DeLamielleure Homers, Knapp Tosses a Gem as Chippewas Advance
5/8/2014 12:00:00 AM | Softball
AKRON, Ohio – Cory DeLamielleure hit a two-run homer and freshman Rachael Knapp fired a two-hitter Wednesday as the Central Michigan softball team opened the Mid-American Conference Tournament with a 2-0 victory over Akron.
The Chippewas (33-20) will play Buffalo (28-20) at 5 p.m. Thursday. CMU was seeded sixth entering the tournament, Buffalo is seeded second.
The Bulls opened the tournament with an 11-6 win over seventh-seeded Northern Illinois. The Huskies and Akron will meet in an elimination game on Thursday.
The Chippewas are the defending tournament champions. They split a regular-season doubleheader with the Bulls, losing 5-2 in the opener, then taking the nightcap, 5-1, in Buffalo.
Knapp (14-4), a freshman right-hander, struck out seven and walked just one.
Akron’s hits, both singles, came in the first inning and in the sixth.
A hit batsman and a single in the sixth put Zips at first and second with one out, but Knapp worked out of the jam by inducing two popups, the second of which was caught on a fine play in foul territory behind the plate by DeLamielleure, the CMU senior catcher who earlier this week earned First Team All-MAC honors.
CMU had five hits off losing pitcher Erin Seiler (20-8), who this week was named the MAC Pitcher of the Year.
Seiler struck out seven and walked three.
One of those hits came courtesy Carol Ann Sexauer leading off the fourth. Sexauer was bunted to second by Trista Cox, then was lifted for pinch runner Kristen Kuhlman.
DeLamielleure followed with her homer over the fence in center field. It was her eighth home run of the season.
DeLamielleure and Sexauer finished with two hits apiece, and Knapp added a single.
In Wednesday’s other tournament openers, fifth-seeded Ohio defeated fourth-seeded Kent State, 2-1; and top-seeded Ball State downed eighth-seeded Miami (Ohio), 7-4.
Kent State and Miami will meet in the first elimination game at 11 a.m. Thursday, followed by a winner’s bracket game between Ball State and Ohio.
