Chippewas Register First Series Win Over Ball State Since 2022

Saturday, March 21

Mount Pleasant, Mich.

1:00 PM

Central Michigan University

13-11, 4-1

Ball State

11-12, 0-5

Ball State

Central Michigan

Photo by: Kailey Hill '26 - @rahsignz

Chippewas Register First Series Win Over Ball State Since 2022

3/21/2026 6:17:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2

Day two ends in a split; Cierra Laska hits her first career home run in game one of the doubleheader on Saturday as CMU wins in walk-off fashion.

By: Julia Bice

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Central Michigan split the second day of the series with Ball State, winning the first game in walk-off fashion, 4-3 and dropping the nightcap 1-7. With the two victories, Central Michigan registered its first series win against Ball State since 2022. The Chippewas have claimed each of their first two MAC series.

Central Michigan shifts to 13-12 for the season and 4-2 in the MAC while the Cardinals move to 12-12 and secured their first conference victory, moving to 1-5.

Game 1
Ball State struck first in the second meeting between the teams with an RBI ground out to third base with the bases loaded.

After the Ball State run in the first, Cierra Laska, who threw a pitched great game for CMU on Friday afternoon in relief, answered with her first career home run. Laska laced on tight down the right field line to score Tori Briggs, 2-1 CMU.

Ball State tied the game in the fourth inning with an RBI single and took a 3-2 lead with an RBI double to right center.

CMU's Rachel Cario then responded with her second home run of the season to tie the game at 3-3.

The game remained tied until the bottom of the seventh inning when Central Michigan walked the game off for the second time this weekend. Rachel Cairo led the inning off with a single through the left side. Ashley Bila entered to pinch hit for Keira Tolmie and laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move Cairo to second. Cairo went to third when Angela Petrovitch reached on an error by the shortstop on a throw to first base. Emma Lotus worked a full count and hit the game-winning shot up the middle to score Cairo.

Brooklyn Compau started in the circle for Central Michigan and pitched four innings, before she was relieved by freshman Aubrey Strelow. Strelow faced the final 13 batters with five strikeouts allowing no hits.

In the fifth inning, Strelow worked the bases loaded, but got herself out of the jam with her second strikeout of the inning. In the sixth, the freshman struck out two more and ended the game with a strikeout looking.

Strelow earned the victory in the game, her third of the season.

The Chippewas tallied six hits with Cairo leading the charge with two and two runs scored. Cierra Laska led the Chippewas with two RBI.

Game 2
Central Michigan struck first in the bottom of the first inning when London Williams doubled down the right field line. Jenna Kuzara, who reached base on a single to right, scored from second base.

Mackenzie Langan, who started the third game of the series for Central Michigan worked a 1-2-3 inning to open the game and found herself with bases loaded in the second. Langen worked three quick outs with a pop up, fly out and ended the inning with a strikeout in stranding three Cardinals on base.

In the top of the third, Langen posted another 1-2-3 inning with one more strikeout for the senior.

To start the fourth, Ball State had two runners reach, one via walk and one via base hit. A fly ball collected the first out of the inning by Emma Lotus, a pop up to Cairo got the second out of the inning. Ball State loaded the bases with a bunt, but Langan collected her fourth strikeout of the day to end the inning and again, leave the bases loaded.

Central Michigan loaded the bases in the bottom of the fourth inning, but the Cardinals gave CMU a taste of its own medicine, leaving them full.

Ball State scored three runs in the fifth inning.

Jenna Kuzara led the bottom of the inning with her 12^th double of the season, she was advanced to third by a ball in play off the bat of Koenig, but she was stranded there.

CMU entered the top of the sixth down 3-1 to the Cardinals. Cierra Laska then entered in relief. Laska and the defense worked a 1-2-3 inning as the pitcher then went to lead the inning off at the plate. Central Michigan was unable to score in the bottom of the inning.

In the top of the seventh, Ball State put two runners into scoring position after a ball was hit and lost in the sun for rightfielder. Ball State added two more runs with a passed ball and a bunt single.

The Chippewas loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh inning with a leadoff single from Lotus, back-to-back walks from Kuzara and Koenig, but those runners were stranded on base.

Langan took the loss in the circle for the Chippewas after throwing five innings and allowing nine hits and no earned runs. Langan struck out five in the outing.

Next, Central Michigan will head to Athens, Ohio to take on the Ohio Bobcats.

For the latest news and updates on CMU Softball, follow the team on X (@cmusoftball) and Instagram (@cmichsoftball).

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