CMU softball drops series at Ohio
Making the comeback of the weekend, Central Michigan (17-19, 8-6) softball brought itself back in the race to take the series. Yet, two home runs in the bottom of the seventh for Ohio secured the series in walk-off fashion.
The Chippewas claimed the second game, but dropped games one and three.
Game One
Despite an attempt at a seventh-inning rally, Central Michigan softball fell to the Ohio Bobcats 7-2 on Friday in the first game of the three-game series.
The Chippewas struggled to get runners on base all day. The exception was the top of the sixth inning, when Abbey Tolmie and Shannon Stein reached base. Michaeleigh Vallimont drove in the team's first run with a single.
Down 2-1, CMU's plans quickly unraveled in the bottom half. Grace Lehto struck out the first two batters of the inning, but the Bobcats quickly rallied. Before long, it was 7-1 as Ohio racked up five runs on five hits in the frame.
Lehto got the start in the circle for the Chippewas, pitching five innings, allowing six runs on 11 hits. Kaitlyn Bean pitched in relief allowing one run and one hit.
The Chippewas started a seventh inning rally with a leadoff homerun from Caitlyn Britton. To keep up the momentum was Kelsey Alexander beating out the throw from shortstop for an infield single. The Bobcats quickly put the rally hopes to bed by recording the final three outs.
Game Two
Three home runs and dominant pitching led the Chippewas to a 5-2 win in game two.
Bean started for the Chippewas, pitching all seven innings. She struck out eight batters and walked none. Earning the win in dominant fashion Bean would improve to 5-11 on the season.
After losing game one, the Chippewas would set the tone early with a solo shot to center field from Kelsey Alexander in the second inning to give the Chippewas an early 1-0 lead.
Ohio tied the game at 1 in the bottom half, but Britton answered in the sixth with a solo shot to kick off a rally. A throwing error would score two more runs in the inning, and Alexander hit her second dinger of the game in the seventh to cement the win.
Game Three
A walk-off home run foiled a valiant Chippewa rally to secure a series win for Ohio.
CMU answered an early Bobcat run with a Vallimont RBI single, but the tie was quickly broken in the bottom of the third when Yasmine Logan homered. An RBI single later in the inning and two errors in the fifth would give Ohio a 5-1 advantage heading into the sixth.
Skylar Coberly began the Chippewa rally when she scored on a wild pitch in the sixth. Katie Sexton drove in a run with a single to make it 5-3 heading into the seventh.
Trailing by two runs, Britton erased the deficit with one swing of the bat an inning later. She cleared the fence in center with a go-ahead three-run shot, her 10th of the season. Heading into the bottom of the seventh, the Chippewas looked primed to claim the series.
The lead wouldn't last an out, however, as Megan McMenemy took Britton deep to begin the inning. After recording two consecutive outs, Britton walked Caroline Spacek. This set the stage for Caitlin Fogue, who won the game for the Bobcats with a walk-off two-run shot.
Up next
The Chippewas will be back at home this week hosting the Toledo Rockets in a three game series starting on Tuesday at 3 p.m. and will continue on Wednesday at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
