Softball hits big, sweeps doubleheader against Buffalo
In an intense Mid-American Conference series opener, CMU and Buffalo battled to see who could knock the most balls out of the stadium.
After two games Buffalo totaled four home runs, but the Chippewas tallied seven.
CMU's (9-19, 7-11) ability to hit big aided greatly in its doubleheader sweep over Buffalo (10-27, 8-14) with 13-10 and 9-8 wins, respectively.
Head coach McCall Salmon praises her team's performance at the plate following their three straight wins against Northern Illinois last weekend.
"Building off of last weekend and knowing our approach at the plate, and how, once again, as long as we don't try to do too much," Salmon said. "If we hit strikes and we're on time, and when we do those things in the box, good things are going to happen; Staying with that mindset, 'where there's an out, there's an opportunity' I think they're really believing and seeing that."
Game one
Freshman Grace Lehto started on the mound for the Chippewas and allowed a home run to the first batter she faced. Lehto managed to strike out the next two batters looking.
"We knew (Buffalo) is a team that could hit the ball over the fence," Salmon said. "Having the mentality of 'if they do, who cares, it's just one run,' and with how our offense has been producing lately, you just have to give us the opportunity to win a game and that's exactly what she (Lehto) did."
After claiming one run in the first inning to tie things up, CMU turned up the heat and immediately put Buffalo on the spot in the second frame. Senior Morgan Gardner found a sweet pitch, sailing it out of sight to give the Chippewas a 4-1 lead.
After tacking on a run in the bottom of the second to make five for the Chippewas, Buffalo's Alexis Matheney went deep to the tune of three runs for the Bulls. CMU added two runs in the bottom of the third, but the Bulls took a 7-6 lead halfway through four innings.
Junior Shannon Stein belted a solo home run and Kelsey Alexander followed suit, ripping the fresh game ball over the fence for three runs and taking a 10-7 lead into the fifth.
Buffalo added two runs in the fifth frame, crushing the ball out of the park one last time to catch up at 10-9. The Chippewas added three runs in the bottom of the fifth behind an Abbie Tolmie double, who later scored off a wild pitch. Sophomore Caitlyn Britton doubled but scored by an error at center field, claiming the 13 and final run of the game for CMU.
Lehto claimed victory on the mound for game one, giving up nine runs on nine hits, three walks and delivering two strikeouts for five frames pitched.
Alexander was one of three Chippewas to deliver a home run, finishing the first game with three hits, three runs and three RBI.
Game two: Impact moments
After a quiet first inning, CMU shattered the silence in the bottom of the second when Britton and Alexander scored by two different wild pitches, leaving the bases clear for sophomore Skylar Coberley's deep ball. Shaidan Knapp later belted a two-run shot for a 5-0 lead.
Buffalo added two runs in the top of the third and claimed the third run by an error at second in the fourth frame. Senior Tala Dean extended the Chippewas' lead to six, finding her way home off of a wild pitch and later homered to give the Chippewas a late 8-4 lead.
Buffalo rallied in the seventh to tie the game 8-8, but it proved to be too little too late.
The Chippewas were down to their final out in the seventh when Britton wailed the final pitch out of Margo Jonker Stadium for a walk-off victory to earn the doubleheader sweep. Britton finished 2-for-4, scoring three runs and hitting one home run while also allowing two earned runs off six hits and four walks with one strikeout in five innings on the mound.
"I just want to praise her (Britton)," Salmon said. "I think her coming in and finishing the first game on the mound, starting game two on the mound, giving us an opportunity to win and then offensively doing whatever she could to keep the team in the ball game and help us produce runs; very proud of her, she had a day today."
Up next
The Chippewas return to Margo Jonker Stadium to continue their series against the Bulls at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
