CMU softball wins two in Spring Games
The Central Michigan softball team earned two wins out of five games as it gets ready for conference play and the home opener.
The Chippewas dropped three games to Long Island University, Bucknell, and Chattanooga, but got wins against Manhattan and Colgate.
CMU's record moves to 3-17 overall.
Game 1
Long Island ended up getting the better of Central Michigan in game one as the score ended up 5-2 in favor of the Sharks.
LIU got off to an early start as it scored a run in the first inning to make the score 1-0.
CMU didn’t respond until the fifth inning as a double steal worked in its favor as freshman Grace Koenig stole second base allowing junior Maddie Springer to swipe home to get the Chippewas on the board to tie the game at one.
Central Michigan wasn't done doing damage in that inning as senior Michaleigh Vallimont hit a sacrifice fly to score Koenig to make the score 2-1 Central Michigan.
Long Island didn’t waste any time getting those runs back as the Sharks put up two runs in the top of the sixth to take back the lead and added two more in the seventh to take the game 5-2.
Junior Madelyn Wallace gave up three runs in five and two thirds innings pitched.
Koenig had a good day at the plate as she went 2-3 as the Chippewas lost the opening game of the Spring Games.
Game 2
Game two of the weekend also saw Central Michigan lose to Bucknell, 8-5.
Bucknell got off to a fast start as it scored all eight runs in the first two innings.
Springer got the Chippewas on the board with a fly ball which freshman Keira Tolmie scored on.
Springer continued her success at the plate as she doubled down the line to score junior Allyssa Hollo to make the score 8-2 in favor of Bucknell. Hollo hit a homerun to cut the lead down to five for Bucknell.
Keira Tolmie singled in redshirt senior Skylar Coberley in the seventh inning to make the score 8-4.
The final run of the game came off the bat of freshman Emma Lotus as she grounded out but Coberley scored to make the game 8-5 as the comeback fell a little short for the Chippewas.
Senior Grace Lehto began the game in the circle as she only went one inning giving up all eight runs, seven of them being earned.
Hollo had a big game at the plate going 3-4 with a homerun while scoring two runs herself.
Game 3
Central Michigan hung on to win its second game of the year 8-7 against Manhattan on Friday.
The Chippewas got out to a roaring start with a four spot in the bottom of the second inning with Vallimont laying down a sacrifice bunt to score freshman Carly Sleeman.
Koenig walked with the bases loaded to force home the second run for Central Michigan. Senior Abbey Tolmie singled in two more runs, and the Chippewas got out to a big early lead.
Manhattan got on the board with two runs in the top of the third. Central Michigan answered with one of their own when Lotus scored Sleeman with a single up the middle.
After a few scoreless innings, Manhattan stormed back with five runs in the sixth to take the lead 7-5.
Central Michigan answered, scoring three runs in the bottom half of the inning to take back the lead in the sixth with a RBI groundout from Abbey Tolmie that scored Springer.
Sleeman got the game winning runs as she plated two runs with a single as the Chippewas took the lead back and not giving it up.
Freshman pitcher Brooklyn Compau went five and a third innings giving up five runs, four of them being earned.
Sophomore Cierra Laska slammed the door in a pressure situation, getting the save while Sleeman got two RBI’s at the plate in the win.
Game 4
Chattanooga downed the Chippewas 7-4 in the second to last game of the Spring Games.
Central Michigan got off to a hot start, scoring in the bottom of the first inning. Abbey Tolmie hit a triple down the right field line scoring Koenig to put the Chippewas up 1-0. CMU was not done yet as Vallimont singled in Abbey Tolmie to put Central Michigan up two.
Chattanooga responded with scoring the seven runs. However, in the bottom of the seventh, Sleeman hit a two-run home run to cut the lead to three, where it would stay as Chattanooga would come away with the victory.
Sophomore Mackenzie Langan took the circle for Central Michigan, going three innings giving up three runs.
Sleeman went 2-3 with a two RBI homerun as the Chippewas fell to Chattanooga 7-4.
Game 5
Central Michigan run ruled Colegate as they won 12-3 in five innings in the final game of the Spring Games, leaving Florida on a high note.
Both teams put up three runs in the first as Koenig scored after a bad throw from the Colgate catcher. Not being done, Vallimont hit a two run homerun to put the Chippewas 3-0.
Colgate answered with three runs of their own in the bottom of the first to tie the game.
Central Michigan got two runs in the top of the second as Abbey Tolmie hit a two run single to take back the lead.
Central Michigan blew the game open in the fifth with seven runs.
Hollo swatted a two run homerun as her and Petrovitch scored.
Koenig singled in freshman Rachel Cairo to make the score 8-3. Coberley singled in two runs to make the score 10-3.
Sleeman got in on the fun as she hit a two-run double to make the score 12-3 to put the run rule in effect.
Compau began the game in the circle, going one inning giving up three runs as she turned it over to the bullpen who shut down Colgate.
Senior Tailynn Knapp went 2-for-2, scoring two runs herself.
Central Michigan will be back in action for the home opener against Northern Illinois at Margo Jonker Stadium on Friday at 3 p.m.
