Eastern Michigan Athletics
Tuesday, May 1
Ann Arbor, Mich.
7 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
at
Michigan
Photo by: Steve King/KingStudios
Softball Closes Out Regular Season This Week
4/30/2012 2:39:00 PM | Softball
Eagles travel to Michigan, Notre Dame before closing out MAC play at Central Michigan
Notes.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — The Eastern Michigan University softball team will close out its final leg of the 2012 campaign on the road as they will travel to No. 22 Michigan on May 1 and Notre Dame on May 2 before closing out Mid-American Conference play with a pair of games against Central Michigan, May 5-6.
A LOOK AT THE WOLVERINES: The Eagles will meet with their Washtenaw County neighbors for the 62nd time in program history and the second time this season on Tuesday, May 1 at Alumni Field. The No. 22-ranked University of Michigan will enter tomorrow's contest with a 33-15 record this season and a 13-5 mark in Big Ten action. Tuesday's contest will be televised on Big Ten Network and livestats will be available at EMUEagles.com.
Currently, the Maize and Blue are hitting .284 as a team with Sara Driesenga, Amanda Chidester, Nicole Sappingfield and Bree Evans each hitting safely above .300 this season.
Haylie Wagner leads U-M pitchers with a 1.45 ERA in 183.0 innings pitched for an overall record of 24-5. As a staff, the Wolverines have maintained a 1.87 ERA and have held opposing hitters to a .221 average.
SCOUTING THE FIGHTING IRISH: EMU meets with Notre Dame for the 16th time in program history, with the Fighting Irish leading the all-time series, 2-13. The two teams previously met on April 23, 2010 in South Bend, Ind., where Notre Dame posted a 9-3 win over the Eagles.
This season, UND is 32-13 overall and 13-3 in the BIG EAST. The Fighting Irish are hitting .296 as a team and are led by Amy Buntin's .370 average in 44 starts.
Laura Winter has done a majority of the work in the circle, tossing 199.0 of the team's 303.1 innings. She is second on the squad with a 2.01 ERA and has struck out 224 batters this season.
ALL-TIME SERIES WITH THE CHIPS: The Eagles close out the 2012 regular season with a pair of games in Mount Pleasant, Mich. EMU will face Central Michigan for the 94th time and are behind in the all-time series, 29-63-1. The two teams last faced each other on May 1, 2011 in a five-inning affair where the Chippewas outscored the Green and White, 11-3.
CMU is 24-25 on the year and are third in the Mid-American Conference West Division with a 9-10 record. Central Michigan hitters have collaborated for a .271 team batting average and are led by Macy Merchant's .361 clip this season.
Kara Dornbos leads the CMU pitching staff with a 2.45 ERA and an 11-4 record in 26 starts. As a staff, CMU hulrers have a 2.82 ERA and have held opposing hitters to a .259 batting average.
LAST TIME OUT: The Green and White went 2-2 last weekend splitting a pair of games with both Akron and Ohio in the Eagles' final home weekend on the 2012 campaign.
On Friday, April 27, the Eagles 10-inning victory in game one took nearly three hours to complete and is the longest outing for the Green and White since its 10-innings against Albany on Feb. 25, 2011. A wild pitch in the bottom of the tenth allowed Nellie Coquillard to slide in safely and lift the Eagles over the Zips to seal the win. Coquillard had reached previously on an Akron error as part of her 2-for-5 outing in the contest, while Courtney Nicholson also posted a multi-hit game with two hits against the Zips. Lindsay Rich got the start for EMU and tossed a solid five innings in the circle. The freshman struck out two and allowed just two earned runs, while Jenna Ignowski (11-8) closed out the final five innings of play to earn her 11th win of the season, striking out four in the game.
The Eagles matched Akron's seven hits in game two, but a rough start created a deficit that the Green and White would never overcome. Akron jumped to a 3-0 lead in the first, taking advantage of an EMU error while stringing together two hits for three runs. Coquillard cut the Green and White's deficit to two with a single swing of the bat, as she sent her seventh homerun of the season over the left-center field fence.
