Central Michigan University
No. 5 Ball State
Heath Homers, Knapp Spins A Gem As Chippewas Remain Alive
5/11/2017 12:00:00 AM | Softball
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Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
AKRON, Ohio - Sydney Heath hit a two-run homer and record-setting Rachael Knapp went the distance on Thursday as the Central Michigan softball team remained alive in the Mid-American Conference Tournament with a 3-0 victory over Ball State in an elimination game at Firestone Stadium.
CMU (37-14), which fell into the elimination bracket by dropping its opener to Western Michigan on Wednesday, will face Northern Illinois (31-19) on Friday (10:30 a.m.). CMU, the regular-season champion, is the top seed in the tournament. The Huskies, who fell, 1-0, to second-seeded Ohio on Thursday night, are seeded third.
The Chippewas took two of three from the Huskies April 21-22 in Mount Pleasant.
Heath broke a scoreless tie in the fifth inning with her third homer of the season, which came with two out. The Chippewas provided Knapp (22-9), the MAC Pitcher of the Year, with an insurance run in the sixth on a Morgan Gardner RBI double. Gardner's hit, like Heath's homer, came with two out.
Knapp allowed three hits, walked one and struck out 10 in tossing her program-record 83rd career complete game. She surpassed Tina Kinney, who finished her career (1997-2000) with 82 career complete games. It was her 27th of the season, which is also a Chippewa record.
Two of the Cardinals' hits were doubles, one in the first inning, the other in the sixth. Neither baserunner advanced past second base.
It marked Knapp's 37th appearance of 2017, the most for a single season in CMU history, and she is the single-season (220) and career (748 2/3) leader in innings pitched.
"We tried not to put too much pressure on ourselves even though it's win or go home," Knapp said. "I felt great great, my defense was behind me, we got those clutch hits and Dani (catcher Danielle Marlink) called a great game too.
"One game at a time, one pitch at a time, especially when it is single elimination."
Ball State finished 30-28.
