Softball sweeps two in MAC from Western
Ashley Williamson
With the wins, CMU upped its Mid-American Conference record to 4-1 while improving its season mark to 16-11.
Sophomore pitcher Amber Puchalski pitched a two-hit complete game shutout in the first game and sophomore first baseman Karly McCormack had five hits on the afternoon. She batted second in the lineup as part of a recent experiment by Head Coach Margo Jonker.
“She’s done a great job since we’ve put her in the two-hole, so we might just have to keep her there,” said Jonker. “She’s not my typical two-hitter but whatever.”
Puchalski allowed a double to Western’s Andrea Kellicut on the second pitch of the first game, but didn’t allow any more hits until the seventh inning. Puchalski struck out 12 batters en route to her sixth win of the season.
“(Amber pitched) one of the better games so far this year,” Jonker said.
Leading the offense in game one was senior left fielder Jen Skuta, who scored two runs and hit a first-inning double that scored a run. That proved to be all the offense Puchalski would need, as she dominated the Broncos, allowing only four base runners all game.
In game two, a four-run fifth inning which included six straight hits gave the Chippewas the comeback win.
Western managed a run in the first and held the lead until the third when McCormack doubled home freshman Natalie de la Vega.
Keying Central’s fifth inning onslaught was a Christin Sobeck triple followed by a pinch hit bloop single from Kristen White, which proved to be the game-winner. White’s hit was followed by four more which put the game out of reach for the visiting Broncos.
“Defensively, we had a couple really nice plays from Natalie (De la Vega), which is something that she’s been working on all year,” Jonker said.
Senior shortstop Becky Manson had three hits and junior Michelle Brander had three RBI in the nightcap.
Central will go to Bowling Green for a three-game series this weekend before hosting No. 13-ranked Michigan Wednesday for a doubleheader.