Both teams' offenses then remained dormant until the bottom of the sixth when Richards doubled to right-center field to plate Stanton and cut Akron's lead to two; however, the Zips responded with an RBI-single in the top of the sixth to finalize the score at 4-3.
On Saturday, April 28, the Green and White outlasted the visiting Ohio Bobcats, 7-6. EMU combined for 10 hits this afternoon with a pair of Eagles posting multi-hit efforts at the plate. Katy Blaharski paced the Green and White's offense with a 4-for-4 performance, while Nicholson homered twice against the Bobcats in a 2-for-3 day.
Rich picked up the win to improve to 5-2 on the year. The freshman threw 4.0 innings and gave up three runs before handing over pitching duties to Lauren Wells. Wells earned her first save of the season after throwing three complete innings while striking out five.
On Sunday, April 29, the Eagles fell to Ohio on Senior Day, 5-4. Jenna Ignowski was the starter for EMU going three innings, allowing four runs on three hits and fell to 11-9 on the year. Lauren Wells (Lowell, Ind.-Lowell) came on in relief going the final four innings for the Eagles, allowing one unearned run, while striking out five.
Coquillard had a 2-for-3 performance with an RBI and a run scored, while Jessica Richards had a base knock, two runs scored and a pair of stolen bases. Blaharski, McKenna Russ and Amanda Stanton each recorded a hit in the game as well for EMU.
SPEED KILLS: Senior Jessica Richards is making strides in the lastest NCAA Division I statistics release. As of April 22, 2012, Richards is sixth in the country for stolen bases. Richards is averaging .80 stolen bases per game (40-of-44 in 51 contests). Richards' 40-of-44 mark in stolen base attempts brings her career total to 84--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 (40-of-44) and conference contests (20-of-21). She has also had multiple swipes in 10 separate games this season. Against Central Florida (Feb. 26), Drake (March 9), Buffalo (March 30), Northern Illinois (April 6) and Akron (April 27) 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' 1.45 stolen bases per game average (67-of-81 in 43 games), which currently ranks 39th in the NCAA (As of April 22).
DOUBLE VISION: With her double in the third inning against Ohio University on Saturday, April 28, senior McKenna Russ increased her career doubles total to 44, which breaks the all-time career record set by former Eagle Melissa Drouillard (93'-96') who hit 43 in her career at EMU. Russ has averaged 10.75 doubles per season for the Green and White, highlighted by her 16 doubles in her freshman campaign which ties Ann Marie Moss (1994) for the second most in a single season.
CLIMBING THE RANKS: Several players on the EMU squad are climbing the ranks in the program's career records list. Jessica Richards' 131 runs in her career surpasses former record holder Dawn Godfrey ('93-'96) for the most in program history. She has also swiped 84 stolen bases for the second-most all-time, and her 40 this season surpasses Angie Fielder (1988) for third in a single campaign. Richards also owns a career .314 batting average for the fifth-highest batting average posted by an EMU player.
McKenna Russ also owns high marks in several offensive catagories. The North Canton, Ohio native is currently tied for fourth in career batting average (.318) and has also hit 44 doubles to set a new program record in career doubles, and she has belted the seventh-most homeruns with 15 in her career.
Sarah Gerber has also posted notable numbers throughout her tenure, including the second-best fielding percentage (.989) of any EMU softball player. She is tied with the seventh-most doubles in program history with 31 two-baggers throughout her time as an Eagle. Kaylee Tolliver is currently tied for sixth in fielding percentage (.985), while teammate Nellie Coquillard's 17 round-trippers are the fifth-most in program history. In the circle, Jenna Ignowski is slowly climbing the ranks in career strikeouts, fanning 266 opponents for for seventh most in a career. She is also 11th with 311.2 innings pitched and tied for fifth with 30 career wins.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — The Eastern Michigan University softball team will close out its final leg of the 2012 campaign on the road as they will travel to No. 22 Michigan on May 1 and Notre Dame on May 2 before closing out Mid-American Conference play with a pair of games against Central Michigan, May 5-6.
