Central Michigan University
Illinois
Garvin Shuts Out Illinois, 1-0
3/11/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 11, 2005
CLEARWATER, Fla. - After relying on offense to win the past two games, Central Michigan University turned to pitching and defense to capture a 1-0 victory over Illinois on Friday afternoon at the Speedline Invitational.
The Chippewas are now 6-4 overall, 3-0 in the Speedline Tournament. CMU concludes pool play tomorrow against Coastal Carolina at 10 a.m., before bracket play begins. Illinois, which opened the season ranked No. 22 in the USA Today/NFCA Poll, falls to 10-6 on the year.
Junior pitcher Jessica Garvin scattered six hits to pick up her first complete game, seven-inning shutout this season. She struck out three and improved to 5-1.
CMU managed just three hits in the game after combined for 21 the previous two contests and the defense tightened by playing error free after committing five miscues in the previous pair of games.
The only run of the contest came in the top of the second as Jacque Benedict was issued a one-out walk, stole second and then scored on a Christin Sobeck double to right center.
Sobeck finished the game 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles. Benedict picked up CMU's only other hit, a single in the fourth.
"Our defense was stellar in this game," coach Margo Jonker said. "We didn't score a lot but we were able to get the one run early. Mentally, this was a big game for us. Garvin pitched a great game and Decker called a great game behind the plate."
