The Eastern Michigan University softball team’s post-season ended after consecutive losses to Ball State and Kent State at the Mid-American Conference Tournament in Akron, Ohio.
In the tournament opener Wednesday, the No. 5 seeded Eagles lost 2-1 to No. 4 Ball State Cardinals off a walk-off homerun in extra innings. In the Eagles’ second game a day later, their championship hopes vanished in a 5-2 loss to the No. 8 Kent State Golden Flashes.
In game one, the Eagles’ offense struck first in the opening inning when Jessica Richards singled to shortstop and stole second base. After Nellie Coquillard walked, runners were on first and second base for McKenna Russ as she singled to left center to score Richards from second and take the early lead.The Cardinals responded back in the bottom of the inning.
Amanda Montalto singled to second base then Taylor Rager walked to put runners on first and second. Jennifer Gilbert’s single to left field scored Montalto from second to even the score at one a piece.
In the top of the eighth inning, Richards was hit by a pitch and then stole her second base of the game. The Eagles would have their next three batters retired, however, and would end the first extra inning scoreless.
The Cardinals wasted no time ending this game as Gilbert hit a homerun to center in the team’s first at-bat to take this game from the Eagles.
Lauren Wells got the loss for the Eagles as she pitched 4.2 innings allowing one run and six hits with two strikeouts in relief of starter Jaclyn Caro.
The Cardinals’ Audra Sanders pitched all eight innings for Ball State, striking out nine and giving up four hits.
In game two, the Eagles faced a win-or-go-home game Thursday against the Golden Flashes and just like in game one, the Eagles offense struck first.
Stacie Skodinski hit a solo homerun to center field giving the Eagles a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Katy Blaharski then hit a line drive up the left field line to bring in Allison Scherer and push the Eagle lead to 2-0.
The score remained the same until the top of the seventh inning when the Golden Flashes offense came alive.
Lauren Grimes doubled to left field after Holly Finchum was walked to put runners on second and third. Jessica Carmichael then singled through the right side to score Grimes and Finchum and even the score at two.
The Eagles pulled Wells from relief and put starter Jenna Ignowski back in to try to save her win, but it wouldn’t help as a single from Abbey Ledford scored Carmichael from third base and a costly error let two unearned runs score, giving the Golden Flashes a 5-2 lead.
The Golden Flashes completed the upset as the Eagles couldn’t manage any runs in the bottom of the inning.
Wells got the loss and fell to 9-6 for the season.
Ignowski pitched six and two-thirds innings, giving up one run with six strikeouts.
The Eagles finish the season 26-18 (.591), the second-best winning percentage in the program’s history behind the 1988 team that finished 36-21 (.631).
The Eagles squad had a record five All-MAC honorees: Sarah Gerber, Richards, Russ, Wells and Skodinski.
The Eagles will lose four seniors next season: Lauren Delapaz, Jamie Melchert, Skodinski and Caro.
