Central Michigan University Athletics
Sunday, May 8
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
12 p.m.
Central Michigan University
26-24, 17-11-
8
vs
12
Miami (Ohio)
36-15-1, 24-5-0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Miami (Ohio)
0
2
2
2
4
2
0
12
14
4
Central Michigan
0
4
0
1
2
0
1
8
15
1
Elated teammates greet CMU's Shannon Stein (12) at home plate after Stein hit her record 17th home run of the season on Sunday during her final game at Margo Jonker Stadium.
Photo by: Jack Reeber '23,M'25 - @jackreeber.raw
Stein Reaches 2 Milestones; Softball Will Face Ohio In MAC Tournament Opener
5/8/2022 4:48:00 PM | Softball
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – A fairytale ending for one of the best in program history.
Central Michigan's Shannon Stein homered and doubled, setting season program records in both categories, on Sunday as the Chippewa softball team closed the regular season with 12-8 loss to Miami (Ohio) at Margo Jonker Stadium.
The loss was the lone blemish on an otherwise memorable day for the Chippewas and Stein, who played her final game at Margo Jonker Stadium.
Not that the game itself – win or lose -- carried much importance. The Chippewas (26-24, 17-11 MAC) had already clinched a spot in the MAC Tournament and go into the four-team event as the No. 3 seed. They will take on No. 2-seed Ohio in their opener on Thursday.
Top-seeded Miami (36-15-1, 24-5) had already clinched the regular season championship and the right to host the tournament before coming to Mount Pleasant this weekend. Bowling Green is seeded fourth.
The Chippewas go into the postseason having taken two of three from Miami to close the regular season and they are playing perhaps their best softball of the season. Stein has led the charge, finishing with eight hits including three doubles and her monumental home run with five RBI in the three games against the RedHawks.
"I don't think it could have ended any other way, honestly," said Stein. "Well maybe with a W, but honestly, I'm just really proud of my team and of myself. This has been a big accomplishment for me, and I couldn't have done it without my teammates."
Stein's first-inning double was her 19th of the season, and her fifth-inning two-run homer was her 17th round-tripper of the year. Both are CMU records. She broke Molly Coldren's homer mark (16) set in 2012; and she surpassed Becky Manson, who had 18 doubles in 2002.
"Could you have written it any differently?" CMU coach McCall Salmon said. "She's a special player. It seemed fitting that both would happen today on Senior Day. Just a really special day for her."
Stein's homer came on a 3-1 pitch and the Chippewas trailing, 10-5, with two out in the fifth. It was a no-doubter to left field and she was mobbed by her teammates at the plate and received a standing ovation from the MJS crowd.
"I'm thinking the pitch is most likely going to be down the middle, which it was," Stein said. "I was just planning to swing hard because I was assuming that was going to be my last at-bat here. I just had to go out with a bang.
"It was priceless. You could just feel (that) the energy in the stadium was just unreal. I'm happy that I saved it for my last time playing at Margo Jonker Stadium. Super excited."
The homer was the 34th of Stein's career. She ranks third in program history behind Coldren (44) and Katelyn Rentschler (35). Her record-tying 16th homer came in an April 30 win over Buffalo. And while she had shown plenty of pop in the four games between that homer and the one she on Sunday, she had not put enough of a charge into one to clear the fence.
On Sunday, she did.
"I just tried to stick to the basics," she said. "I can tell when I'm pressing a little bit, but I just have to remind myself to just go out there and do what I've been doing all season."
Which is flat out hit the ball. The Albuquerque, New Mexico native ranks in the top 10 in the MAC in batting average, hits, doubles, home runs, RBI, slugging percentage, on-base percentage and OPS.
She drove in three runs on Sunday, bringing her RBI total to 45, which is second in program history for a single season. She is third on CMU's career RBI list with 122.
"I've just changed my focus this year to, 'just see the ball,'" Stein said. "Growing up, that's what all my hitting coaches would say. I'm not thinking about what pitches they might be throwing me or what my spray chart may look like. I'm just trying to see the ball and it's really helping."
CMU leadoff hitter Abbey Tolmie also had three hits. The Chippewas outhit the RedHawks, 15-14.
Miami scored twice in the fourth inning off reliever Grace Lehto to seize a 6-4 lead. They added four in the fifth to up their advantage to 10-5.
Lehto (15-12) allowed six runs on seven hits over 1 2/3 innings. CMU starter Caitlyn Britton surrendered four runs on four hits over three innings. Faith Howe pitched the final 2 1/3 innings in relief of Lehto.
Central Michigan's Shannon Stein homered and doubled, setting season program records in both categories, on Sunday as the Chippewa softball team closed the regular season with 12-8 loss to Miami (Ohio) at Margo Jonker Stadium.
The loss was the lone blemish on an otherwise memorable day for the Chippewas and Stein, who played her final game at Margo Jonker Stadium.
