Central Michigan University
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Western Michigan
Chippewas Move Into Tie Atop MAC West
4/12/2017 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - Like a proud teacher talking about a prized student, Margo Jonker was grading the performance against expectation.
By any measure, Rachael Knapp and her Central Michigan softball teammates were plenty good on Wednesday.
Knapp tossed a five-hitter and got more than enough support as the Chippewas downed Western Michigan, 10-2, in five innings at Margo Jonker Stadium.
"Knapp is amazing, she's an amazing pitcher," Jonker said. "Just because she isn't as sharp doesn't mean she wasn't great. She was great. The first inning I think she was a little tight, her shoulder was a little tight. I'm really excited that we could save two innings for her that she didn't have to pitch."
CMU won for the seventh time in its last nine games and completed a season sweep of the Broncos. The Chippewas improved to 24-11, 9-3 MAC, and moved into a first-place tie with Ball State in the West Division.
CMU has won all four of its league series, and the win over Western gave the Chippewas their first league sweep.
"Feels really good, really sweet," said CMU sophomore Allison Curtis, who had four hits including a double as the Chippewas collected 16 hits, their second-highest total of the season. "Always good to beat Western and get our first (MAC) sweep of the season and hopefully it leads on to more sweeps as the season goes on."
The Chippewas built a 4-1 lead through two innings as they touched up Western starter Jordan Kurth (8-13) for a combined seven hits in the first two frames.
Knapp (15-6) had not allowed a run in her last four appearances, during which she had notched three wins and a save. On Monday, the senior right-hander from St. Joseph was named the MAC West Pitcher of the Week for the third consecutive time and the sixth time this season.
Knapp (15-6) surrendered a run on two hits in the first inning, and then allowed leadoff hits - a double in the second, a single in the third, and a triple in the fourth - in each of the next three innings. But aside from a fourth-inning sacrifice fly, she kept the Broncos off the board.
The Chippewas exploded for six runs on six hits and two Western errors in the bottom of the fifth inning to extend their lead to eight runs and end the game.
Lacy Tolfree added three hits for the Chippewas, while Rachel Vieira, Taylor Lewallen and Erika Underwood had two each. Eight of the nine players in CMU's starting lineup had at least one hit. Curtis and Maison Kalina drove in two runs each.
The Chippewas go to Toledo this weekend for a three-game MAC series. Game 1 is Friday at 3 p.m.
"We know if we want to reach some of our goals we have to sweep some weekends," Jonker said. "Happy that we could do that today."
