Eastern Michigan Athletics
Friday, April 8
Kent, Ohio
3 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
14-22, 4-6
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Kent State
23-13, 6-4
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Eastern Michigan
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Kent State
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Photo by: Walt Middleton Photography
Minsker's First Career Shutout Leads Eagles to Split with Kent State
4/8/2016 5:42:00 PM | Softball
The Eagles will close out the series tomorrow at 1 p.m.
KENT, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University softball team continued Mid-American Conference play on the road versus Kent State University Friday, April 8. The Eagles (14-22, 4-6 MAC) held the Golden Flashes (23-13, 6-4 MAC) scoreless for the first 11 innings of action, taking game one 6-0, before falling in the second leg of the doubleheader, 3-1.
Junior Abbie Minsker (Howell, Mich.-Hartland) picked up her first career shutout behind a tremendous performance in the circle. Minsker tossed a complete game, her sixth of the season, allowing just four hits while striking out five. The junior hurler held the Golden Flashes lineup to a .160 batting average in the series opener to notch her sixth win of the season.
Minsker's run support came courtesy of RBI singles by sophomore Brandice Olmos (Riverside, Calif.-Grand Terrace) and freshman Olivia Logan (Riverview, Mich.-Riverview). Freshman Amanda Akles (La Habra, Calif.-La Habra) added four RBI's on the first grand slam of her career.
Freshman Nicolle Miranda (Wilmington, Calif.-Port of Los Angeles) earned the starting nod in game two, going 4.1 innings. Miranda surrendered three runs on five hits while striking out three. Sophomore Trisha Trujillo (Whittier, Calif.-California) tossed 1.2 scoreless innings in relief with one strikeout.
Game #1: Eastern Michigan 6, Kent State 0
Fighting off pitch after pitch, junior Michelle Kriegshauser (New Lenox, Ill.-Lincoln Way Central) drilled a 3-2 delivery back to the circle and off the pitcher's glove to start things off for the Eagles in the second. Lifted in favor of the speedier, Elaine Whitbeck (Holland, Mich.-West Ottawa), Kriegshauser's leadoff single brought senior Abby Davidson (Westerville, Ohio-Olentangy Orange) to the plate. Davidson's sacrifice bunt moved Whitbeck into scoring position for Olmos. Stepping to the plate with one out, Olmos fouled off a trio of pitches before lacing an RBI single to center, allowing Whitbeck to score from second.
The Eagles one-run lead stood until the fifth when EMU's bats exploded. Olmos drew a leadoff walk to get things started for the Eagles before cruising into second on a pinch hit single by senior Aoife Duffy (Powell, Ohio-Olentangy Liberty). Turning things over to the top of the lineup, Duffy's single brought freshman Lucy Lopez (Ventura, Calif-Stockdale) to the plate with one out. Squaring to bunt, Lopez took a pitch high and in off the helmet, loading the bases for freshman Olivia Logan (Riverview, Mich.-Riverview). Logan dropped a bloop single to center, scoring one before Akles capped EMU's five-run frame. With the bases juiced, Akles belted her first career grand slam, and seventh career homer, well over the fence in left, extending Eastern Michigan's lead to 6-0.
Kent State hoped to cut into EMU's lead in the bottom of the fifth but Minsker had other plans. Opening the frame a quick out, the Golden Flashes put the next two batters on but Minsker induced back-to-back groundouts to maintain EMU's, 6-0, advantage.
The Howell, Mich. product continued her dominance in the circle in the sixth and seventh, making quick work of the Golden Flashes, on her way to her first career shutout and a 6-0 victory for the Eagles.
Game #2: Eastern Michigan 1, Kent State 3
After a quick turn at bat for the Eagles, Kent State used a single and a pair of walks to load the bases with one out. With trouble brewing, Miranda snagged a liner back at her and fired to first, doubling up the Golden Flash runner and ending the KSU threat.
Kriegshauser gave the Green and White a one-run lead in the second, belting her fifth home run of the season over the centerfield fence for a solo shot.
The Golden Flashes erased EMU's lead and leveled the game at one with a solo shot of their own in the fifth. Following a single and a sacrifice bunt, a pinch hit home run plated two more for the Golden Flashes, giving them a 3-1 edge. KSU's two-run shot was followed up by a walk, ending Miranda's day in the circle. Trujillo entered the game in relief, inheriting a runner on first. After surrendering a single, Trujillo induced a pair of pop outs to end the inning without any further damage.
Despite a strong relief effort from Trujillo, the Eagles failed to muster any offense, falling 3-1.
The rubber match between the Eagles and the Golden Flashes is currently set to take place this weekend with time and day dependent on the overnight forecast in Kent, Ohio.
