Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, April 16
Varsity Field
1 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
17-23, 0
2
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Ball State
18-25, 0
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5
6
7
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E
Ball State
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Eastern Michigan
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6
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Photo by: Walt Middleton Photography
Eagles Finish Off Weekend Sweep of Cardinals
4/16/2016 7:14:00 PM | Softball
The Eagles held the Cardinals without a run for the first 16 innings of the series
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) - In front of a season-high crowd of nearly 700, the Eastern Michigan University softball team completed its first three-game sweep of a Mid-American Conference opponent in the program's history Saturday, April 16. The Eagles (18-23, 8-6 MAC) shutout Ball State University to take a 2-0 win in game two before completing the sweep of the Cardinals (18-26, 4-11 MAC) with a 15-11 thriller in game three.
Game #1: Ball State 0, Eastern Michigan 2
Junior Abbie Minkser (Howell, Mich.-Hartland) tossed a complete game shutout, her second blanking in eight days, in game one. The righty hurler stymied the Cardinals' offense, holding BSU to three hits while fanning four.
Minsker's run support came early as the Eagles pushed two runs across over the second and third innings. In the second, sophomore Brandice Olmos (Riverside, Calif.-Grand Terrace) ripped an RBI single through the left side, putting the Eagles in front 1-0.
EMU doubled its lead one frame later. Freshman Sam Saporito (Eastvale, Calif.-Eleanor Roosevelt) opened the inning with a leadoff single, using her speed to beat out a throw on a dribbler in front of the plate. Saporito came around to score moments later as junior Michelle Kriegshauser (New Lenox, Ill.-Lincoln Way Central) crushed a double to the fence in left field, extending the Eagles' lead to two, 2-0.
In the circle, Minsker held the Ball State offense to just two hits over the final four innings en route to the Eagles' second shutout of the weekend.
Game #2: Ball State 11, Eastern Michigan 15
While the first two games of the series featured a pair of pitcher's duels, game three was an offensive clinic as each team hit .400 or better at the plate. The Eagles pounded out a season-best 15 hits and plated a season-high 15 runs in the process.
Freshman Olivia Logan (Riverview, Mich.-Riverview) and senior Aoife Duffy (Powell, Mich.-Olentangy Liberty) each recorded three hits in the game. Logan finished the contest 3-for-3 with three runs scored and two RBI's while Duffy turned in a 3-for-4 effort with four RBI's.
Eastern Michigan jumped out to an early lead, carrying a 3-2 edge into the fourth at which point freshman Nicolle Miranda (Wilmington, Calif.-Port of Los Angeles) ran into some trouble. Ultimately, chased from the game Miranda departed in favor of Minsker but the Cardinals' offense continued to pour it on forcing EMU to bring in its third pitcher of the inning. Entering in relief sophomore Trisha Trujillo (Whittier, Calif.-California) came in and picked up her teammates, getting out of the bases loaded jam.
Heading to the bat rack in the fourth, the Eagles trailed 11-3 after Ball State's eight run performance in the top half of the inning. Saporito and Logan kick started the Eagles with back-to-back singles before freshman Amanda Akles (La Habra, Calif.-La Habra) loaded the bases after being plunked, bringing Kriegshauser to the plate. A sacrifice fly off the bat of Kriegshauser scored one before another slid in safely on a wild pitch. The three-run inning for the Green and White was capped by an RBI single by Duffy, pulling EMU within five, 11-6.
After a scoreless fifth, Ball State plated one in the sixth to extend their advantage to six, 12-6.
EMU pieced together an inning unlike any other this season, plating nine runs on on six hits and two errors. A single by Logan and walks by Kriegshauser and senior Abi Clark (Clinton, Mich.-Clinton) loaded the bases for Duffy with one out. As she had done earlier in the game, Duffy came through in the clutch with an RBI knock before Olmos drove two in on a single to center. Sophomore Haley Hostetler (New Haven, Ind.-Woodlan) reached on an error, keeping the inning alive, and then came around to score on a bases-clearing single off the bat of senior Abby Davidson (Westerville, Mich.-Olentangy Orange). Logan and Kriegshauser wrapped up the inning with RBI hits, giving EMU a 15-11 lead heading into the final frame.
With her team in front, Trujillo trotted back out to the circle for her third inning of work and did not disappoint. Jamming the BSU batters, Trujillo sent the Cardinals down in order to close out the game and seal the sweep.
Now, the Eagles take a break from midweek games to focus on finals before welcoming Northern Illinois to Varsity Field next weekend, April 22-23. The three-game set opens up Friday, April 22, at 3 p.m.
