Central Michigan University
Northern Illinois
Chippewas Open MAC Play with Sweep Over NIU
3/31/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 31, 2006
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
MOUNT PLEASANT - After 23 games on the road, the Central Michigan University softball team (10-15, 2-0 Mid-American) finally opened the home season on Friday afternoon with a doubleheader sweep over the Northern Illinois Huskies (10-11, 0-2 Mid-American). It was also the Mid-American Conference opener for both schools.
The Chippewas took game one, 3-1, before rolling to an 8-0, five-inning victory in the nightcap.
CMU's bats exploded for 16 hits in the 10 innings they batted, and 10 of the hits went for extra bases - six doubles, three triples and one homer.
"We had a great day," coach Margo Jonker said. "We played well in all aspects. We hit and swung the bat better. Our pitches moved consistently. We did what we needed to do.
(Jill) DeRoche pitched the best she has all year and she did a nice job of setting batters up. (Brittany) Decker played with great energy. It was her type of game and she can really bring the team up with her energy."
CMU hosts rival Western Michigan for single games on Saturday (2 p.m.) and Sunday (1 p.m.) while Northern Illinois travels to Eastern Michigan on the weekend.
Game One
Central Michigan 3, Northern Illinois 1
Senior Brittany Decker's hustle in the second inning sparked the Chippewas to a 3-1 victory in the MAC opener. Decker hit a one-out triple to right field and a throwing error allowed her to circle all the way home for the game's first run.
The Chippewas then added a pair in the fifth on a two-run double by sophomore Suzie Giroux.
Starter Jessica Garvin was relieved in the sixth inning after allowing the first two batters to reach on an error and an infield single. She ended up picking up the win and Ali Pettit notched the save after coming on and fanning two of the eight batters she faced in the final two frames.
After striking out Kelly Drozd, Pettit walked Elyse Jamrozy to load the bases. Amy Hudson made a great defensive play on a sharp grounder to third and she got the out at first but not before a run scored. With runners on second and third, Pettit got out of the jam as Bailey Ouellette looked at strike three.
Pettit gave up a leadoff double to start the seventh but retired the Huskies in order after that to end the game.
Giroux finished 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI.
Taryn Hagemann, a two-time MAC Pitcher of the Week so far this season, took the loss to drop to 5-7. She gave up six hits and three runs (all earned).
CMU finished with six hits and one error while the Huskies notched four hits and two errors.
The win was CMU's eighth straight home-opening victory.
Game Two
Central Michigan 8, Northern Illinois 0
Jill DeRoche tossed a two-hit shutout while the Chippewa bats pounded out 10 hits in the five-inning victory.
DeRoche struck out seven but she walked five. Despite the five walks, NIU failed to cross the plate as eight Huskies were stranded in the game.
The Chippewas scored three runs in the first, one in the second and four in the fourth.
Jacque Benedict started the scoring with an RBI double and Brittany Decker hit a two-out, two-run homer that cleared the fence just fair down the left field line.
Karen Hohs hits an RBI triple in the second to give CMU a 4-0 lead.
Five Chippewa hits in the fourth broke the game open. Hohs started the spree with an RBI single and Suzie Giroux added an RBI groundout. Benedict notched an another RBI single and Christan Dhondt followed with an RBI double.
DeRoche improved to 4-6 on the year with her second shutout. NIU's Lindsey LaChiana (3-2) took the loss after throwing three and a third innings and allowing seven hits and seven runs. Paige Granath closed the final two thirds of an inning giving up three hits and a run.
Benedict finished 2-for-3 with two RBI and Decker and Hohs both had a pair of hits and a pair of RBI. Lindsey Calme was 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles.
NOTES:
- The Chippewas hit .356 in the doubleheader compared to .143 by NIU.
- CMU was 7-for-8 in stolen base attempts in the twinbill. Jacque Benedict was 3-for-3 to raise her season total to 11 stolen bases.
- Decker's homer in the nightcap was her second of the season and the sixth of her career. She did not hit a roundtripper last season as a junior.
- Karen Hohs stole one base to raise her career total to 49.
- The shutout in the nightcap was just CMU's second of the season. The other was a 5-0 victory over Villanova. Jill DeRoche threw both blankings.
- Game two featured a 20-minute rain delay in the middle of the fourth inning.
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