Central Michigan University Athletics
Extra-Innings Drama Highlights Softball's Two Wins
3/8/2002 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 8, 2002
PLANT CITY, Fla - The Central Michigan softball team got two wins in dramatic fashion on Friday afternoon.
After a 5-2 win over Temple in CMU's third game of the Speedline Tournament, CMU snatched a 7-4 come-from-behind win in nine innings over the North Carolina Tarheels.
The Chippewas up to 11-7 overall.
It was all last-minute drama for the Chippewas in the second game with North Carolina this afternoon. CMU had trailed 2-0 since the fourth inning but knotted it at two in the bottom of the seventh. Christin Sobeck came home on an error and Becky Manson reached home on a Michelle Brander RBI single. CMU found itself in the hole again when Natalie Anter belted a two-run homer in the top of the ninth to give the Tarheels a 4-2 lead. CMU was down, not out. Natalie de la Vega came home on an RBI double by Sarah Hamilton. Becky Manson tied it at four on an RBI double by Brander and Jennifer Skuta belted a three-run, walk-off homer for the win.
Amber Puchalski got the nod in game two against North Carolina and struck out eight of the first nine batters. She finished with 15 strikeouts in the win.
Brander was an offensive force, going 4-for-5 at the plate. She also tallied two RBI and a run scored. Skuta was 2-for-5 with three RBI and a run scored.
In the first game this morning, the Chippewas jumped all over Temple in the second inning with five runs. Brander tallied two of the RBI, including the game-winner, with a single to center field. Jennifer Skuta , Sarah Hamilton and Kristen White also tacked on RBI for the 5-0 lead. Temple responded in the third with back-to-back solo home runs. But, it was all the Owls had as Wendy Stephens came on in relief to curb Temple's offense.
Jenni Rasmussen got the start and the win, her fourth, while Stephens tallies her first save on the season.
Brander was 1-for-1 with two RBI. Kristen White was 1-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored while Hamilton and Skuta were each 1-for-3 with an RBI and run scored.
CMU wraps up pool play tomorrow morning against the 13th-ranked Florida Atlantic. First pitch is at 10 a.m. Single-elimination tournament play begins at 5 p.m.
