Saturday, April 15
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
1 p.m.
Central Michigan University
19-19, 9-6
1
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Western Michigan
13-18, 7-5
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6
7
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H
E
Western Michigan
0
0
0
0
0
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0
2
1
Central Michigan
0
0
0
1
0
0
X
1
3
0
Photo by: Sydney Kline '26 - @sydney.kline.photography
Softball Takes Two From Western Michigan
4/15/2023 6:15:00 PM | Softball
Grace Lehto (two-hitter) blanks WMU 1-0 in game one, Kaitlyn Bean (five-hitter) pitches Chippewas to 7-1 victory in game two; Chippewas host their annual Strikeout Cancer Wear Pink! Game.
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich.—Fueled by two superb pitching performances from Grace Lehto (two-hit shutout) and Kaitlyn Bean (five-hitter), the Central Michigan Softball team claimed back-to-back 1-0 and 7-1 victories over rival Western Michigan Saturday afternoon at Margo Jonker Stadium. The series' third game is scheduled for 10 a.m. Sunday morning.
Riding a three-game win streak, the two Mid-American Conference wins gives Central Michigan its fifth consecutive MAC series win. The two wins move CMU into third place in the MAC standings. The Chippewas improve to 20-19 overall and 10-6 record in MAC play, while Western Michigan drops to 13-19 overall and 7-6 in the MAC. Prior to today's seventh inning of the second game, Central Michigan had held opponents to 21 consecutive scoreless innings.
The doubleheader also marked CMU Softball's annual Strikeout Cancer Wear Pink! Game. CMU President Bob Davies and CMU Athletics Deputy Athletic Director for External Operations Chris Walker both threw out the first pitch.
Over 14 innings of work, Lehto and Bean combined to limit Western Michigan to one run and seven hits.
"We couldn't have asked for anything more from Grace and Bean," Central Michigan Head Coach McCall Salmon said. "They gave us opportunities to win. Both of them came out with command and control. Offensively, they allowed us to do what we had to do and not press. I'm proud of both of them and their performances. It was much needed as we approach the second half of MAC play."
Salmon was also pleased with the Chippewas' defensive performance.
"In order to win any game you have to bring defense, pitching and offense," Salmon said. "If you have all three, good things are going to happen. We had some areas that we shut down their momentum. We didn't let them in and we really closed the door defensively with Grace and Bean on the mound."
On offense, Allyssa Hollo led the Chippewas with two clutch game-winning RBIs on the day. She finished the two games with two hits and three RBI. Emily Bracamonte notched a career milestone this afternoon as she played in her 150th career game.
Game One: Central Michigan 1, Western Michigan 0
In the first game, Central Michigan registered its ninth shutout victory of the year behind another gem of a pitching performance from Lehto. Lehto struck out six batters, walked none and allowed just two hits in facing 24 batters while pitching the full 7.0 innings. She threw 93 total pitches and only three Broncos reached base. It marked Lehto's 11th complete game of the season, her second straight shutout, and she improves to 8-10.
CMU finished the contest with just three hits by Abbey Tolmie, Michaleigh Vallimont, and Hollo. The Chippewas manufactured their lone run in the bottom of the fourth inning when Vallimont reached base on a single to left field. Cierra Laska, pinch-running for Vallimont, advanced to second base on a ground out. Skylar Coberley followed with a walk and Hollo drove a single to left field that scored Laska from second base.
That was all the Chippewas needed as Lehto was in a zone. In the top of the first inning, Western Michigan threatened to score when it put two runners on base with no outs. But Lehto stepped up and registered three straight outs to end the Broncos' threat.
WMU had just one baserunner the rest of the game when Courtney Farrish reached base on a one-out single, but Lehto got out of the inning with a ground out and strikeout.
In the top of the fifth inning CMU's Vallimont made two spectacular catches in right field. On the first play, she charged the ball from her position and caught up to it right behind CMU's second baseman. On the second play, a ball hit over her head, she sprinted at the wall and dove to meet the ball. Combined, both plays prevented a potential run.
Game Two: Central Michigan 7, Western Michigan 0
Bean struck out three batters, scattered five hits and walked one in 7.0 innings of work. She threw 94 pitches while facing 27 batters. The performance marked Bean's 10th complete game of the year and she improves to 8-6 on the year.
Central Michigan went up 2-0 with two runs in the third inning. It was Hollo again, whose double to right center drove in two runs. Tolmie drew a one-out walk, Vallimont followed with a single to left field putting runners on first and second. Coberley's deep fly ball to center field advanced runners to second and third respectively. Hollo launched a high-arching shot to right center field that bounced off the wall and scored both Tolmie and Vallimont.
"Alyssa came up with clutch production today," Salmon said. "She came up huge and that's what we want from that spot in the lineup. We weren't seeing a lot of success in that first game against their pitcher. Knowing we were going to see her again, we made some adjustments and it put us in position to score some runs."
The Chippewas put the game away with a five-run fourth inning. Lucy Cronin was hit by pitch and Samantha Mills followed with a single to left field. With both runners on first and second base respectively, Bracamonte bunted down the third base line and the WMU third baseman's throw sailed past the first baseman as both runners scored on the play. Tolmie followed with a single up the middle and a throw put runners at second and third. Vallimont blasted a single to left field that scored both runners and gave CMU a 6-0 lead. Vallimont advanced to second on a wild pitch and stole third and then scored on an error. CMU had a commanding 7-0 lead.
