Central Michigan University
Ball State
A Sweep, And A Division Title Share
4/29/2017 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score Photo Gallery 
Lindsay Gerber, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - The seniors of Central Michigan softball team stepped onto the field at Margo Jonker Stadium for the last time on Saturday, playing for more than just a win over Ball State.
They were looking for the weekend sweep that ultimately guaranteed them a share of the Mid-American Conference West Division title.
The Chippewas found what they were looking for as they defeated Ball State, 11-3 and 3-1, improving to 34-13 overall and 16-5 MAC. The Chippewas can win the division title outright with one win in their final three league games next weekend at Eastern Michigan.
CMU leads the overall MAC standings by two games over Ohio, which is 14-7 in league play. The Chippewas' last regular-season MAC championship came in 2004.
The Chippewas and Ball State entered the weekend tied for the lead in the MAC West and the overall league lead. CMU outscored the Cardinals by a combined 20-5 in the three games.
"I'm really proud of my team for how they played the games," said CMU coach Margo Jonker, whose team will finish atop the division for the first time since 2008. "I'm proud of how they fought and I'm really proud of our senior class. They contributed on the field today in a big way and off the field all year long."
In the opener, Danae King hit a three-run homer to give Ball State a 3-1 lead in the top of the sixth inning. CMU answered immediately and resolutely, exploding for 10 runs in the bottom of the inning to end it on the run rule.
The Chippewas sent 14 batters to the plate, collected five hits and took advantage of six walks, two hit batsmen, and one Ball State error. All 10 runs scored after two were out. The game ended on a Taylor Lewallen RBI single.
Prior to the sixth, CMU had just one hit, a Danielle Marlink RBI single in the fifth.
"I've never seen anything like that," Jonker said. "I've never seen a pitching staff lose that much and not be able to throw a strike in the strike zone. It was definitely tough and I didn't want to make (pitcher) Hanna (Warren) go out there and try to throw strikes at that point, so I was happy we could end it in six."
Warren (11-5) allowed five hits, struck out three and walked one in going the distance for the victory.
Lewallen, Kalina and Allison Curtis drove in two runs each for the Chippewas.
Losing pitcher Alyssa Rothwell (5-3) allowed five runs on three hits over 5 2/3 innings. She struck out six.
Senior Rachael Knapp (20-8) tossed a three-hitter in going the distance for CMU in the nightcap. She struck out six and walked one.
Two of the Cardinals' hits came from the game's first two batters. Those hits, combined with a Chippewa error, gave the Cardinals (29-24, 13-8) their lone run and a 1-0 lead.
Central Michigan tied it in the third on a Curtis RBI groundout, then went ahead in the fourth on a two-out RBI single by Lewallen. A Curtis RBI single gave CMU an insurance run in the fifth.
Rachel Vieira and Lewallen had two hits to lead CMU's seven-hit attack.
Losing pitcher Darcie Huber (8-7) went the distance, striking out one.
The Chippewas open their three-game series at Eastern Michigan on Friday (2 p.m.). They close the series with a doubleheader on Saturday (1 p.m.). Ohio plays a three-game series at Buffalo next weekend.