A LOOK AT THE WOLVERINES: The Eagles will meet with their Washtenaw County neighbors for the 62nd time in program history and the second time this season on Tuesday, May 1 at Alumni Field. The No. 22-ranked University of Michigan will enter tomorrow's contest with a 33-15 record this season and a 13-5 mark in Big Ten action. Tuesday's contest will be televised on Big Ten Network and livestats will be available at EMUEagles.com.
Currently, the Maize and Blue are hitting .284 as a team with Sara Driesenga, Amanda Chidester, Nicole Sappingfield and Bree Evans each hitting safely above .300 this season.
Haylie Wagner leads U-M pitchers with a 1.45 ERA in 183.0 innings pitched for an overall record of 24-5. As a staff, the Wolverines have maintained a 1.87 ERA and have held opposing hitters to a .221 average.
SCOUTING THE FIGHTING IRISH: EMU meets with Notre Dame for the 16th time in program history, with the Fighting Irish leading the all-time series, 2-13. The two teams previously met on April 23, 2010 in South Bend, Ind., where Notre Dame posted a 9-3 win over the Eagles.
This season, UND is 32-13 overall and 13-3 in the BIG EAST. The Fighting Irish are hitting .296 as a team and are led by Amy Buntin's .370 average in 44 starts.
Laura Winter has done a majority of the work in the circle, tossing 199.0 of the team's 303.1 innings. She is second on the squad with a 2.01 ERA and has struck out 224 batters this season.
ALL-TIME SERIES WITH THE CHIPS: The Eagles close out the 2012 regular season with a pair of games in Mount Pleasant, Mich. EMU will face Central Michigan for the 94th time and are behind in the all-time series, 29-63-1. The two teams last faced each other on May 1, 2011 in a five-inning affair where the Chippewas outscored the Green and White, 11-3.
CMU is 24-25 on the year and are third in the Mid-American Conference West Division with a 9-10 record. Central Michigan hitters have collaborated for a .271 team batting average and are led by Macy Merchant's .361 clip this season.
Kara Dornbos leads the CMU pitching staff with a 2.45 ERA and an 11-4 record in 26 starts. As a staff, CMU hulrers have a 2.82 ERA and have held opposing hitters to a .259 batting average.
LAST TIME OUT: The Green and White went 2-2 last weekend splitting a pair of games with both Akron and Ohio in the Eagles' final home weekend on the 2012 campaign.
On Friday, April 27, the Eagles 10-inning victory in game one took nearly three hours to complete and is the longest outing for the Green and White since its 10-innings against Albany on Feb. 25, 2011. A wild pitch in the bottom of the tenth allowed Nellie Coquillard to slide in safely and lift the Eagles over the Zips to seal the win. Coquillard had reached previously on an Akron error as part of her 2-for-5 outing in the contest, while Courtney Nicholson also posted a multi-hit game with two hits against the Zips. Lindsay Rich got the start for EMU and tossed a solid five innings in the circle. The freshman struck out two and allowed just two earned runs, while Jenna Ignowski (11-8) closed out the final five innings of play to earn her 11th win of the season, striking out four in the game.
The Eagles matched Akron's seven hits in game two, but a rough start created a deficit that the Green and White would never overcome. Akron jumped to a 3-0 lead in the first, taking advantage of an EMU error while stringing together two hits for three runs. Coquillard cut the Green and White's deficit to two with a single swing of the bat, as she sent her seventh homerun of the season over the left-center field fence.
Both teams' offenses then remained dormant until the bottom of the sixth when Richards doubled to right-center field to plate Stanton and cut Akron's lead to two; however, the Zips responded with an RBI-single in the top of the sixth to finalize the score at 4-3.