The Broncos broke CMU's 21-inning scoreless streak in the top of the seventh inning when they placed runners at first and third with two outs. Alyssa Kramer drove in a run on a single to second base. Bean closed the game down with a strikeout.
Riding a three-game win streak, the two Mid-American Conference wins gives Central Michigan its fifth consecutive MAC series win. The two wins move CMU into third place in the MAC standings. The Chippewas improve to 20-19 overall and 10-6 record in MAC play, while Western Michigan drops to 13-19 overall and 7-6 in the MAC. Prior to today's seventh inning of the second game, Central Michigan had held opponents to 21 consecutive scoreless innings.
The doubleheader also marked CMU Softball's annual Strikeout Cancer Wear Pink! Game. CMU President Bob Davies and CMU Athletics Deputy Athletic Director for External Operations Chris Walker both threw out the first pitch.
Over 14 innings of work, Lehto and Bean combined to limit Western Michigan to one run and seven hits.
"We couldn't have asked for anything more from Grace and Bean," Central Michigan Head Coach McCall Salmon said. "They gave us opportunities to win. Both of them came out with command and control. Offensively, they allowed us to do what we had to do and not press. I'm proud of both of them and their performances. It was much needed as we approach the second half of MAC play."
Salmon was also pleased with the Chippewas' defensive performance.
"In order to win any game you have to bring defense, pitching and offense," Salmon said. "If you have all three, good things are going to happen. We had some areas that we shut down their momentum. We didn't let them in and we really closed the door defensively with Grace and Bean on the mound."
On offense, Allyssa Hollo led the Chippewas with two clutch game-winning RBIs on the day. She finished the two games with two hits and three RBI. Emily Bracamonte notched a career milestone this afternoon as she played in her 150th career game.
Game One: Central Michigan 1, Western Michigan 0
In the first game, Central Michigan registered its ninth shutout victory of the year behind another gem of a pitching performance from Lehto. Lehto struck out six batters, walked none and allowed just two hits in facing 24 batters while pitching the full 7.0 innings. She threw 93 total pitches and only three Broncos reached base. It marked Lehto's 11th complete game of the season, her second straight shutout, and she improves to 8-10.
CMU finished the contest with just three hits by Abbey Tolmie, Michaleigh Vallimont, and Hollo. The Chippewas manufactured their lone run in the bottom of the fourth inning when Vallimont reached base on a single to left field. Cierra Laska, pinch-running for Vallimont, advanced to second base on a ground out. Skylar Coberley followed with a walk and Hollo drove a single to left field that scored Laska from second base.
That was all the Chippewas needed as Lehto was in a zone. In the top of the first inning, Western Michigan threatened to score when it put two runners on base with no outs. But Lehto stepped up and registered three straight outs to end the Broncos' threat.
WMU had just one baserunner the rest of the game when Courtney Farrish reached base on a one-out single, but Lehto got out of the inning with a ground out and strikeout.
In the top of the fifth inning CMU's Vallimont made two spectacular catches in right field. On the first play, she charged the ball from her position and caught up to it right behind CMU's second baseman. On the second play, a ball hit over her head, she sprinted at the wall and dove to meet the ball. Combined, both plays prevented a potential run.
Game Two: Central Michigan 7, Western Michigan 0
Bean struck out three batters, scattered five hits and walked one in 7.0 innings of work. She threw 94 pitches while facing 27 batters. The performance marked Bean's 10th complete game of the year and she improves to 8-6 on the year.
Central Michigan went up 2-0 with two runs in the third inning. It was Hollo again, whose double to right center drove in two runs. Tolmie drew a one-out walk, Vallimont followed with a single to left field putting runners on first and second. Coberley's deep fly ball to center field advanced runners to second and third respectively. Hollo launched a high-arching shot to right center field that bounced off the wall and scored both Tolmie and Vallimont.
"Alyssa came up with clutch production today," Salmon said. "She came up huge and that's what we want from that spot in the lineup. We weren't seeing a lot of success in that first game against their pitcher. Knowing we were going to see her again, we made some adjustments and it put us in position to score some runs."
The Chippewas put the game away with a five-run fourth inning. Lucy Cronin was hit by pitch and Samantha Mills followed with a single to left field. With both runners on first and second base respectively, Bracamonte bunted down the third base line and the WMU third baseman's throw sailed past the first baseman as both runners scored on the play. Tolmie followed with a single up the middle and a throw put runners at second and third. Vallimont blasted a single to left field that scored both runners and gave CMU a 6-0 lead. Vallimont advanced to second on a wild pitch and stole third and then scored on an error. CMU had a commanding 7-0 lead.
The Broncos broke CMU's 21-inning scoreless streak in the top of the seventh inning when they placed runners at first and third with two outs. Alyssa Kramer drove in a run on a single to second base. Bean closed the game down with a strikeout.
—CMU—
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Lehto, Grace (8-10)
L: BAJUSZ, Rissa (9-7)
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Batting:
2B: HUDSON, Addison 1
Batting:
RBI: Hollo, Allyssa 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Laska, Cierra 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
0
R
1
H
0
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
P
/ Softball
3B
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
IF/UTL
/ SoftballIF/UTL
/ SoftballP/UTL
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
C
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballOF
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