Eastern Michigan Athletics
Friday, April 20
Muncie, Ind.
1 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
at
Ball State
Photo by: Steve King/KingStudios
Softball Continues MAC Play At Ball State and Miami
4/19/2012 5:37:00 PM | Softball
Eagles will look to bounce back from a 1-3 outing in MAC play last weekend
GAME NOTES.
Live Stats: Ball State / Miami (Game One) / Miami (Game Two).
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — The Eastern Michigan University softball team will return to Mid-American Conference play this weekend, April 20-22, with a pair of games against both Ball State University and the Miami University. Friday's doubleheader in Muncie is scheduled for 1 p.m. and will be broadcasted live on Ball State Sports Link, which can be accessed HERE, and will also be featured on-air on Comcast Indiana. EMU will close out the weekend with single games against the RedHawks in Oxford, Ohio on Saturday and Sunday.
A LOOK AT THE CARDINALS: Ball State enters Friday's doubleheader atop of the MAC West Division with a 6-2 record in conference matchups and a league-best .692 winning percentage (27-12) in overall games.
Ball State's offense has accumulated 75 hits in 228 at bats for the MAC-best .329 batting average in conference games. BSU's Jennifer Gilbert ranks second for individual batting with a .519 average in eight conference games. Ball State hurlers have had less luck in MAC contests this season, as they rank last in ERA with a 5.83 overall. Defensively, the Cardinals' .957 fielding percentage in fourth, while its six double plays turned against conference foes leads all teams in the MAC.
The Cardinals are coming off of an April 18 win against in-state rival Indiana, where they used 15 hits to defeat the Hoosiers 12-4 in six innings.
SCOUTING THE REDHAWKS: Miami is 25-15 with a 6-4 record in conference play. The RedHawks will face Central Michigan Friday, April 20, before hosting the Eagles at Miami Softball Stadium Saturday and Sunday.
The RedHawks offense is paced by Shanyn McIntyre's .370 batting average in 34 games, while her .484 average in MAC contests ranks fourth in the confrence. As a team, MU is hitting .295 in the MAC (fifth) and .284 (fourth) in overall games.
Jessica Simpson has put in the most work in the circle for Miami, tossing 180.2 innings in 36 appearances. She owns a team-best 1.39 ERA and has struck out 213 batters this season. The Miami pitching staff has a 1.80 ERA collaboratively and have held opponents to a .222 clip.
NO OFFENSE, TITANS: The Green and White's pitching staff played a major role in the Eagles' doubleheader sweep over Detroit at Varsity Field this past Tuesday, April 17. EMU hurlers Jenna Ignowski and Lauren Wells united their efforts to hold the Titans to just one run on six hits through two games for a combined 0.54 ERA.
Ignowski tossed her third complete game shutout of the season, holding Detroit scoreless through six innings of work in the circle in game one. The junior struck out six and gave up just four hits in the contest.
Wells followed with a two-hit performance in game two, allowing just one run in her fourth complete game effort this season. The lefty quieted the Titans' offense through the first three innings of play. She would give up one run on two hits in the fourth, but regained control and stymied her opponents through the final two innings to help secure a 7-1 win.
PLATE PERFORMANCE: EMU's offense combined for 21 hits in its doubleheader sweep of Detroit on April 17, helping the Eagles outscore the Titans 15-1 through two games. The Green and White offense powered out 11 hits in game one, with four Eagles posting multiple-hit games. Jessica Richards collected three hits in the contest, while McKenna Russ went 2-for-4 with two RBI. Sarah Gerber and Jenn Lucas also picked up a pair of hits for the Eagles in the contest.
EMU's bats stayed lively in game two, hammering out 10 hits for seven runs. Courtney Nicholson went a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate including a homerun and three RBI, while Nellie Coquillard and Gerber collected two hits apiece.
GOING, GOING, GONE: The Eagles have blasted 11 homeruns in MAC contests so far this season, tying the second best effort in the conference with Buffalo and Toledo. In overall contests, the Green and White have sent 22 pitches out of the ballpark for the third most in the MAC. Nellie Coquillard currently leads EMU with six round-trippers this season, while freshman Amanda Herron is in a close second with five.
