Central Michigan University Athletics
Friday, March 6
Madeira Beach, Fla.
11:00 AM
Central Michigan University
8-8
13
vs
5
USC Upstate
13-8
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2
3
4
5
6
R
H
E
Central Michigan
2
4
2
3
0
2
13
14
1
USC Upstate
2
2
0
0
0
1
5
9
5
Photo by: Julia Bice '22,M'24 - @jb.jpg10
Kuzara and Williams Homer as Softball Splits in Florida
3/6/2026 4:39:00 PM | Softball
Central Michigan Softball run-ruled 2025 NCAA Tournament participant USC Upstate in lead to double header split.
MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. – The bats continued to be hot for Central Michigan Softball in the first double header of the trip to Florida.
CMU defeated USC Upstate in run-rule fashion, 13-5 in the first game and fell on a walk off, 5-4 in the second game. The two teams will meet again on Sunday for another double header to close out the preseason stretch. Central Michigan moves to 8-9 on the season while Upstate moves to 14-8.
Game 1
The Chippewas started the first game with a two-run home run from Jenna Kuzara. The four bagger is the first of the career for the outfielder.
Upstate answered in the bottom of the inning with an RBI single and tied the game at two with a dropped third strike that scored a runner from third.
In the top of the second inning, London Williams drew a bases loaded walk to score Cierra Laska and give the Chippewas the lead again. Laska, who started as the designated player for the second straight game scored four of the runs for Central Michigan in the victory.
CMU plated a total of three runs in the second inning. An error by the second baseman after Grace Koenig put a ball in played scored Angela Petrovitch, and Rachel Cairo collected two RBI on a single to center field scoring Emma Lotus and Williams.
Upstate scored in the bottom of the inning with two RBI singles.
In the top of the third, Angela Petrovitch tagged a ball down the right field line tallying her third triple of the year and Laska crossed the plate. Petrovitch scored on the next pitch when Emma Lotus grounded out to the second baseman.
Upstate did not score again until the sixth inning with a solo home run.
CMU added three more runs in the fourth inning with a sacrifice bunt from Ashley Bila, an error by the second baseman to score Koenig, and an RBI single from Petrovitch.
In the sixth, Laska drew a throw from the Spartan catcher in a first and third situation and Bila scored from third, and the final run came with an RBI single from Keria Tolmie to score Laska for the fourth time in the game.
Central Michigan tallied 14 hits in the game, tying their season high for the fourth time this season. The Chippewas now have eight games of their 17 played with 10+ hits as a team.
Mackenzie Langan took the start and the decision in the game throwing 5.2 innings striking out seven. Laska faced the final out in relief for Central Michigan.
USC Upstate won the Big South in 2025 with a 39-16 overall record, and appeared in the NCAA Tournament. The Chippewas forced a pitching change after the second inning and only struck out three times in the game.
Angela Petrovitch and Rachel Cairo each tallied three hits and two RBI, and Kuzara notched knocked in two runners as well.
Game 2
Central Michigan took the lead over the Spartans early in the second game, meaning the top of the first inning, with London Williams' fourth home run of the season.
Upstate took the lead in the bottom of the second inning on an error by Williams at first base, both runs being unearned.
In the fifth, Central Michigan took the lead with an RBI single from Emma Lotus to tie the game, and Angela Petrovitch scoring on an error by the shortstop off the bat of Williams.
Extra insurance came in the sixth inning with an RBI double from Cierra Laska, but the Spartans ultimately walked the game off with a double and the game winning single in the bottom of the seventh.
Emma Lotus and Grace Koenig each had two hits in the outing, Williams had two RBI, and the Chippewas, again, only struck out three times as a group.
Brooklyn Compau took the start for CMU and threw four innings. Aubrey Strelow faced 10 batters in two innings of work collecting three strikeouts. Cierra Laska ultimately took the loss in the game facing the final four batters issuing the walk-off hit and run.
For the latest news and updates on CMU Softball, follow the team on X (@cmusoftball) and Instagram (@cmichsoftball).
CMU defeated USC Upstate in run-rule fashion, 13-5 in the first game and fell on a walk off, 5-4 in the second game. The two teams will meet again on Sunday for another double header to close out the preseason stretch. Central Michigan moves to 8-9 on the season while Upstate moves to 14-8.
Game 1
The Chippewas started the first game with a two-run home run from Jenna Kuzara. The four bagger is the first of the career for the outfielder.
