Central Michigan University Athletics
Saturday, February 17
Mobile, Ala.
12:30 PM (ET)
Central Michigan University
12
vs
15
EKU
Photo by: Julia Bice '22,M'24 - @jb.jpg10
Day Two of South Alabama Invitational Results in Two Losses for Softball
2/17/2024 11:07:00 PM | Softball
MOBILE, Ala. – In the second day of the South Alabama Invitational, Central Michigan Softball dropped two games to EKU and UAB, 12-15 and 1-6, respectively. The Chippewas move to 0-4 on the young season while EKU advanced to 7-0 and UAB shifted to 3-4 in their seasons.  Â
Game one of the day was an absolute offensive showdown between the Chippewas and Colonels. The game combined for 27 runs on 26 hits. Coach Sara Driesenga utilized the deep pitching staff the Chippewas hold in the game as four pitchers saw action. Freshman pitcher took the circle to start for CMU looking to have a better start than the game on Friday against South Alabama. Compau threw for two innings, allowed six hits, and struck out her first two batters of her young collegiate career. She was relieved by Madelyn Wallace, who ended up taking the loss. Wallace threw for one inning, surrendering three hits, one of which was a grand slam after she entered the game with bases loaded and no outs. Cierra Lasaka then entered in the fourth inning, relieving Wallace. Laska faced nine batters, recording two strikeouts, while surrendering five hits. Ending the game was Mackenzie Langan, the sophomore, who made her first career appearance in the Maroon & Gold. Langan closed out the loss allowing only one hit through seven batters faced.
The game was an offensive clink on both ends, where the back and forth of the excitement allowed each team to have big innings. The two runs belonged to EKU in the first inning with a two RBI single through the right side.
Abbey Tolmie was the force that evened the score at two all by the end of the second after she reached on a fielding error by the shortstop and Bryn Elsenpeter scored. A. Tolmie then forced the second run when a first and third situation drew the throw and Maddie Springer touched home.
Another two RBI single for EKU in the bottom of the second gave them the 4-2 edge. The Chippewas would answer that and regain the lead to start the third inning.
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Allyssa Hollo singled through the left side which allowed Carly Sleeman to score. Sleeman reached on a fielder's choice. Keira Tolmie delivered a double to the center field wall, pushing Grace Koenig home, and Maddie Springer would then ground out to the third baseman, but not before Allyssa Hollo crossed home. CMU led 6-4 at the middle of the third.
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EKU would answer that in their half of the inning with their grand slam to make the score 8-6 in favor of the Colonels. A 2 RBI base hit would then give EKU the 10-6 lead, then a double to right center scored two more, then a sacrifice fly would end the scoring for EKU in the fourth, with a 13-6 lead.
Central Michigan had an answer for the big Colonel inning in the fifth, which started with a Hollo single through the left side, which moved Koenig home. A. Tolmie stayed on her hot streak with a shot to left field, allowing Hollo and Elsenpeter to score. Emma Lotus then delivered and Grace Koenig, who started the fifth inning for the Chippewas at the plate, came back around and charted the final RBI of the inning. In the middle of the fifth, the score was 13-11 in favor of EKU.
A two-run homerun for the bottom of the fifth gave EKU a 15-11 tilt, and CMU would have one final run in them at the hands of Sleeman to reach the final 15-12 score that favored Eastern Kentucky.
When the Chippewas played the nightcap against the Blazers of UAB, offense success was not the key factor as much as defensive issues.
The game started with a Tolmie sister, one-two punch when Abbey Tolmie singled to left field and was driven home by her younger sister, Keira Tolmie with her first career triple. Early on, 1-0 Chippewas. However, that would be the end of the scoring for the day for CMU.
Grace Lehto took the circle for Central Michigan and got two outs rather quickly. A confusing dropped third strike fiasco would be the trigger for UAB to capitalize.
UAB scored their first run when a runner from third came home after Carly Sleeman thought she had caught strike three, but the umpires ruled it was a dropped third, also allowing the batter to hold first base. Three errors by the Chippewa defense in the bottom of the first would end the inning with a 4-1 lead for UAB.
The Blazers did not record their first hit until the bottom of the fourth where they would score one more run after a throwing error from Sleeman behind the plate in attempt to catch a runner stealing third, 5-1 Blazers.
