Central Michigan University
Toledo
Chippewas Deliver In Extra Innings
4/14/2017 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Lindsay Gerber, CMUChippewas.com
TOLEDO, Ohio - In a nine-inning Mid-American Conference softball battle in which Central Michigan was held hitless until the ninth, the Chippewas cashed in to collect their 25th win of the season in the opener of a three-game series on Friday at Toledo.
The 1-0 victory was the Chippewas' sixth win in their last seven contests. CMU remains tied atop the MAC West with Ball State at 10-3 in league play. Toledo fell to 19-26, 7-6 MAC. Central Michigan and Toledo will cap the series with a doubleheader on Saturday (1 p.m.).
Winning pitcher Rachael Knapp (16-6) went the distance for her 10th shutout of the season. She struck out eight, allowed four hits and walked three. The six-time MAC West Pitcher of the Week lowered her MAC-best earned run average to 1.30.
"Our defense did a really good job hanging in the whole time," CMU coach Margo Jonker said. "Knapp did a great job adjusting to the different pitches that she had to throw today based on the situations and circumstances. The top two of our lineup (Lacy Tolfree and Allison Curtis) finally got two on base and found a way to score a run."
The Chippewas finally broke through when Tolfree singled with two out in the ninth, stole second and scored on Curtis' single to right field.
Knapp set down the Rockets in order in the bottom of the ninth to close it out.
Losing pitcher Heather Webb (9-9) did not allow a hit through 8 2/3 innings. She struck out two and walked one.
"I don't think we adjusted very well to their pitcher," Jonker said. "The wind was blowing in and we knew we had to hit the ball on the ground, but we didn't do a very good job swinging aggressively on pitches we could hit on the ground."
Ashley Rausch had two hits for Toledo, which stranded eight baserunners.
"We just have to go one game at a time, one play at a time, one inning at a time," Jonker said. "We can't look at the end results, we just have to focus on the process."
