Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, May 12
Midland, Mich.
3 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
6
vs
5
Central Michigan!
Softball Wins MAC Tournament, 6-5, in Extra-Innings Thriller
5/12/2007 6:23:31 PM | Softball
Senior Lindsay Schmid named tournament MVP
Box score
MIDLAND, Mich. — With the scored tied, one out, and a runner on second in the bottom of the eighth, senior Lindsay Schmid connected on a single to center field and junior Stephanie Sabo slid into home plate safe as the No. 2 seed Eastern Michigan University softball team defeated No. 5 seed Central Michigan University, 6-5, in extra-innings in the championship game of the Mid-American Conference Tournament, here Saturday afternoon at Currie Stadium. With the win, EMU earned an automatic bid into the NCAA Regional Tournament. Schmid was named the tournament MVP and senior Lauren Clark, senior Michelle Lloyd and junior Lindsay Ritz were named to the All-Tournament team.
The MAC championship was the first in EMU softball history. Today’s contest was the second time that the tournament championship game was decided in extra-innings, it also happened in 1998.
Four Eagles posted multi-hit games with Schmid totaling three hits, including the game winner, Junior Ashley Strauss, freshman Jenny Scherer and sophomore Heather Han each recorded two hits. Han also registered two RBI.
Senior Aimee Woodrum pitched the first six innings recording three strikeouts. Woodrum retired 11 straight Chippewa batters stretching from the first to the fifth inning. Lloyd (12-7) relieved Woodrum, throwing the final two innings, allowing just one hit.
In the top of the first CMU’s Suzie Giroux doubled down the right field line with one out. Woodrum hit the following batter to put two runners on, but a ground out and a strikeout ended the Chippewa’s threat.
The Eagles threatened to no avail in the third after Clark doubled with one out but was left stranded on the base.
In the fourth, Schmid singles to start the frame. Freshman Jessica Patterson pinch-ran for Schmid and advanced to second after Scherer drew a walk. A fake bunt attempt by sophomore Han led to a successful double steal to put both runners in scoring position with no outs. A single by Han scored Patterson. Back-to-back groundouts to third base moved Han to second with Scherer remaining on third. A suicide squeeze bunt by junior Heather Giroux scored Scherer, giving EMU a 2-0 lead.
A solo home run by CMU’s Christina Novak to start the fifth inning cut the Eastern advantage to 2-1.
The Eagles could not add to their lead in the fifth after three straight singles. Schmid and Scherer both connected on one-out singles. Han singled to center field but Schmid was thrown out at home, 9-4-2.
Controversy surrounded the sixth inning as the umpires overruled an original call. CMU’s Giroux singled to start the frame. A one-out high pop up by Jacque Benedict fell in the Eastern infield and catcher Heather Han fired the ball to second base, forcing the runner out at second. However after an umpire conference, the call was overturned and the runner was called safe. After a pop up that would have ended the inning, Central’s Novak hit her second home run of the game gave Central a 4-2 lead. The first time EMU has trailed all tournament.
A lead-off double by Ritz and a walk to Giroux put two on for the Eagles in the bottom of the sixth with no outs. A walk to Clark loaded the bases. After a strikeout, CMU made the call to the bullpen, brining in Jill DeRoche with one out and the bases loaded. An RBI single through the left side of the inning scored Ritz. After a strikeout, Scherer tied the game with an infield single to second base. A walk to Han let every runner advance a base, including Clark scoring from third. A strikeout ended the inning, leaving three runners on base, but EMU regained the lead 5-4.
A home run by Stephanie Crews tied the contest with the first pitch of the seventh inning, 5-5.
The Eagles went down 1-2-3 in the seventh to send the game to extra-innings.
Sabo doubled to opened the bottom of the eighth setting the stage for Schmid’s heroics.
The Eagles will find out when and where they play next during the NCAA selection show on Sunday, May 13 on ESPNews at 3 p.m.
MIDLAND, Mich. — With the scored tied, one out, and a runner on second in the bottom of the eighth, senior Lindsay Schmid connected on a single to center field and junior Stephanie Sabo slid into home plate safe as the No. 2 seed Eastern Michigan University softball team defeated No. 5 seed Central Michigan University, 6-5, in extra-innings in the championship game of the Mid-American Conference Tournament, here Saturday afternoon at Currie Stadium. With the win, EMU earned an automatic bid into the NCAA Regional Tournament. Schmid was named the tournament MVP and senior Lauren Clark, senior Michelle Lloyd and junior Lindsay Ritz were named to the All-Tournament team.
The MAC championship was the first in EMU softball history. Today’s contest was the second time that the tournament championship game was decided in extra-innings, it also happened in 1998.
Four Eagles posted multi-hit games with Schmid totaling three hits, including the game winner, Junior Ashley Strauss, freshman Jenny Scherer and sophomore Heather Han each recorded two hits. Han also registered two RBI.
Senior Aimee Woodrum pitched the first six innings recording three strikeouts. Woodrum retired 11 straight Chippewa batters stretching from the first to the fifth inning. Lloyd (12-7) relieved Woodrum, throwing the final two innings, allowing just one hit.
In the top of the first CMU’s Suzie Giroux doubled down the right field line with one out. Woodrum hit the following batter to put two runners on, but a ground out and a strikeout ended the Chippewa’s threat.
The Eagles threatened to no avail in the third after Clark doubled with one out but was left stranded on the base.
In the fourth, Schmid singles to start the frame. Freshman Jessica Patterson pinch-ran for Schmid and advanced to second after Scherer drew a walk. A fake bunt attempt by sophomore Han led to a successful double steal to put both runners in scoring position with no outs. A single by Han scored Patterson. Back-to-back groundouts to third base moved Han to second with Scherer remaining on third. A suicide squeeze bunt by junior Heather Giroux scored Scherer, giving EMU a 2-0 lead.
A solo home run by CMU’s Christina Novak to start the fifth inning cut the Eastern advantage to 2-1.
The Eagles could not add to their lead in the fifth after three straight singles. Schmid and Scherer both connected on one-out singles. Han singled to center field but Schmid was thrown out at home, 9-4-2.
Controversy surrounded the sixth inning as the umpires overruled an original call. CMU’s Giroux singled to start the frame. A one-out high pop up by Jacque Benedict fell in the Eastern infield and catcher Heather Han fired the ball to second base, forcing the runner out at second. However after an umpire conference, the call was overturned and the runner was called safe. After a pop up that would have ended the inning, Central’s Novak hit her second home run of the game gave Central a 4-2 lead. The first time EMU has trailed all tournament.
A lead-off double by Ritz and a walk to Giroux put two on for the Eagles in the bottom of the sixth with no outs. A walk to Clark loaded the bases. After a strikeout, CMU made the call to the bullpen, brining in Jill DeRoche with one out and the bases loaded. An RBI single through the left side of the inning scored Ritz. After a strikeout, Scherer tied the game with an infield single to second base. A walk to Han let every runner advance a base, including Clark scoring from third. A strikeout ended the inning, leaving three runners on base, but EMU regained the lead 5-4.
A home run by Stephanie Crews tied the contest with the first pitch of the seventh inning, 5-5.
The Eagles went down 1-2-3 in the seventh to send the game to extra-innings.
Sabo doubled to opened the bottom of the eighth setting the stage for Schmid’s heroics.
The Eagles will find out when and where they play next during the NCAA selection show on Sunday, May 13 on ESPNews at 3 p.m.
Thursday, July 23
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