Eagles Win Third Straight with 6-4 Victory Over Ball State

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University softball team made it three victories in-a-row Saturday, April 27, when it topped the Mid-American Conference leading Ball State University Cardinals at home, 6-4. The Eagles (15-29-1; 5-12 MAC) used solid pitching and timely hitting to get by Ball State (32-14; 15-2 MAC).

Jenna Ignowski (Niles, Mich.-Niles) made the start for the Eagles, getting her second win of the weekend and ninth of the season. Ignowski (9-7) tossed 5.2 innings in the victory, scattering five hits and allowing four runs, three earned, with five strikeouts. Lindsay Rich (Perrysburg, Ohio-Perrysburg) tossed the final 1.1 innings and surrendered just one hit in her first save of the season. Kelsey Schifferdecker (12-4) earned the start for BSU and allowed six runs on five hits before Audra Sanders tossed 2.2 scoreless innings to close out the game for Ball State.

Nellie Coquillard (Niles, Mich.-Niles) went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI, while Amanda Stanton (Homer Glen, Ill.-Lockport Township) kept swinging a hot bat, going 1-for-1 with a double and three RBI. Katy Blaharski (Carleton, Mich.-Airport) continued her hitting streak today, extending it to 13 games after going 1-for-4 and Courtney Loe (Temperance, Mich.-Bedford (West Liberty)) hit her second home run of the 2013 campaign.

The Eagles jumped out on top of the conference leading Cardinals early in the game by putting up a four spot in the opening inning. Jenn Lucas (Pinckney, Mich.-Pinckney) hit a one-out, infield single, and Amanda Herron (Columbus, Ohio-St. Francis De Sales) followed up with a walk to put runners at first and second for the hot-hitting Stanton. Stanton roped a double down the right field line to score a pair, bringing Loe to the plate. Loe launched a pitch over the center field fence to give the Eagles a 4-0 lead early on in the action.

Ignowski held the Cardinals out of the hit column until the nine-hitter, Taylor Cox, hit a soft liner into left field in the top of the third inning. After getting out of the top-half the Eagles threatened in the bottom portion getting the bases loaded with two outs, but Shifferdecker delivered a big strikeout to end the EMU threat and keep the game at 4-0 in favor of the Green and White.

Ball State took advantage of EMU miscues in the fourth to score a run. After the leadoff runner was retired, Jennifer Gilbert reached safely on a fielding error by the second baseman, Stanton. Taylor Rager then drew a walk to put runners at second and third. Another grounder was hit by Amanda Carpenter and Blaharski mishandled a grounder at short to allow Gilbert to round third and score the first BSU run of the game. Audrey Bickel drew a walk to load the bases with one out in the next at-bat, but Ignowski was up to the task punching out Sadie Robertson, then getting Selena Reyna to groundout to second and limit the damage in the inning and keep a 4-1 lead for EMU.

The Eagles responded in the bottom half with a pair of runs. After the leadoff batter was retired, Blaharski extended her hit streak to 13 games with a single through the left side, prompting the Cardinals to load the bases on a walk from Lucas and Herron being hit by a pitch. In the next at-bat, Coquillard ripped a liner into left field to bring home a run. With the bases still juiced, Stanton hit a long fly ball to just in front of the left center field fence which was caught, but the sacrifice fly gave the Eagles a 6-1 lead after four innings of play.

Ball State cut back into the EMU lead in the sixth after Carpenter ripped a double off the left field fence with one out. Robertson hit a slow liner into right field to score Carpenter from second to bring BSU within four, 6-2. Lauren Schroeder doubled to deep center field in the next at-bat to bring up Jessica Craft in a pinch hit role. Craft hit a two-run double to left center field to make it 6-4, but Rich came in to shut the door for EMU. She allowed just one hit in the final 1.1 innings of work, keeping the 6-4 lead in tact and picking up her first save of the season.

Eastern finishes out its home schedule Sunday, April 28, with a 1 p.m. start time. Sunday's game against Ball State will serve as EMU's Senior Day where Blaharski, Coquillard, Ignowski, Loe and Courtney Nicholson (Navarre, Ohio-Canton Central Catholic) will be recognized for their careers at Eastern Michigan.

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Team Stats

Nellie Coquillard

Katy Blaharski

Jenn Lucas

Amanda Stanton

Eastern Michigan Athletics