In the bottom of the fifth, UAB would score their sixth and final run after a wild pitch.
Not a single run scored by UAB was an earned run in the final game.
Central Michigan will wrap up their trip to Alabama when they face NIU on Sunday morning. First pitch is slated for 10 a.m. (ET)
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Game one of the day was an absolute offensive showdown between the Chippewas and Colonels. The game combined for 27 runs on 26 hits. Coach Sara Driesenga utilized the deep pitching staff the Chippewas hold in the game as four pitchers saw action. Freshman pitcher took the circle to start for CMU looking to have a better start than the game on Friday against South Alabama. Compau threw for two innings, allowed six hits, and struck out her first two batters of her young collegiate career. She was relieved by Madelyn Wallace, who ended up taking the loss. Wallace threw for one inning, surrendering three hits, one of which was a grand slam after she entered the game with bases loaded and no outs. Cierra Lasaka then entered in the fourth inning, relieving Wallace. Laska faced nine batters, recording two strikeouts, while surrendering five hits. Ending the game was Mackenzie Langan, the sophomore, who made her first career appearance in the Maroon & Gold. Langan closed out the loss allowing only one hit through seven batters faced.
The game was an offensive clink on both ends, where the back and forth of the excitement allowed each team to have big innings. The two runs belonged to EKU in the first inning with a two RBI single through the right side.
Abbey Tolmie was the force that evened the score at two all by the end of the second after she reached on a fielding error by the shortstop and Bryn Elsenpeter scored. A. Tolmie then forced the second run when a first and third situation drew the throw and Maddie Springer touched home.
Another two RBI single for EKU in the bottom of the second gave them the 4-2 edge. The Chippewas would answer that and regain the lead to start the third inning.
Â
Allyssa Hollo singled through the left side which allowed Carly Sleeman to score. Sleeman reached on a fielder's choice. Keira Tolmie delivered a double to the center field wall, pushing Grace Koenig home, and Maddie Springer would then ground out to the third baseman, but not before Allyssa Hollo crossed home. CMU led 6-4 at the middle of the third.
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EKU would answer that in their half of the inning with their grand slam to make the score 8-6 in favor of the Colonels. A 2 RBI base hit would then give EKU the 10-6 lead, then a double to right center scored two more, then a sacrifice fly would end the scoring for EKU in the fourth, with a 13-6 lead.
Central Michigan had an answer for the big Colonel inning in the fifth, which started with a Hollo single through the left side, which moved Koenig home. A. Tolmie stayed on her hot streak with a shot to left field, allowing Hollo and Elsenpeter to score. Emma Lotus then delivered and Grace Koenig, who started the fifth inning for the Chippewas at the plate, came back around and charted the final RBI of the inning. In the middle of the fifth, the score was 13-11 in favor of EKU.
A two-run homerun for the bottom of the fifth gave EKU a 15-11 tilt, and CMU would have one final run in them at the hands of Sleeman to reach the final 15-12 score that favored Eastern Kentucky.
When the Chippewas played the nightcap against the Blazers of UAB, offense success was not the key factor as much as defensive issues.
The game started with a Tolmie sister, one-two punch when Abbey Tolmie singled to left field and was driven home by her younger sister, Keira Tolmie with her first career triple. Early on, 1-0 Chippewas. However, that would be the end of the scoring for the day for CMU.
Grace Lehto took the circle for Central Michigan and got two outs rather quickly. A confusing dropped third strike fiasco would be the trigger for UAB to capitalize.
UAB scored their first run when a runner from third came home after Carly Sleeman thought she had caught strike three, but the umpires ruled it was a dropped third, also allowing the batter to hold first base. Three errors by the Chippewa defense in the bottom of the first would end the inning with a 4-1 lead for UAB.
The Blazers did not record their first hit until the bottom of the fourth where they would score one more run after a throwing error from Sleeman behind the plate in attempt to catch a runner stealing third, 5-1 Blazers.
In the bottom of the fifth, UAB would score their sixth and final run after a wild pitch.
Not a single run scored by UAB was an earned run in the final game.
Central Michigan will wrap up their trip to Alabama when they face NIU on Sunday morning. First pitch is slated for 10 a.m. (ET)
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Players Mentioned
IF
/ Softball
IF/UTL
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
C/UTL
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
C/UTL
/ Softball
P
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