Central Michigan University
Akron
Chippewas Drop Weekend Finale at Akron
4/5/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Jared Porter, CMUChippewas.com
AKRON, Ohio -- The Central Michigan softball team fell to Akron on Sunday, 4-3, to snap its five-game win streak and finish its weekend road trip 3-1.
The loss dropped CMU to 13-16 and 3-3 in the Mid-American Conference.
"Overall, it was a good weekend and a step in the right direction for us," CMU coach Margo Jonker said. "Going 3-1 on the road is pretty good, but you obviously want to win them all. What I liked about this weekend is that we showed we're getting better both offensively and defensively."
After CMU earned a 1-0 victory over the Zips on Saturday with just four combined hits from both teams, defense remained the key component on Sunday.
CMU's Rachael Knapp and Akron's Erin Seiler both got the start in the circle on Sunday after the pair hooked up in a pitcher's dual on Saturday.
However, the hits came more often for both teams on Sunday --11 total -- as hitters adjusted to the pitching after seeing the same pitchers from the day before, Jonker said.
The Chippewas scored first with an RBI single from junior Katelyn Rentschler in the top of the first inning, but the Zips took a 3-1 advantage after scoring a run in the bottom of the first and two in the second.
CMU tied it, 3-3, in the top of the fourth with a home run from junior Chelsea DeLamielleure and an RBI double from freshman Maison Kalina.
However, Akron answered with a score off a wild pitch in the bottom of the inning to regain the advantage, 4-3.
Rentschler had a two-out single in the fifth, but the Chippewas failed to score in the inning. The Zips went on to retire six consecutive batters to seal the victory.
CMU had seven hits, with Rentschler leading the way with two.
"Rentschler was terrific for us this entire weekend," Jonker said of her cleanup hitter, who leads the team in RBIs (21) and home runs (6). "She's seeing the ball well right now and giving us a huge lift offensively."
Knapp (9-6), a sophomore, pitched all six innings for the Chippewas and struck out five.
CMU had two errors in the game.
"We had a couple defensive blunders in the game that probably cost us," Jonker said. "We have to clean those up because Knapp pitched another good game, but this time we came up short."
Seiler (13-11) struck out five in earning the victory.
The Chippewas play a non-league doubleheader at Oakland on Wednesday, then play host to MAC foe Eastern Michigan on Saturday and Sunday to open a six-game homestand, all against conference opponents.