RICHARDS ON THE RUN: Senior Jessica Richards is making strides in the lastest NCAA Division I statistics release. As of April 15, 2012, Richards is currently third in the country for stolen bases. Richards is averaging .83 stolen bases per game (34-of-38 in 41 contests), behind only California's Jamia Reid (34-of-36, .87 per game) and Western Illinois' Sammy Marshall (45-of-45, 1.18 per game). Richards' 34-of-38 mark in stolen base attempts brings her career total to 78--the second most all-time by any EMU softball player. Richards speed on the base paths has kept her atop the MAC in both overall games (34-of-38) and conference contests (14-of-15). She has also had multiple swipes in nine separate games this season. Against Central Florida (Feb. 26), Drake (March 9), Buffalo (March 30) and Northern Illinois (April 6) the Canton, Ohio native took three bases in each contest to tie a career best. Three stolen bases in a single contest also ties the second most in a single game by an EMU softball player in program history and is one short of the program record set by Dawn Godfrey against Miami on April 6, 1996. Richards efforts have also contributed to the Eagles' 1.54 stolen bases per game average (67-of-81 in 43 games), which currently ranks 33rd in the NCAA.
DOUBLE VISION: With her double in the seventh inning against Bowling Green on April 13, 2012, senior McKenna Russ increased her career doubles total to 41, which deadlocks her with former Eagle, Ashley Strauss, who also tallied 41 through her four-year career during the 2005-2008 campaigns. The 41 two-baggers ties for fifth on the all-time career records list and is the third most for an EMU softball player. The senior is just three doubles shy of breaking the all-time career record, as Melissa Drouillard (93'-96') hit 43 in her career at EMU.
MAC STANDINGS: After going 1-3 in MAC play last weekend, EMU dropped into a tie for fifth with Toledo in the MAC West Division. As a team, the Eagles' .238 batting average in conference play is 11th in the MAC. The Green and White are also tied for third in home runs (11), fourth in triples (3), third in plate appearances (370) and walks (41), and leads the league in stolen bases (21). The Green and White also rank first in sacrifice flies (five) and tie Ohio in second with 12 sacrifice bunts in MAC games.
The EMU pitching staff has struck out 20 looking in MAC play, tying Buffalo in fourth in the conference. The Green and White's 3.79 ERA ranks sixth in the MAC, and EMU hurlers have held opposing hitters to a .286 average in conference games (seventh).
Through eight MAC games, Jessica Richards sits near the top of in a slew of offensive catagories. The senior leads the conference in stolen bases (14-of-15) and is second in triples (two). Richards' 15 hits in MAC play is tied for seventh in the conference, and her .533 on-base percentage is eighth. She has also drawn eight walks for the fifth best effort in the MAC.
In the circle, Lindsay Rich ranks near the top of several catagories. Her 38.1 innings of work against MAC foes is eighth in the conference, and is second in appearances (11) and first with five complete games.
Live Stats: Ball State / Miami (Game One) / Miami (Game Two).
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — The Eastern Michigan University softball team will return to Mid-American Conference play this weekend, April 20-22, with a pair of games against both Ball State University and the Miami University. Friday's doubleheader in Muncie is scheduled for 1 p.m. and will be broadcasted live on Ball State Sports Link, which can be accessed HERE, and will also be featured on-air on Comcast Indiana. EMU will close out the weekend with single games against the RedHawks in Oxford, Ohio on Saturday and Sunday.
A LOOK AT THE CARDINALS: Ball State enters Friday's doubleheader atop of the MAC West Division with a 6-2 record in conference matchups and a league-best .692 winning percentage (27-12) in overall games.
Ball State's offense has accumulated 75 hits in 228 at bats for the MAC-best .329 batting average in conference games. BSU's Jennifer Gilbert ranks second for individual batting with a .519 average in eight conference games. Ball State hurlers have had less luck in MAC contests this season, as they rank last in ERA with a 5.83 overall. Defensively, the Cardinals' .957 fielding percentage in fourth, while its six double plays turned against conference foes leads all teams in the MAC.
The Cardinals are coming off of an April 18 win against in-state rival Indiana, where they used 15 hits to defeat the Hoosiers 12-4 in six innings.
SCOUTING THE REDHAWKS: Miami is 25-15 with a 6-4 record in conference play. The RedHawks will face Central Michigan Friday, April 20, before hosting the Eagles at Miami Softball Stadium Saturday and Sunday.
The RedHawks offense is paced by Shanyn McIntyre's .370 batting average in 34 games, while her .484 average in MAC contests ranks fourth in the confrence. As a team, MU is hitting .295 in the MAC (fifth) and .284 (fourth) in overall games.
Jessica Simpson has put in the most work in the circle for Miami, tossing 180.2 innings in 36 appearances. She owns a team-best 1.39 ERA and has struck out 213 batters this season. The Miami pitching staff has a 1.80 ERA collaboratively and have held opponents to a .222 clip.
