Softball Drops Series Opener To Ohio

Friday, May 14

Mount Pleasant, Mich.

3 p.m.

Central Michigan University

18-27, 0

Ohio

21-23, 0

Ohio

Central Michigan

Photo by: Keara Chaperon '22

5/14/2021 6:34:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2

By: Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – The Central Michigan softball team struggled at the plate on Friday in dropping a 7-1 decision to Ohio in the opener of a four-game Mid-American Conference series at Margo Jonker Stadium.

The Chippewas, who are 17-28, 15-20 MAC, had just one hit, a one-out double by Morgan Gardner and two base runners through the first six innings off Ohio pitcher Mackensie Kohl, who struck out two in going the distance for the win.

Ohio scored two runs in the third inning, both unearned, as the Chippewas committed their only error of the game. The Bobcats added a run in the fourth and then scored four in the top of the seventh.

Shannon Stein doubled to lead off the bottom of the seventh for CMU and then scored on a Caitlyn Britton single. The Chippewas got another hit in the inning, a Kelsey Alexander single, but their potential rally was snuffed out when Skylar Coberley lined into a game-ending double play.

"We hit the ball hard at times," CMU coach McCall Salmon said. "(Kohl) only struck us out two times. She was throwing strikes. A lot of the balls that we squared up we hit right at them. It was nice seeing us make some adjustments the third time through the (batting) order in the seventh inning. You could see things start to come together offensively, it was just too little, too late at that point.

"I don't think we're discouraged at all. We still have an opportunity to win the series. Generally, when we see a pitcher a second time we do better and we did see that towards the end of the game. We're ready to come back tomorrow and attack and we just need to be consistent for all seven innings."

Cloe Mallory (3-6) started and went four innings in taking the loss. She allowed three runs (one earned) on four hits and struck out two. Kaitlyn Bean worked the final two innings, surrendering four runs on five hits, while striking out one and walking one.

"I thought Cloe threw really well," Salmon said. "She only gave up one (earned) run. And then Bean was throwing well until that last inning."

The teams are scheduled to play a doubleheader on Saturday (1 p.m.) at Margo Jonker Stadium and are scheduled to close the series and the season on Sunday (noon).