On Saturday, April 28, the Green and White outlasted the visiting Ohio Bobcats, 7-6. EMU combined for 10 hits this afternoon with a pair of Eagles posting multi-hit efforts at the plate. Katy Blaharski paced the Green and White's offense with a 4-for-4 performance, while Nicholson homered twice against the Bobcats in a 2-for-3 day.
Rich picked up the win to improve to 5-2 on the year. The freshman threw 4.0 innings and gave up three runs before handing over pitching duties to Lauren Wells. Wells earned her first save of the season after throwing three complete innings while striking out five.
On Sunday, April 29, the Eagles fell to Ohio on Senior Day, 5-4. Jenna Ignowski was the starter for EMU going three innings, allowing four runs on three hits and fell to 11-9 on the year. Lauren Wells (Lowell, Ind.-Lowell) came on in relief going the final four innings for the Eagles, allowing one unearned run, while striking out five.
Coquillard had a 2-for-3 performance with an RBI and a run scored, while Jessica Richards had a base knock, two runs scored and a pair of stolen bases. Blaharski, McKenna Russ and Amanda Stanton each recorded a hit in the game as well for EMU.
SPEED KILLS: Senior Jessica Richards is making strides in the lastest NCAA Division I statistics release. As of April 22, 2012, Richards is sixth in the country for stolen bases. Richards is averaging .80 stolen bases per game (40-of-44 in 51 contests). Richards' 40-of-44 mark in stolen base attempts brings her career total to 84--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 (40-of-44) and conference contests (20-of-21). She has also had multiple swipes in 10 separate games this season. Against Central Florida (Feb. 26), Drake (March 9), Buffalo (March 30), Northern Illinois (April 6) and Akron (April 27) 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' 1.45 stolen bases per game average (67-of-81 in 43 games), which currently ranks 39th in the NCAA (As of April 22).
DOUBLE VISION: With her double in the third inning against Ohio University on Saturday, April 28, senior McKenna Russ increased her career doubles total to 44, which breaks the all-time career record set by former Eagle Melissa Drouillard (93'-96') who hit 43 in her career at EMU. Russ has averaged 10.75 doubles per season for the Green and White, highlighted by her 16 doubles in her freshman campaign which ties Ann Marie Moss (1994) for the second most in a single season.
CLIMBING THE RANKS: Several players on the EMU squad are climbing the ranks in the program's career records list. Jessica Richards' 131 runs in her career surpasses former record holder Dawn Godfrey ('93-'96) for the most in program history. She has also swiped 84 stolen bases for the second-most all-time, and her 40 this season surpasses Angie Fielder (1988) for third in a single campaign. Richards also owns a career .314 batting average for the fifth-highest batting average posted by an EMU player.
McKenna Russ also owns high marks in several offensive catagories. The North Canton, Ohio native is currently tied for fourth in career batting average (.318) and has also hit 44 doubles to set a new program record in career doubles, and she has belted the seventh-most homeruns with 15 in her career.
Sarah Gerber has also posted notable numbers throughout her tenure, including the second-best fielding percentage (.989) of any EMU softball player. She is tied with the seventh-most doubles in program history with 31 two-baggers throughout her time as an Eagle. Kaylee Tolliver is currently tied for sixth in fielding percentage (.985), while teammate Nellie Coquillard's 17 round-trippers are the fifth-most in program history. In the circle, Jenna Ignowski is slowly climbing the ranks in career strikeouts, fanning 266 opponents for for seventh most in a career. She is also 11th with 311.2 innings pitched and tied for fifth with 30 career wins.
Thank You, Team 38
Monday, May 07
Overcoming Adversity: A Lauren Holdsworth Feature
Saturday, February 24
Closing Out a Legacy: Michelle Kriegshauser
Thursday, May 18
EMU Softball Signs Alyssa Feiler
Saturday, March 25