Central Michigan University Athletics
Sunday, April 21
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
12:00 PM
Central Michigan University
13-26, 10-7
9
vs
5
Miami (OH)
36-7, 18-1
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Miami (OH)
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0
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0
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0
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5
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Central Michigan
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1
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0
0
X
9
11
1
Photo by: Lauren Verellen '26 - @laurenverellen_photography
Central Michigan Softball Rallies to Send RedHawks Home with First Conference Loss
4/21/2024 4:37:00 PM | Softball
The softball team defeated Miami (OH) 9-5 at Margo Jonker Stadium on Sunday afternoon to snap the 24-game winning streak the RedHawks held.
Mount Pleasant, Mich. – Phones recording the final out of the game were seen in almost every Chippewa fan's hand as Grace Lehto threw the final pitch of her ninth complete game of her senior season. The cheers rang out, Team 46 embraced each other, and the Chippewas successfully did what no other team in the MAC has done yet this season; beaten Miami (OH) in a softball game.
The 9-5 final score in favor of Central Michigan snapped the longest active winning streak in Division 1 Softball held by the RedHawks: 23 games.
How the game unfolded:
In the top of the first, Miami (OH) struck first when an RBI double scored a leadoff walk. However, Central Michigan was ready to make a statement in their fortress after dropping two to the RedHawks on Saturday. Abbey Tolmie mirrored the top of the first when she drew a leadoff walk. A double from her younger sister, Keira Tolmie would push A. Tolmie to third. When the throw from the right fielder was muffed by the Miami (OH) first baseman, A. Tolmie would score and get CMU on the board; 1-1.
An Allyssa Hollo single up the middle would push K. Tolmie home in the first, to give CMU the 2-1 lead heading to the second inning. The second inning that busted it open for the Maroon & Gold.
A 1-2-3 inning start from Lehto and the defense kept the energy rolling allowing the offense to be ready when their names were called. Freshman Emma Lotus started the inning with a single through the right side and was moved to second base with a sacrifice bunt from Maddie Springer to turn the lineup over. Another walk for Abbey Tolmie puts runners on first and second – two outs.
Following in her sister's footsteps, Keira Tolmie draws a walk to load the bases with none other than Carly Sleeman to the plate. Sleeman settled in, bases loaded, two outs, CMU gripping a one run lead. She takes the first pitch of the at-bat; strike one.
The next pitch Sleeman saw, no-doubter, a shot over the left field wall; a grand slam!
6-1 Chippewas heading to the third.
Miami (OH) added a single run in the third to cut their deficit to four with an RBI single, but the Chippewas had an answer in their half of the inning. Allyssa Hollo started the inning off with her fourth hit of the series, and second of the game. Angela Petrovitch entered to pinch run, and the speed of Petrovitch paid off as she made it home from second on an RBI single from Michaleigh Vallimont; 7-2 CMU.
In the fourth inning, the RedHawks threatened, but the defense was backing their pitcher through thick and thin. A hard ground ball knocked down by Grace Koenig got the force out at third to end the inning and leave the bases loaded with RedHawks.
Two more runs for CMU scored in the bottom of the fourth when Grace Koenig reached on an error by the second baseman, bringing home Sleeman and A. Tolmie. The eighth and ninth runs of the game scored for CMU would be the final two needed to secure the win.
Miami (OH) scored a run via homerun in the fifth inning to make the score 9-3 in favor of CMU and would add two more in the top of the 7th with another homerun, reaching the final score of 9-5, Central Michigan.
What this means overall:
Entering the weekend, Miami (OH) was on a 21-game winning streak, made 23 with the two wins over the Chippewas yesterday. The RedHawks were undefeated in the Mid-American Conference in the 2024 season at 18-0.
Central Michigan Softball played a tough preseason schedule and was asked by their fifth-year head coach, McCall Salmon to stick with the coaching staff's plan and have faith. Team 46 has done just that. "This win is a huge confidence booster. But what we have been telling the team all year is that our non-conference schedule was the "Miami's" of their respective conferences. What happened yesterday (Saturday) was not something we hadn't experienced this year. We had been there, and we knew today we had to punch back."
"I am extremely proud of this group across the board." said Salmon, "Our mentality was to continue to attack. We know how good of an offensive team they (Miami (OH)) are, but I also think we did some things well yesterday (Saturday) that we could carry into today. I loved the approach from the first inning."
