Central Michigan University
Bowling Green
Chippewa Softball Solid in 5-2 Victory
5/2/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Cullen Maksimowski, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- The Central Michigan Softball team was solid in all facets of the game Saturday, as the Chippewas defeated Bowling Green, 5-2, in a Mid-American Conference game at Margo Jonker Stadium.
CMU is 25-20 and 12-7 in the MAC. Bowling Green is 19-28, 7-14. The teams close the regular season Sunday (1 p.m.) at Margo Jonker Stadium. The Chippewas will then move on to the league tournament in Akron.
"I thought it was a really good game overall and we played well," said CMU coach Margo Jonker, whose team split a league doubleheader with Toledo on Friday. "I think we played well defensively."
Freshman Taylor Weaver (3-3) made the start for the Chippewas, her first since April 14 and the first of career against a MAC opponent. She gave up seven hits and struck out three in going the distance.
Weaver carried a shutout through 6 1/3 innings.
"Weaver hasn't had much time in the circle and I thought she did an amazing job, I'm so happy for her," said Jonker. "She had such a great ball game and really kept them off balance and only in the last inning did they start making good contact against her."
Trista Cox, Kaitlyn Rentschler and Chelsea DeLamielleure, the Chippewas' three, four and five hitters, had two hits apiece. DeLamielleure finished with a season-high three RBI and Rentschler had two.
Rentschler gave CMU a 1-0 lead with a first-inning RBI single, and DeLamielleure delivered a two-out, two-run single in the third to extend the lead to 3-0.
Rentschler had an RBI double in the fifth and DeLamielleure followed with a run-scoring single.
Rentschler, a junior first baseman, is 16-for-30 (.533) with 10 RBI in her last 11 games. DeLamielleure, a junior second baseman, is 13-for-26 (.500) in her last nine games.
Cox, who has had multiple-hit games in seven of CMU's last 16 contests, extended her hitting streak to five straight games and leads the team with a .356 average.
"Well the middle of your lineup are the ones who are supposed to be driving in runs for you," Jonker said. "Right now Rentschler is seeing the ball very well and DeLamielleure is seeing the ball quite well also and both are seeing their confidence go up."
With a spot in the MAC tournament already sewn up, CMU will look to build momentum and secure the best possible seed for the tournament. If the Chippewas beat Bowling Green on Sunday, they will be no worse than the fourth seed.
"We want to finish strong for a lot of reasons," Jonker said. "It's our last home game and the seniors' last time they'll play on this field and there is a lot of emotion there.
"They have given a lot to the game and a lot to this program and put in a lot of hours so you want to finish strong for them, along with entering the MAC tournament on a high note."
Three Chippewa seniors, Kristen Kuhlman, Karly Hansen and Cox, will be honored before Sunday's game.
