Sweet Sweep

Saturday, April 6

Mount Pleasant, Mich.

1 p.m.

Central Michigan University

15-18-1, 6-3-1

Ohio

25-14, 6-4

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Ohio	0	0	0	1	0	2	0	3	5	2
Central Michigan	0	0	0	1	1	4	X	6	6	0

CMU freshman Shannon Stein is congratulated by assistant coach Jessica Bracamonte after her three-run homer in the nightcap on Saturday.

Photo by: Benjamin Suddendorf

4/6/2019 7:00:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Photo Gallery

Chippewas take doubleheader, and series, from Ohio

By: Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Quality over quantity. Good pitching doesn't hurt, either.

Central Michigan collected 11 hits, seven of them for extra bases, on Saturday in sweeping a Mid-American Conference doubleheader from Ohio at Margo Jonker Stadium.

The Chippewas won the opener, 6-3, and took the nightcap, 7-4, as they swept the three-game series from an Ohio team that had won 10 of 13 entering the series, is the defending MAC regular-season and tournament champion, and is the MAC's top-hitting team.

"This weekend was the team that we saw against Miami (Ohio) too," CMU coach Margo Jonker said in reference to CMU's league-opening series at Miami two weeks ago, when the Chippewas took two of three.

"This team competed, and I was really proud of them because they competed the whole time," Jonker said. "Looking at Ohio's record, they're a very good team. Sweeping them this weekend is a huge accomplishment for this team."

WHERE THEY STAND
The Chippewas improved to 16-18-1, 7-3-1 MAC, and they stand one game in the loss column behind the league leaders, Kent State, Ball State and Miami. Ohio is 25-15, 6-5.

"I think this conference is going to be very tight and I think it's going to the last weekend to determine who gets in the tournament and who wins the conference," Jonker said. "I think it's a matter of who fights the most and shows the most guts that's going to make it happen."

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Chippewas got clutch hit after clutch hit on Saturday. In the opener, Sara Hansen and Morgan Gardner each delivered a two-run double in the sixth inning as the Chippewas, trailing 3-2 entering the frame, pulled ahead, 6-3.

Hansen had a run-scoring triple in the fifth inning and Rachel Vieira homered in the fourth.

In the nightcap, freshman Shannon Stein smacked a two-run double to give the Chippewas a 2-0 lead in the first inning, and she followed with a three-run homer in the third that extended the lead to 6-1.

BUSTING OUT
The home run was Stein's team-leading seventh of the season, and she finished the day with four hits in five at-bats. It had been 16 games since Stein last homered, and it had been 18 games since she recorded a multi-hit game.

"Feels really good," Stein said. "I'm finally out of the hole I was in, it seems like. I was just looking to get a hit, anywhere, anyhow, and finally I got that home run. I don't feel any pressure, it's just fun to help my team out any way that I can.

"I just tried to simplify my swing as much as I could and just really get down to the little things, like really seeing the ball. That seemed to work."

IN THE CIRCLE
The Chippewas got a pair of excellent pitching performances from game-one winner Samantha Howell and Kaitlyn Bean, who picked up the victory in the nightcap after tossing a three-hitter in CMU's 7-3 win in the series opener on Friday.

Bean is a freshman, Howell a sophomore, and both showed outstanding poise in the circle as they both threw complete games.

"I thought Bean did a great job in the circle, even when we had missed plays, she just came back and showed a lot of intestinal fortitude," Jonker said. "I was proud of that. And Howell threw a really nice game in game one.

"They both did a great job this week. They both were the type of pitchers we felt like we needed against Ohio so that's why we went with them. That as well as the fact that they're good."

Bean (6-3) surrendered 11 hits – the Bobcats stranded 10 baserunners – and just one earned run. She walked two and struck out three in earning her third-consecutive victory. Howell (4-5) allowed five hits, struck out four and did not walk a batter.

NEXT
The Chippewas entertain Michigan State in a nonconference game on Tuesday, April 9 (4 p.m.) and then go to Western Michigan for a MAC game on Wednesday, April 10 (2 p.m.).