Softball hosts two against Oakland
After opening its Mid-American Conference season with a 1-3 record, the softball team will take a break from conference play with a pair of games against Oakland University.
Game one of the doubleheader starts at 2 p.m. today at Margo Jonker Stadium.
Oakland is fresh off a 2-1 series win against the University of Missouri-Kansas City, which saw OU out-score UMKC 12-6.
The Golden Grizzlies (10-18 overall, 4-5 Summit League), average 3.71 runs a game, compared to CMU's 2.71.
"I know that they are a feisty team and I know that they put a lot of players in and out of the game," said CMU coach Margo Jonker. "I think that they are a solid club so we need to be on top of our game."
CMU struggled offensively over the weekend against Ball State and Miami University. In four games, the Chippewas were shut out twice and scored just one run in another, going 1-3 on the weekend.
Jonker stressed the importance of the team's mental concentration when players are in scoring position.
"We need to get runners on base," she said. "We have been doing a good job of that but we need to take advantage of the opportunities that we have to score runners when they are in scoring position."
Senior Jessica Granger, who has 99 strikeouts in 17 appearances (7.56 per game), will likely pitch for OU.
"Granger is a rise-ball pitcher so she will throw the ball up in the zone and we have to make sure we swing at strikes and lay off the balls," Jonker said.
Granger also leads the team with seven wins and 91.2 innings, 52 more than the next highest OU pitcher.
In four games this past weekend, senior Ali Pettit pitched 24.2 innings, including 10 in a 6-5 win against Ball State on Friday.
Jonker said she has yet to decide whether Pettit will take the mound against Oakland. Junior Christina Novak said she has faith in the other pitchers on the roster anyway.
"Our team should always be confident regardless of who is in the circle," Novak said.
A year ago, the Chippewas swept two games from Oakland, 5-2 and 3-0.
"When you have beat a team before, there is always confidence that comes from that," Novak said. "We can't go into this game thinking that just because we have beaten them that they can't beat us."
Pettit said each individual must perform well in their respective role.
"I think that we are all on this team for a reason," she said. "I think that our defense is going to step up and play well behind whoever is in the circle."
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