Central Michigan University Athletics
Central Michigan University
Miami (Ohio)
Softball Falls In Series Finale At Miami
3/28/2021 3:27:00 PM | Softball
OXFORD, Ohio -- The Central Michigan softball team matched Miami (Ohio) in the hit department, but the Chippewas couldn't get a big one when they needed it on Sunday as they fell, 7-1, in the finale of a four-game Mid-American Conference series at Miami Softball Stadium.
The Chippewas are 4-13, 2-6 MAC. Miami remained perfect in the MAC (8-0) and is 16-6 overall. Sunday's win was Miami's ninth consecutive.
The Chippewas finished with seven hits, all singles, including a season-high three from freshman Abbey Tolmie. Morgan Gardner added two.
Gardner scored the Chippewas' lone run when she came home on a wild pitch with the bases loaded in the sixth inning. CMU stranded seven base runners in the game.
"We made some great adjustments to the pitcher who shut us out (on Saturday)," CMU coach McCall Salmon said. "We just need to have big hits. We are a good hitting team; we just need to string some things together and we will really start rolling."
Grace Lehto (3-7) went the distance in taking the loss. She allowed seven hits, walked five, and struck out five.
The RedHawks got a three-run homer from Karli Spaid in seizing a 4-0 lead after two innings. Lehto, a freshman, recovered after the homer to strike out the next two batters.
The Chippewas are scheduled to play a nonconference game at Notre Dame on Wednesday, March 31 (5:30 p.m.). They entertain Ball State in a four-game MAC series next weekend. Friday's 3 p.m. opener is CMU's home opener.
"Knowing there are certain things we need to get better at and staying hungry while being committed to improving are the keys moving forward," Salmon said.
