Softball drops two in season-opening doubleheader
CMU softball struggled out of the gate.
Off to a rough start, the Chippewas were held without any runs or hits in their first game. Southeast Missouri would come out with a 6-0 win.
Sophomore pitcher Grace Letho got the opening day start. She threw 122 pitches through six innings and gave up four earned runs on nine hits, two base on balls, and one homerun. Letho kept the Redhawks off the board for three straight innings (third, fourth, and fifth), but would allow three runs in the sixth and final inning for the Redhawks.
Red shirt junior catcher Sammi Mills guns a Redhawks runner down stealing.
It was all Southeast Missouri as they took their lead early with a single to right from sophomore Karsyn Davis which knocked in freshman Aubrie Shore and sophomore Kat Sackett to make the score 2-0 after the first inning. The scoring continued in the bottom of the second for Southeast Missouri to bring the score to 3-0.
Letho kept the Redhawks off the board in the third, fourth, and fifth innings, giving the Chippewas hope. Hope fell shorts as the Chippewas couldn't find their bats and were held without a hit. The Redhawks added onto their score with three more runs in the sixth to make the final score 6-0.
Game two
Despite taking the lead early in game two against Western Kentucky, the Chippewas would fall to the Hilltoppers 10-2.
The Chippewas would open the scoring in the first inning with back to back hits from sophomore Abbey Tolmie and Maddie Springer who would get knocked in by a double from Caitlyn Britton to bring the score to 2 for the Chippewas.
Western Kentucky would answer back with four runs in the first, with a homer from Madison Bowlds. The Chippewas managed to keep the Hilltoppers off the board until the seventh inning with another homer from Taylor Sanders and a single from Bowlds to make the score 7 for the Hilltoppers and 2 for the Chippewas. Keeping their momentum, the Hilltoppers would continue to swing their bats and knock in runs, giving them a final score of 10 and held the Chippewas at 2.
Red shirt Junior Kaitlyn Bean would take the mound for the Chippewas. She would pitch five innings throwing 98 pitches, gave up two earned runs, seven hits, two homers, and tossed two strikeouts.
Freshman Maddie Wallace would make her CMU debut and pitch for the sixth inning. She would throw 24 pitches with two earned runs and one base on balls.
Catcher Mills would continue to dominate behind the backstop, throwing out another player; this time attempting a steal from second to third.
Tolmie would go 2-for-3 on the day, including a lead off hit to start the game and get the Chippewas fired up in the first inning.
The Chippewas continue their weekend in Bowling Green on Saturday February 19 at 11 a.m. against Bellarmine.