Game #1: Ball State 0, Eastern Michigan 2
Junior Abbie Minkser (Howell, Mich.-Hartland) tossed a complete game shutout, her second blanking in eight days, in game one. The righty hurler stymied the Cardinals' offense, holding BSU to three hits while fanning four.
Minsker's run support came early as the Eagles pushed two runs across over the second and third innings. In the second, sophomore Brandice Olmos (Riverside, Calif.-Grand Terrace) ripped an RBI single through the left side, putting the Eagles in front 1-0.
EMU doubled its lead one frame later. Freshman Sam Saporito (Eastvale, Calif.-Eleanor Roosevelt) opened the inning with a leadoff single, using her speed to beat out a throw on a dribbler in front of the plate. Saporito came around to score moments later as junior Michelle Kriegshauser (New Lenox, Ill.-Lincoln Way Central) crushed a double to the fence in left field, extending the Eagles' lead to two, 2-0.
In the circle, Minsker held the Ball State offense to just two hits over the final four innings en route to the Eagles' second shutout of the weekend.
Game #2: Ball State 11, Eastern Michigan 15
While the first two games of the series featured a pair of pitcher's duels, game three was an offensive clinic as each team hit .400 or better at the plate. The Eagles pounded out a season-best 15 hits and plated a season-high 15 runs in the process.
Freshman Olivia Logan (Riverview, Mich.-Riverview) and senior Aoife Duffy (Powell, Mich.-Olentangy Liberty) each recorded three hits in the game. Logan finished the contest 3-for-3 with three runs scored and two RBI's while Duffy turned in a 3-for-4 effort with four RBI's.
Eastern Michigan jumped out to an early lead, carrying a 3-2 edge into the fourth at which point freshman Nicolle Miranda (Wilmington, Calif.-Port of Los Angeles) ran into some trouble. Ultimately, chased from the game Miranda departed in favor of Minsker but the Cardinals' offense continued to pour it on forcing EMU to bring in its third pitcher of the inning. Entering in relief sophomore Trisha Trujillo (Whittier, Calif.-California) came in and picked up her teammates, getting out of the bases loaded jam.
Heading to the bat rack in the fourth, the Eagles trailed 11-3 after Ball State's eight run performance in the top half of the inning. Saporito and Logan kick started the Eagles with back-to-back singles before freshman Amanda Akles (La Habra, Calif.-La Habra) loaded the bases after being plunked, bringing Kriegshauser to the plate. A sacrifice fly off the bat of Kriegshauser scored one before another slid in safely on a wild pitch. The three-run inning for the Green and White was capped by an RBI single by Duffy, pulling EMU within five, 11-6.
After a scoreless fifth, Ball State plated one in the sixth to extend their advantage to six, 12-6.
EMU pieced together an inning unlike any other this season, plating nine runs on on six hits and two errors. A single by Logan and walks by Kriegshauser and senior Abi Clark (Clinton, Mich.-Clinton) loaded the bases for Duffy with one out. As she had done earlier in the game, Duffy came through in the clutch with an RBI knock before Olmos drove two in on a single to center. Sophomore Haley Hostetler (New Haven, Ind.-Woodlan) reached on an error, keeping the inning alive, and then came around to score on a bases-clearing single off the bat of senior Abby Davidson (Westerville, Mich.-Olentangy Orange). Logan and Kriegshauser wrapped up the inning with RBI hits, giving EMU a 15-11 lead heading into the final frame.
With her team in front, Trujillo trotted back out to the circle for her third inning of work and did not disappoint. Jamming the BSU batters, Trujillo sent the Cardinals down in order to close out the game and seal the sweep.
Now, the Eagles take a break from midweek games to focus on finals before welcoming Northern Illinois to Varsity Field next weekend, April 22-23. The three-game set opens up Friday, April 22, at 3 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Minsker, Abbie (7-6)
L: STEINBACH, Nicole (14-14)
Batting:
SH: LEE, Madison 1
Base Running:
SB: HOUCK, Rachel 1
CS: DABKOWSKI, Emily 1
HBP: REYNA, Selena 1
Batting:
2B: Kriegshauser, Michelle 1
RBI: Kriegshauser, Michelle 1 ; Olmos, Brandice 1
SH: Logan, Olivia 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Saporito, Sam 1 ; Whitbeck, Elaine 1
SB: Saporito, Sam 1
HBP: Duffy, Aoife 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
3B/1B
/ Softball
3B/OF
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
SS/2B
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
1B/3B
/ Softball
P
/ Softball2B/SS
/ SoftballOF/C
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballThank 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