Chippewas Split Nonleague Twinbill

Saturday, April 13

Mount Pleasant, Mich.

1 p.m.

Central Michigan University

17-20-1

Detroit Mercy

18-22

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Detroit Mercy	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	3	8	1
Central Michigan	1	0	0	1	2	0	0	4	10	0

4/13/2019 9:06:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Photo Gallery

Howell goes the distance, Underwood homers in opener

By: Mitch Vosburg, CMUChippewas.com

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- The Central Michigan softball team earned a split of a nonconference doubleheader with Detroit Mercy on Saturday at Margo Jonker Stadium.

The Chippewas collected 10 hits including an Erika Underwood home run in winning the opener, 4-3. Detroit Mercy took the nightcap, 3-1. CMU is 17-21-1, while the Titans are 19-22.

"We were OK in game one," CMU coach Margo Jonker said. "We won the game, but we weren't sharp. Game two was very sloppy; we played poor softball. Haley (John) did a good job of coming in in relief. We didn't hit really well, we made a lot of mistakes base running, and we didn't do really well defensively.

"All day we weren't sharp and that's very disappointing. We were really sloppy, and sloppiness is unacceptable."

The Chippewas play host to Oakland on Tuesday (2 p.m.) in a nonconference doubleheader.

GAME ONE
Kayla Noch's RBI bunt single put the Chippewas up, 2-1, in the fourth inning and then Underwood hit a two-run homer in the fifth to up the lead to 4-1.

It was Underwood's seventh homer of the season, tying her with Shannon Stein for the team lead.

Samantha Howell (5-6) went the distance for the victory. She allowed eight hits, struck out two and walked two.

The Titans stranded runners at second and third in the sixth when Howell got an inning-ending flyout. Detroit Mercy scored two runs in the seventh to pull to 4-3, but Howell got the final out on a fly ball, stranding two.

Underwood and Sara Hansen finished with two hits apiece for the Chippewas.

GAME 2
The Titans used RBI doubles in the second inning and the third in seizing an early 2-0 lead.

The Chippewas responded in their half of the third on an Andrea Perlberg RBI double to cut the deficit to 2-1.

Alyssa Lang homered in the fourth for the final margin.

Freshman Kaitlyn Bean (6-5) allowed three runs over three innings in taking the loss. John surrendered three hits in four shutout innings.

Stein finished with two hits to lead CMU at the plate.