Not that the game itself – win or lose -- carried much importance. The Chippewas (26-24, 17-11 MAC) had already clinched a spot in the MAC Tournament and go into the four-team event as the No. 3 seed. They will take on No. 2-seed Ohio in their opener on Thursday.
Top-seeded Miami (36-15-1, 24-5) had already clinched the regular season championship and the right to host the tournament before coming to Mount Pleasant this weekend. Bowling Green is seeded fourth.
The Chippewas go into the postseason having taken two of three from Miami to close the regular season and they are playing perhaps their best softball of the season. Stein has led the charge, finishing with eight hits including three doubles and her monumental home run with five RBI in the three games against the RedHawks.
"I don't think it could have ended any other way, honestly," said Stein. "Well maybe with a W, but honestly, I'm just really proud of my team and of myself. This has been a big accomplishment for me, and I couldn't have done it without my teammates."
Stein's first-inning double was her 19th of the season, and her fifth-inning two-run homer was her 17th round-tripper of the year. Both are CMU records. She broke Molly Coldren's homer mark (16) set in 2012; and she surpassed Becky Manson, who had 18 doubles in 2002.
"Could you have written it any differently?" CMU coach McCall Salmon said. "She's a special player. It seemed fitting that both would happen today on Senior Day. Just a really special day for her."
Stein's homer came on a 3-1 pitch and the Chippewas trailing, 10-5, with two out in the fifth. It was a no-doubter to left field and she was mobbed by her teammates at the plate and received a standing ovation from the MJS crowd.
"I'm thinking the pitch is most likely going to be down the middle, which it was," Stein said. "I was just planning to swing hard because I was assuming that was going to be my last at-bat here. I just had to go out with a bang.
"It was priceless. You could just feel (that) the energy in the stadium was just unreal. I'm happy that I saved it for my last time playing at Margo Jonker Stadium. Super excited."
The homer was the 34th of Stein's career. She ranks third in program history behind Coldren (44) and Katelyn Rentschler (35). Her record-tying 16th homer came in an April 30 win over Buffalo. And while she had shown plenty of pop in the four games between that homer and the one she on Sunday, she had not put enough of a charge into one to clear the fence.
On Sunday, she did.
"I just tried to stick to the basics," she said. "I can tell when I'm pressing a little bit, but I just have to remind myself to just go out there and do what I've been doing all season."
Which is flat out hit the ball. The Albuquerque, New Mexico native ranks in the top 10 in the MAC in batting average, hits, doubles, home runs, RBI, slugging percentage, on-base percentage and OPS.
She drove in three runs on Sunday, bringing her RBI total to 45, which is second in program history for a single season. She is third on CMU's career RBI list with 122.
"I've just changed my focus this year to, 'just see the ball,'" Stein said. "Growing up, that's what all my hitting coaches would say. I'm not thinking about what pitches they might be throwing me or what my spray chart may look like. I'm just trying to see the ball and it's really helping."
CMU leadoff hitter Abbey Tolmie also had three hits. The Chippewas outhit the RedHawks, 15-14.
Miami scored twice in the fourth inning off reliever Grace Lehto to seize a 6-4 lead. They added four in the fifth to up their advantage to 10-5.
Lehto (15-12) allowed six runs on seven hits over 1 2/3 innings. CMU starter Caitlyn Britton surrendered four runs on four hits over three innings. Faith Howe pitched the final 2 1/3 innings in relief of Lehto.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Laurelai DePew (1-0)
L: Lehto, Grace (15-12)
Batting:
2B: Maclai Branson 1
HR: Karli Spaid 1 ; Allie Cummins 1 ; Adriana Barlow 1
RBI: Karli Spaid 2 ; Allie Cummins 4 ; Lily Wilmot 2 ; Shelby Kunkel 2 ; Adriana Barlow 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Karli Spaid 2 ; Holly Blaska 2 ; Allie Cummins 3 ; Kate Kobayashi 1 ; Adriana Barlow 1 ; Maclai Branson 2 ; Chloe Parks 1
Batting:
2B: Tolmie, Abbey 1 ; Stein, Shannon 1 ; Vallimont, Michaleigh 2
HR: Stein, Shannon 1
RBI: Tolmie, Abbey 2 ; Stein, Shannon 3 ; Vallimont, Michaleigh 2 ; Bracamonte, Emily 1
SH: Bracamonte, Emily 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Tolmie, Abbey 2 ; Stein, Shannon 1 ; Knapp, Tailynn 1 ; Alexander, Kelsey 1 ; Springer, Maddie 1 ; Mills, Samantha 1 ; Hollo, Allyssa 1
HBP: Britton, Caitlyn 1
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
2
H
3
RBI
2
AB
5
R
1
H
3
RBI
3
AB
5
R
0
H
2
RBI
2
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
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/ Softball
P
/ Softball
P
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/ SoftballCF/1B/P
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