Softball Drops Pair To Ball State

Saturday, April 3

Mount Pleasant, Mich.

1 p.m.

Central Michigan University

4-16, 0

Ball State

12-9, 0

Ball State

Central Michigan

Photo by: Jack Reeber '23,M'25 - @jackreeber.raw

4/3/2021 8:23:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Photo Gallery 2 Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2

By: Julia Bice, CMUChippewas.com

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- The Central Michigan softball team got the bats going in game two of a doubleheader on Saturday, but couldn't generate quite enough to overcome a strong Ball State squad.

The Cardinals swept the Mid-American Conference twinbill from the Chippewas, winning the opener, 5-1, and then taking the nightcap, 13-10.

The losses dropped CMU to 4-17, 2-9 MAC. Ball State is 13-9, 7-0. The teams are scheduled to conclude their four-game series on Sunday (noon) at Margo Jonker Stadium.

Game 1
Janae Hogg hit a three-run home run as Ball State scored four runs in the fifth inning to break a 1-1 tie in the opener.

CMU starter Cloe Malloy (1-2) allowed five runs on five hits over 4 2/3 innings in taking the loss. Kaitlyn Bean pitched in relief for the Chippewas.

Emily Bracamonte drove in the Chippewas' run with a fourth-inning double, one of their three hits off Ball State's Deborah Jones (4-2), who struck out eight in going the distance.

"Cloe threw well, we just were not able to offensively produce the way we needed to win that game," CMU coach McCall Salmon said.

Game 2
The Chippewas outhit the Cardinals, 13-12, in the nightcap but they committed three errors as three of Ball State's runs were unearned.

The 13 hits and 10 runs were season highs for the Chippewas, who got to Jones when she came on in relief during CMU's eight-run third inning.

"Hits are contagious," Salmon said. "All it takes is the teammate in front of you doing well for you to get a little bit more confidence, and it just builds together. We talk about once we see a pitcher twice, we have to beat them."

Down 7-2, the Chippewas sent 12 batters to the plate, scoring eight runs on seven hits to seize a 10-7 lead.

Freshman Abbey Tolmie ignited the big inning when she led off with her first career homer and she later had an RBI double. The Chippewas also got a three-run triple from Skylar Coberley, a pinch-hit RBI double from Caitlyn Britton, a sacrifice fly from Shaidan Knapp, and a run-scoring single from Shannon Stein.

Tolmie finished with three hits and Morgan Gardner had two to lead the Chippewas at the plate.

Ball State answered with four runs in the fourth and added two insurance runs in the seventh.

"A lot of the things we are saying need to transfer into our actions and our production on the field." Salmon said. "We need to focus on going out and playing a consistent seven innings."