Salmon pinpoints a few areas that helped set that ton early in the victory over the RedHawks. "The Tolmie sisters help set that tone in the first inning, Carly's grand slam, another tone setter." To start the game, Abbey Tolmie drew her team leading 30th walk on the season and Keira Tolmie hit her 7th double of the season. Carly Sleeman hit her first career grand slam in the second also charting her third career homerun as a Chippewa.
Senior right-handed pitcher, Grace Lehto threw her team-leading ninth complete game of the season as she led the team to their conference victory. Lehto took the start in game one of the series on Saturday, where she issued six runs on five hits before the end of the first inning.
In her return to the circle on Sunday, Lehto issued seven hits, allowed five runs, and struck out seven. "Grace kept her composure coming off yesterday's rough first inning and dominated as we knew she could." said Coach Salmon. Lehto's complete game in the outing marks her 60th in her four years at CMU.
"Today was just an overall team performance. We continue to compete. We continue to trust the process."
Salmon's closing thoughts:
"We are known as a program for adjusting the second time we see pitchers. I think that really showed today. Allyssa Hollo and Michaleigh Vallimont but really settled in and stuck to the process this weekend and made those adjustments at-bat to at-bat. That allowed a lot of great things to happen for them."
Allyssa Hollo doubled in both games on Saturday, being the only Chippewa to record a hit in game one, and hitting another double in the second game of the first day. In the series finale, Hollo had two hits, and collected her 15th RBI of the season.
Michaleigh Vallimont recorded a hit in the nightcap on Saturday and collected two RBI of the six runs scored by the Chippewas in that game. On Sunday, Vallimont delivered another clutch hit when she drove in another run, while also drawing a walk.
"We have to continue to stick to the process. Notre Dame on Tuesday, and then to Akron for the next MAC match-up. We are going to enjoy this today, but we are going to get back to work and figure out how to tackle Notre Dame."
"Every MAC win you get is extremely important."
For the latest news and updates on CMU Softball, follow the team on X (@cmusoftball) and Instagram (@cmichsoftball).
The 9-5 final score in favor of Central Michigan snapped the longest active winning streak in Division 1 Softball held by the RedHawks: 23 games.
How the game unfolded:
In the top of the first, Miami (OH) struck first when an RBI double scored a leadoff walk. However, Central Michigan was ready to make a statement in their fortress after dropping two to the RedHawks on Saturday. Abbey Tolmie mirrored the top of the first when she drew a leadoff walk. A double from her younger sister, Keira Tolmie would push A. Tolmie to third. When the throw from the right fielder was muffed by the Miami (OH) first baseman, A. Tolmie would score and get CMU on the board; 1-1.
An Allyssa Hollo single up the middle would push K. Tolmie home in the first, to give CMU the 2-1 lead heading to the second inning. The second inning that busted it open for the Maroon & Gold.
A 1-2-3 inning start from Lehto and the defense kept the energy rolling allowing the offense to be ready when their names were called. Freshman Emma Lotus started the inning with a single through the right side and was moved to second base with a sacrifice bunt from Maddie Springer to turn the lineup over. Another walk for Abbey Tolmie puts runners on first and second – two outs.
Following in her sister's footsteps, Keira Tolmie draws a walk to load the bases with none other than Carly Sleeman to the plate. Sleeman settled in, bases loaded, two outs, CMU gripping a one run lead. She takes the first pitch of the at-bat; strike one.
The next pitch Sleeman saw, no-doubter, a shot over the left field wall; a grand slam!
6-1 Chippewas heading to the third.
Miami (OH) added a single run in the third to cut their deficit to four with an RBI single, but the Chippewas had an answer in their half of the inning. Allyssa Hollo started the inning off with her fourth hit of the series, and second of the game. Angela Petrovitch entered to pinch run, and the speed of Petrovitch paid off as she made it home from second on an RBI single from Michaleigh Vallimont; 7-2 CMU.
In the fourth inning, the RedHawks threatened, but the defense was backing their pitcher through thick and thin. A hard ground ball knocked down by Grace Koenig got the force out at third to end the inning and leave the bases loaded with RedHawks.
Two more runs for CMU scored in the bottom of the fourth when Grace Koenig reached on an error by the second baseman, bringing home Sleeman and A. Tolmie. The eighth and ninth runs of the game scored for CMU would be the final two needed to secure the win.
