10th and tied the score when Lyndsay Eirich walked to score Crystal Turner.

Georgia Villard had an RBI single with the bases loaded to score the winning run.

Puchalski, who entered the game in relief, took the loss.

McCormack hit 3-for-3 with a homer and three RBI to lead the CMU offense.

The Chippewas (10-14, 2-2 Mid-American Conference) open the home season on Wednesday against Oakland.