During her final at-bat in her Central Michigan softball career, the senior eyed up the perfect pitch and sent it clean over the fence, making a solo run to tie the game.

Dean's homer allowed the Chippewas to move to an eighth inning, where a standout final performance from seniors Morgan Gardner and Shaidan Knapp created the final run for CMU (20-28, 18-20) to win the Mid-American Conference season finale over Ohio (21-26, 17-21), 8-7, at Margo Jonker Stadium.

"Today was all about sending the seniors off in proper form," said head coach McCall Salmon. "We talked before the game about how this is the last time all of us probably are going to be in the same spot all together again, the reality of that and talking through staying in the moment, being present, having fun and embracing the opportunity you get today."

Despite struggling in the early game, Salmon noted that the energy her team provided on and off the field never faltered.

"The energy in our dugout was awesome, just consistent and even though when we went down, we never felt like we were out of the game because of our mindset," Salmon said. "I was really impressed in that aspect."

Key moments

The Bobcats gave senior pitcher Cloe Mallory and the Chippewas some trouble in the first inning, tacking on three runs off of a bases-loaded double to left field to break the game open.

Abbey Tolmie found her strength on the game's first at-bat again, pulling a single through the right side and taking second on Shannon Stein's walk. To open her final game as a Chippewa, Shaidan Knapp singled to right field, scoring Tolmie to make 3-1.

The Chippewas swapped pitcher Grace Lehto in after another three-run double from Ohio in the second frame extended their lead to 6-1.

"Cloe might not have done as well to start, but she knew her teammates had her back, and I think every single senior proved that today," Salmon said. "I couldn't have wrote the story better myself for what they've been through and how awesome it was for all of them to be key contributors to our victory."

Skylar Coberley opened the bottom of the second with a single, advancing to second on Abigail Niehaus' walk. Tolmie found another single through the right side, scoring Coberley. Stein added the third run of the game on a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Niehaus.

The score creeped up to 6-6 as Lehto worked to keep Ohio at bay from the circle while the Chippewa offense tied things up. Kelsey Alexander opened with a double, scored by a double of Coberley's own. Coberley ran in on a sacrifice fly by Niehaus, and a double by Gardner scored Tolmie off of her single to tie the game.

Ohio pitcher Makenzie Kohl and Lehto went head to head, keeping each team locked in the tie by retiring batters left and right. Bobcats infielder Mikenzie Vaughn ripped a homer to left center in the top of the sixth to pull ahead.

With two outs, the Chippewas found themselves in a pinch, but Dean's rocket ball over the center field fence tied things back up at seven and the two teams moved forth to an eighth inning. Lehto gave up a single and a walk after forcing a fly-out in the eighth, but focused down and struck the next Bobcat out looking. Another Ohio single slipped past to shortstop, but quick work by Gardner moved the ball to Coberley at third for a put-out.

Gardner took the box straight away in the eighth frame and sent a double down left center. Knapp stepped in two put-outs later and finished her college career with an RBI double, driving Gardner in to take the game 8-7.

"As far as how they felt --there was obviously some emotions there from them--, but they just stayed present and just competed," Salmon said. "They knew it was their last, like we talked about, you have the opportunity to go two straight years winning your last game, winning the last game of your career at Margo Jonker Stadium, and they were just smiling."

Key performers

Lehto pitched 6 1/3 innings for CMU, striking out five Bobcats and allowing four hits for one run.

Tolmie led the Chippewas with three hits, two runs and an RBI.

Six Chippewas --Tolmie, Gardner, Coberley, Niehaus, Dean and Shannon Stein-- contributed one RBI each, Knapp leading the charge with two.

Up next

The Chippewas will move into the off-season and graduate six seniors: Niehaus, Dean, Knapp, Gardner, Mallory and Samantha Howell.