Miami (OH) scored a run via homerun in the fifth inning to make the score 9-3 in favor of CMU and would add two more in the top of the 7th with another homerun, reaching the final score of 9-5, Central Michigan.
What this means overall:
Entering the weekend, Miami (OH) was on a 21-game winning streak, made 23 with the two wins over the Chippewas yesterday. The RedHawks were undefeated in the Mid-American Conference in the 2024 season at 18-0.
Central Michigan Softball played a tough preseason schedule and was asked by their fifth-year head coach, McCall Salmon to stick with the coaching staff's plan and have faith. Team 46 has done just that. "This win is a huge confidence booster. But what we have been telling the team all year is that our non-conference schedule was the "Miami's" of their respective conferences. What happened yesterday (Saturday) was not something we hadn't experienced this year. We had been there, and we knew today we had to punch back."
"I am extremely proud of this group across the board." said Salmon, "Our mentality was to continue to attack. We know how good of an offensive team they (Miami (OH)) are, but I also think we did some things well yesterday (Saturday) that we could carry into today. I loved the approach from the first inning."
Salmon pinpoints a few areas that helped set that ton early in the victory over the RedHawks. "The Tolmie sisters help set that tone in the first inning, Carly's grand slam, another tone setter." To start the game, Abbey Tolmie drew her team leading 30th walk on the season and Keira Tolmie hit her 7th double of the season. Carly Sleeman hit her first career grand slam in the second also charting her third career homerun as a Chippewa.
Senior right-handed pitcher, Grace Lehto threw her team-leading ninth complete game of the season as she led the team to their conference victory. Lehto took the start in game one of the series on Saturday, where she issued six runs on five hits before the end of the first inning.
In her return to the circle on Sunday, Lehto issued seven hits, allowed five runs, and struck out seven. "Grace kept her composure coming off yesterday's rough first inning and dominated as we knew she could." said Coach Salmon. Lehto's complete game in the outing marks her 60th in her four years at CMU.
"Today was just an overall team performance. We continue to compete. We continue to trust the process."
Salmon's closing thoughts:
"We are known as a program for adjusting the second time we see pitchers. I think that really showed today. Allyssa Hollo and Michaleigh Vallimont but really settled in and stuck to the process this weekend and made those adjustments at-bat to at-bat. That allowed a lot of great things to happen for them."
Allyssa Hollo doubled in both games on Saturday, being the only Chippewa to record a hit in game one, and hitting another double in the second game of the first day. In the series finale, Hollo had two hits, and collected her 15th RBI of the season.
Michaleigh Vallimont recorded a hit in the nightcap on Saturday and collected two RBI of the six runs scored by the Chippewas in that game. On Sunday, Vallimont delivered another clutch hit when she drove in another run, while also drawing a walk.
"We have to continue to stick to the process. Notre Dame on Tuesday, and then to Akron for the next MAC match-up. We are going to enjoy this today, but we are going to get back to work and figure out how to tackle Notre Dame."
"Every MAC win you get is extremely important."
For the latest news and updates on CMU Softball, follow the team on X (@cmusoftball) and Instagram (@cmichsoftball).
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Lehto, Grace (6-13)
L: REEVES, M. (13-3)
Batting:
2B: SPAID, Karli 1
HR: GOLEMBIEWSKI 1 ; BARTHOLOMEW 1
RBI: SPAID, Karli 1 ; BLASKA, H. 1 ; GOLEMBIEWSKI 1 ; BARTHOLOMEW 2
Base Running:
RUNS: CUMMINS, A. 2 ; GOLEMBIEWSKI 2 ; BARTHOLOMEW 1
CS: BEWICK, Sami 1
Batting:
2B: Tolmie, Keira 1 ; Koenig, Grace 1
HR: Sleeman, Carly 1
RBI: Tolmie, Keira 1 ; Sleeman, Carly 4 ; Hollo, Allyssa 1 ; Vallimont, Michaleigh 1
SH: Springer, Maddie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Tolmie, Abbey 3 ; Tolmie, Keira 2 ; Sleeman, Carly 2 ; Petrovitch, Angela 1 ; Lotus, Emma 1
Game Leaders
AB
2
R
3
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
2
H
1
RBI
4
Players Mentioned
IF/UTL
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IF
/ Softball
P
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IF
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IF
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballC/UTL
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