Softball team plays three at Eastern
The softball team is looking to improve its 17-1 MAC record with three games at Eastern this weekend.
Coming off of a loss for the first time since April 10, the team can clinch a share of the MAC West regular season title with three wins over the Eagles, who have a 7-11 conference record.
Michigan State snapped Central’s 10-game winning streak with a 3-2 victory in East Lansing Tuesday. All three MSU runs were unearned as Central committed four errors in the non-conference game.
Sophomore pitcher Amber Puchalski needs one strikeout to tie Linda Pagett for second all-time in school history with 485. Twenty-five more strikeouts would pass Tina Kinney for first place all-time and tie her own single season mark set last year.
Junior catcher/third baseman Michelle Brander hit a solo home run in the loss after being named MAC West Division player of the week for the week prior.
Senior pitcher Marcy Mobley leads the Eagles with a 10-9 record. She transferred from Ball State after three seasons and is second all-time for the Cardinals in strikeouts and third in wins.
Freshman outfielder Lauren Allen has five home runs on the season for Eastern, who took one of three at Northern Illinois over the weekend. The Huskies are second place in the MAC West, 4.5 games behind the Chippewas.
The winning run in the MSU game came on a Puchalski wild pitch. She relieved junior Jenni Rasmussen in the fifth with runners on second and third. With first base open, Head Coach Margo Jonker called for the intentional walk of State’s Robyn Golden. Puchalski’s fourth pitch got away from her and scored Janette Hurtado from third.
CMU’s two-run sixth wasn’t enough as Jessica Beech pitched the last inning and a third, not allowing a hit to seal the Spartan victory.
Central dropped its MAC opener at Ball State early in the season, and has since won its last 17 conference games.
If the team wins one game this weekend, it will have 30 wins for the seventh consecutive season.
Jonker has 796 career wins and a series sweep would allow her to go for 800 May 3 at home against Northern Illinois.
No CMU players or coaches could be reached for comment.
Today’s game in Ypsilanti will begin at 3:30 p.m. The two teams will meet in a doubleheader Saturday starting at 1 p.m.