Junior Abbie Minsker (Howell, Mich.-Hartland) picked up her first career shutout behind a tremendous performance in the circle. Minsker tossed a complete game, her sixth of the season, allowing just four hits while striking out five. The junior hurler held the Golden Flashes lineup to a .160 batting average in the series opener to notch her sixth win of the season.
Minsker's run support came courtesy of RBI singles by sophomore Brandice Olmos (Riverside, Calif.-Grand Terrace) and freshman Olivia Logan (Riverview, Mich.-Riverview). Freshman Amanda Akles (La Habra, Calif.-La Habra) added four RBI's on the first grand slam of her career.
Freshman Nicolle Miranda (Wilmington, Calif.-Port of Los Angeles) earned the starting nod in game two, going 4.1 innings. Miranda surrendered three runs on five hits while striking out three. Sophomore Trisha Trujillo (Whittier, Calif.-California) tossed 1.2 scoreless innings in relief with one strikeout.
Game #1: Eastern Michigan 6, Kent State 0
Fighting off pitch after pitch, junior Michelle Kriegshauser (New Lenox, Ill.-Lincoln Way Central) drilled a 3-2 delivery back to the circle and off the pitcher's glove to start things off for the Eagles in the second. Lifted in favor of the speedier, Elaine Whitbeck (Holland, Mich.-West Ottawa), Kriegshauser's leadoff single brought senior Abby Davidson (Westerville, Ohio-Olentangy Orange) to the plate. Davidson's sacrifice bunt moved Whitbeck into scoring position for Olmos. Stepping to the plate with one out, Olmos fouled off a trio of pitches before lacing an RBI single to center, allowing Whitbeck to score from second.
The Eagles one-run lead stood until the fifth when EMU's bats exploded. Olmos drew a leadoff walk to get things started for the Eagles before cruising into second on a pinch hit single by senior Aoife Duffy (Powell, Ohio-Olentangy Liberty). Turning things over to the top of the lineup, Duffy's single brought freshman Lucy Lopez (Ventura, Calif-Stockdale) to the plate with one out. Squaring to bunt, Lopez took a pitch high and in off the helmet, loading the bases for freshman Olivia Logan (Riverview, Mich.-Riverview). Logan dropped a bloop single to center, scoring one before Akles capped EMU's five-run frame. With the bases juiced, Akles belted her first career grand slam, and seventh career homer, well over the fence in left, extending Eastern Michigan's lead to 6-0.
Kent State hoped to cut into EMU's lead in the bottom of the fifth but Minsker had other plans. Opening the frame a quick out, the Golden Flashes put the next two batters on but Minsker induced back-to-back groundouts to maintain EMU's, 6-0, advantage.
The Howell, Mich. product continued her dominance in the circle in the sixth and seventh, making quick work of the Golden Flashes, on her way to her first career shutout and a 6-0 victory for the Eagles.
Game #2: Eastern Michigan 1, Kent State 3
After a quick turn at bat for the Eagles, Kent State used a single and a pair of walks to load the bases with one out. With trouble brewing, Miranda snagged a liner back at her and fired to first, doubling up the Golden Flash runner and ending the KSU threat.
Kriegshauser gave the Green and White a one-run lead in the second, belting her fifth home run of the season over the centerfield fence for a solo shot.
The Golden Flashes erased EMU's lead and leveled the game at one with a solo shot of their own in the fifth. Following a single and a sacrifice bunt, a pinch hit home run plated two more for the Golden Flashes, giving them a 3-1 edge. KSU's two-run shot was followed up by a walk, ending Miranda's day in the circle. Trujillo entered the game in relief, inheriting a runner on first. After surrendering a single, Trujillo induced a pair of pop outs to end the inning without any further damage.
Despite a strong relief effort from Trujillo, the Eagles failed to muster any offense, falling 3-1.
The rubber match between the Eagles and the Golden Flashes is currently set to take place this weekend with time and day dependent on the overnight forecast in Kent, Ohio.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Minsker, Abbie (6-5)
L: LADINES (13-4)
Batting:
HR: Akles, Amanda 1
RBI: Logan, Olivia 1 ; Akles, Amanda 4 ; Olmos, Brandice 1
SH: Davidson, Abby 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Lopez, Lucy 1 ; Logan, Olivia 1 ; Clark, Abi 1 ; Akles, Amanda 1 ; Whitbeck, Elaine 1 ; Olmos, Brandice 1
SB: Schilke, Angel 1
CS: Barnes, Myranda 1
HBP: Lopez, Lucy 1 ; Clark, Abi 1
Base Running:
HBP: BRANCIFORT 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
4
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
3B/1B
/ Softball
3B/OF
/ Softball
C
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball1B/3B
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
P
/ Softball2B/SS
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ 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