NO OFFENSE, TITANS: The Green and White's pitching staff played a major role in the Eagles' doubleheader sweep over Detroit at Varsity Field this past Tuesday, April 17. EMU hurlers Jenna Ignowski and Lauren Wells united their efforts to hold the Titans to just one run on six hits through two games for a combined 0.54 ERA.
Ignowski tossed her third complete game shutout of the season, holding Detroit scoreless through six innings of work in the circle in game one. The junior struck out six and gave up just four hits in the contest.
Wells followed with a two-hit performance in game two, allowing just one run in her fourth complete game effort this season. The lefty quieted the Titans' offense through the first three innings of play. She would give up one run on two hits in the fourth, but regained control and stymied her opponents through the final two innings to help secure a 7-1 win.
PLATE PERFORMANCE: EMU's offense combined for 21 hits in its doubleheader sweep of Detroit on April 17, helping the Eagles outscore the Titans 15-1 through two games. The Green and White offense powered out 11 hits in game one, with four Eagles posting multiple-hit games. Jessica Richards collected three hits in the contest, while McKenna Russ went 2-for-4 with two RBI. Sarah Gerber and Jenn Lucas also picked up a pair of hits for the Eagles in the contest.
EMU's bats stayed lively in game two, hammering out 10 hits for seven runs. Courtney Nicholson went a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate including a homerun and three RBI, while Nellie Coquillard and Gerber collected two hits apiece.
GOING, GOING, GONE: The Eagles have blasted 11 homeruns in MAC contests so far this season, tying the second best effort in the conference with Buffalo and Toledo. In overall contests, the Green and White have sent 22 pitches out of the ballpark for the third most in the MAC. Nellie Coquillard currently leads EMU with six round-trippers this season, while freshman Amanda Herron is in a close second with five.
RICHARDS ON THE RUN: Senior Jessica Richards is making strides in the lastest NCAA Division I statistics release. As of April 15, 2012, Richards is currently third in the country for stolen bases. Richards is averaging .83 stolen bases per game (34-of-38 in 41 contests), behind only California's Jamia Reid (34-of-36, .87 per game) and Western Illinois' Sammy Marshall (45-of-45, 1.18 per game). Richards' 34-of-38 mark in stolen base attempts brings her career total to 78--the second most all-time by any EMU softball player. Richards speed on the base paths has kept her atop the MAC in both overall games (34-of-38) and conference contests (14-of-15). She has also had multiple swipes in nine separate games this season. Against Central Florida (Feb. 26), Drake (March 9), Buffalo (March 30) and Northern Illinois (April 6) the Canton, Ohio native took three bases in each contest to tie a career best. Three stolen bases in a single contest also ties the second most in a single game by an EMU softball player in program history and is one short of the program record set by Dawn Godfrey against Miami on April 6, 1996. Richards efforts have also contributed to the Eagles' 1.54 stolen bases per game average (67-of-81 in 43 games), which currently ranks 33rd in the NCAA.
DOUBLE VISION: With her double in the seventh inning against Bowling Green on April 13, 2012, senior McKenna Russ increased her career doubles total to 41, which deadlocks her with former Eagle, Ashley Strauss, who also tallied 41 through her four-year career during the 2005-2008 campaigns. The 41 two-baggers ties for fifth on the all-time career records list and is the third most for an EMU softball player. The senior is just three doubles shy of breaking the all-time career record, as Melissa Drouillard (93'-96') hit 43 in her career at EMU.
MAC STANDINGS: After going 1-3 in MAC play last weekend, EMU dropped into a tie for fifth with Toledo in the MAC West Division. As a team, the Eagles' .238 batting average in conference play is 11th in the MAC. The Green and White are also tied for third in home runs (11), fourth in triples (3), third in plate appearances (370) and walks (41), and leads the league in stolen bases (21). The Green and White also rank first in sacrifice flies (five) and tie Ohio in second with 12 sacrifice bunts in MAC games.
The EMU pitching staff has struck out 20 looking in MAC play, tying Buffalo in fourth in the conference. The Green and White's 3.79 ERA ranks sixth in the MAC, and EMU hurlers have held opposing hitters to a .286 average in conference games (seventh).
Through eight MAC games, Jessica Richards sits near the top of in a slew of offensive catagories. The senior leads the conference in stolen bases (14-of-15) and is second in triples (two). Richards' 15 hits in MAC play is tied for seventh in the conference, and her .533 on-base percentage is eighth. She has also drawn eight walks for the fifth best effort in the MAC.
In the circle, Lindsay Rich ranks near the top of several catagories. Her 38.1 innings of work against MAC foes is eighth in the conference, and is second in appearances (11) and first with five complete games.
Thank You, Team 38
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