Chippewas Hold Off NIU, Remain Among MAC Leaders

Friday, April 19

Mount Pleasant, Mich.

3 p.m.

Central Michigan University

18-21-1, 8-5-1

Northern Illinois

22-22, 7-8

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Northern Illinois	0	1	1	0	2	0	2	6	13	3
Central Michigan	2	3	0	0	2	0	X	7	11	2

Chippewa catcher Samantha Mills tags out a Northern Illinois baserunner at the plate on Friday in the Chippewas' 7-6 victory at Margo Jonker Stadium.

Photo by: Benjamin Suddendorf

4/19/2019 7:23:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Photo Gallery

Chippewas and Huskies scheduled to play twinbill on Saturday

By: Nick Vuylsteke, CMUChippewas.com

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Central Michigan relievers Cloe Mallory and Samantha Howell held the fort on Friday as the Chippewas downed Northern Illinois, 7-6, in the opener of a three-game Mid-American Conference softball series at Margo Jonker Stadium.

Mallory got popup to end the NIU half of the sixth inning and keep the Chippewas in front, 7-4, and then Howell got a pop fly to end the game in the seventh after the Huskies had pushed across two runs. In both cases, the Huskies left the bases loaded.

The seventh inning "didn't go the way we wanted it to," CMU coach Margo Jonker said. "They got too many runs and too many runners. The last popup I was very happy to see. The wind was swirling and I thought that every popup and every flyball was going to be a challenge, and it was a challenge to catch today because of the wind."

The win lifts CMU to 18-21-1, 8-4-1 MAC. The Chippewas are tied for first place in the loss column with Miami (Ohio), which is 10-4, and with Kent State, which is 8-4. CMU and NIU (22-22, 7-8) are scheduled to play a doubleheader on Saturday (1 p.m.) at Margo Jonker Stadium.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Chippewas never trailed, jumping to a 5-1 lead after two innings. NIU drew to 5-4 heading into the bottom of the fifth when Andrea Perlberg smacked a two-run double, giving the Chippewas a pair of critical insurance runs.

"Offensively, I thought we did a really nice job," Jonker said. "We knocked the first pitcher out (early in the game) and for the second pitcher, I thought we made the adjustments pretty well with her. We scored a lot of runs, got a lot of hits. We left some runners on, so we could have scored even more. But offensively, I thought we did a really good job."

IN THE CIRCLE
CMU starter Kaitlyn Bean (7-5) allowed four runs on seven hits over 4 2/3 innings for the victory. Mallory went 1 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on four hits; Howell got the final two outs of the game after surrendering two hits. Howell notched her third save of the season.

"It's good to see Mallory come out, because she's been out for a while, and not allow them to score (in the fifth inning)," Jonker said. "That was big, and she had the bases loaded the next inning and didn't allow them to score. Then Howell came in, they got a couple of hits off her, which I didn't really expect. … But it is what it is, tomorrow is another day."

AT THE PLATE
Erika Underwood had three hits and drove in two runs to lead the Chippewas. Morgan Gardner and Kayla Noch each added two hits and Rachel Vieira had two RBI.