Upstate answered in the bottom of the inning with an RBI single and tied the game at two with a dropped third strike that scored a runner from third.
In the top of the second inning, London Williams drew a bases loaded walk to score Cierra Laska and give the Chippewas the lead again. Laska, who started as the designated player for the second straight game scored four of the runs for Central Michigan in the victory.
CMU plated a total of three runs in the second inning. An error by the second baseman after Grace Koenig put a ball in played scored Angela Petrovitch, and Rachel Cairo collected two RBI on a single to center field scoring Emma Lotus and Williams.
Upstate scored in the bottom of the inning with two RBI singles.
In the top of the third, Angela Petrovitch tagged a ball down the right field line tallying her third triple of the year and Laska crossed the plate. Petrovitch scored on the next pitch when Emma Lotus grounded out to the second baseman.
Upstate did not score again until the sixth inning with a solo home run.
CMU added three more runs in the fourth inning with a sacrifice bunt from Ashley Bila, an error by the second baseman to score Koenig, and an RBI single from Petrovitch.
In the sixth, Laska drew a throw from the Spartan catcher in a first and third situation and Bila scored from third, and the final run came with an RBI single from Keria Tolmie to score Laska for the fourth time in the game.
Central Michigan tallied 14 hits in the game, tying their season high for the fourth time this season. The Chippewas now have eight games of their 17 played with 10+ hits as a team.
Mackenzie Langan took the start and the decision in the game throwing 5.2 innings striking out seven. Laska faced the final out in relief for Central Michigan.
USC Upstate won the Big South in 2025 with a 39-16 overall record, and appeared in the NCAA Tournament. The Chippewas forced a pitching change after the second inning and only struck out three times in the game.
Angela Petrovitch and Rachel Cairo each tallied three hits and two RBI, and Kuzara notched knocked in two runners as well.
Game 2
Central Michigan took the lead over the Spartans early in the second game, meaning the top of the first inning, with London Williams' fourth home run of the season.
Upstate took the lead in the bottom of the second inning on an error by Williams at first base, both runs being unearned.
In the fifth, Central Michigan took the lead with an RBI single from Emma Lotus to tie the game, and Angela Petrovitch scoring on an error by the shortstop off the bat of Williams.
Extra insurance came in the sixth inning with an RBI double from Cierra Laska, but the Spartans ultimately walked the game off with a double and the game winning single in the bottom of the seventh.
Emma Lotus and Grace Koenig each had two hits in the outing, Williams had two RBI, and the Chippewas, again, only struck out three times as a group.
Brooklyn Compau took the start for CMU and threw four innings. Aubrey Strelow faced 10 batters in two innings of work collecting three strikeouts. Cierra Laska ultimately took the loss in the game facing the final four batters issuing the walk-off hit and run.
For the latest news and updates on CMU Softball, follow the team on X (@cmusoftball) and Instagram (@cmichsoftball).
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Langan, Mackenzie (3-3)
L: DRERUP, Maddie (7-5)
Batting:
2B: Koenig, Grace 1
3B: Petrovitch, Angela 1
HR: Kuzara, Jenna 1
RBI: Petrovitch, Angela 2 ; Lotus, Emma 1 ; Williams, London 1 ; Kuzara, Jenna 2 ; Koenig, Grace 1 ; Cairo, Rachel 2 ; Bila, Ashley 1 ; Laska, Cierra 1 ; Tolmie, Keira 1
SH: Bila, Ashley 1 ; Tolmie, Keira 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Petrovitch, Angela 2 ; Lotus, Emma 2 ; Williams, London 1 ; Kuzara, Jenna 2 ; Koenig, Grace 1 ; Bila, Ashley 1 ; Laska, Cierra 4
SB: Laska, Cierra 1
CS: Lambert, Charlie 1
Batting:
2B: BERNAL, Mackenzei 1
HR: THOMAS, Taliyah 1
RBI: THOMAS, Taliyah 2 ; DAVENPORT, Alyssa 1 ; JENNINGS, Laney 1 ; CHRISTOPHER, Ella 1
Base Running:
RUNS: THOMAS, Taliyah 3 ; DAVENPORT, Alyssa 1 ; JOHNSON, Amie 1
HBP: SHAW, Carson 1
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
2
H
3
RBI
2
AB
4
R
0
H
3
RBI
2
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
UTL
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
INF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
LHP/UTL
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballUTL
/ Softball
LHP
/ Softball
1B/UTL
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