Powerhouse plays sail Chippewas past Akron in weekend sweep
Oxford junior Kaitlyn Bean pitches the ball April 3 at Margo Jonker Stadium.
For the sixth time this season, Caitlyn Britton knocked a homer beyond the fence.
This time, the bases were loaded.
Britton's second inning grand slam sealed a promising fate for CMU's weekend at Akron, in which the Chippewas utilized strong offense and defensive combos to claim a four-game Mid-American Conference series sweep.
Game one
The Chippewas went on an offensive frenzy early in game one;.Pitcher Grace Lehto completed the two-part plan, shutting Akron out in an 11-0 mercy victory.
Shannon Stein tacked on the first run of the series, driving in Morgan Gardner. CMU added eight runs in the top of the second, Britton claimed responsibility for four with a base clearing shot over the fence with a full house.
The final three runs came in the third, behind Shaidan Knapp's RBI single. A two-run single to center by Skylar Coberley sealed the game one victory.
Lehto worked the circle for the full five, striking out six and allowing just two hits for a scoreless game.
Game two
Lehto passed the torch to Kaitlyn Bean for game two, pairing another scoreless game with 10 runs to sweep the doubleheader.
A trio of singles from Knapp, Coberley and Kelsey Alexander cracked the first inning wide open for a quick 4-0 lead. An error at right field redeemed Alexander's luck in the third inning, scoring Knapp. Gardner added two runs with a homer to left field in the sixth, making 7-0.
CMU added the final three runs in the final frame; A double from Coberley scored Knapp from first. Coberley ran in on a wild pitch, and a trio of walks loaded the bases back up. A hit-by-pitch made double digits for the Chippewas to finish the day.
Bean claimed a scoreless victory as the sole pitcher, allowing seven hits and walking one, but striking out seven Zips batters.
Game three
A four-run tie kept CMU and Akron locked in a stalemate from innings three to eight, but the Chippewas added two runs in the extra inning to claim the game 6-4.
Stein opened the day yet again with an RBI knock. Knapp drove in Gardner two plays later, leaving the Chippewas at 2-0 in the first frame.
Akron's Jessie Holzman put the Zips on the board for the first time in the series behind a solo home run.
A single and a pair of walks made a full house for CMU, allowing Alexander to make a sacrifice fly to center field and score Gardner. Knapp's attempt to steal second gave Britton a bold opportunity to steal home, scoring on Knapp's failed sprint.
Akron tacked on three runs in the bottom of the third, a two-run triple by Samantha Malik being the driving wedge to lock the score up at 4-4.
The Chippewas and the Zips shut each other out for the remaining four innings, forcing an eighth. A dead ball and a sacrifice fly pushed Alexander to second, and later scored after a two-run homer to left field by Emily Bracamonte broke the stalemate.
Lehto pitched the first three frames, striking out three and allowing four earned runs on six hits. Britton put forth four innings in the circle, claiming the victory with four strikeouts, four hits and no runs. Cloe Mallory struck out one, allowing two hits in the eighth frame.
Game four
The Chippewas finished the series with an 8-2 victory over the Zips.
A series of walks provided CMU the opportunity for three runs in the third inning. The fourth frame added three more runs; Coberley scored by error at right field on Tolmie's single, Gardner doubled to score Tolmie, and the former ran in on a wild pitch to make 6-0.
A bunt put Akron on the radar in the bottom of the fourth, stealing second and tacking a run to the board upon another single.
Knapp singled in the top of the fifth, taking to third over the next two outs. Coberley doubled, bringing Knapp in. Britton doubled and took third on a wild pitch in the seventh frame, scoring on Alexander's single for a 8-1 lead.
A pair of singles put two on for the Zips in the bottom of the seventh, claiming their second and final run with a double to give the Chippewas an 8-2 victory.
Mallory pitched a three inning victory, allowing just one hit and striking out two. Bean picked up the final four innings, allowing two runs on eight hits but striking out six.
Up next
The Chippewas travels to Toledo for a doubleheader against the Rockets starting at 1 p.m. on May 12.
