Two Stein Homers, Two Chippewa Wins

Friday, March 1

Madeira Beach, Fla.

1:30 p.m.

Central Michigan University

5-6

St. Johns

5-6

Central Michigan

St. John's

Photo by: Allissa Rusco

3/1/2019 7:04:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

CMU collects 14 hits on opening day in Florida

By: Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com

MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. – Nice weather, big bats, and some pretty good pitching.

Good combination for the Central Michigan softball team.

Freshman Shannon Stein hit two home runs and drove in four runs on Friday as the Chippewas opened their Spring Break trip with a 3-2 victory over St. John's and a 9-1 win over Siena.

The wins lifted CMU to 6-6. The Chippewas are scheduled to play Boston College on Saturday (11 a.m.).

CMU did all of its scoring in the sixth inning in its victory over St. John's. Stein's two-run homer highlighted the frame, and Erika Underwood also drove in a run with a single. Underwood finished with two hits in the game and four on the day.

Sophomore Samantha Howell (2-0) went the distance for the victory. She allowed three hits, walked three and struck out seven. She held the Red Storm hitless through 4 1/3 innings and did not allow a baserunner past first until the seventh, when St. John's pushed across two runs. Howell got a strikeout to end the game, stranding the potential tying run.

The Chippewas exploded for four runs in the fifth inning and four more in the sixth in downing Siena in their second game of the day.

Stein and Tala Dean both homered for the Chippewas. It was Stein's team-leading fifth round-tripper of the year, while Dean has four.

Underwood's two-run single in the sixth inning ended the game on the run rule.

The Chippewas collected nine hits, two each by Dean, Stein, Underwood and Knapp.

A pair of freshmen, Kaitlyn Bean and Haley John, each took a turn in the circle for the Chippewas. John (2-1) went 1 1/3 innings in relief of Bean and earned the win. Bean struck out four, walked three and surrendered just one hit over 4 2/3 innings.