Eastern Michigan Athletics
Photo by: Steve King/KingStudios
Recapping Softball's 2016 Campaign
6/13/2016 12:19:00 PM | Softball
EMU finished the season with a 19-32 overall record
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University softball team pieced together its best season under the direction of Head Coach Melissa Gentile in 2016, and best since 2011, capping the year with a 19-32 overall record that included a 9-14 mark in Mid-American Conference play.
After opening the year at the Troy Tournament, Feb. 12-14, the Eagles bounced back to win the EMU Madeira Beach Invitational, Feb. 19-21. The Green and White posted a 4-1 record at the weekend tournament, topping UMass-Lowell (4-3), Manhattan (8-6), George Mason (9-1), and Siena (7-3). Freshman Nicolle Miranda's (Wilmington, Calif.-Wilmington) effort in the circle paced the Green and White in its first game of the tournament. The freshman hurler struck out a career-high 12 batters versus UMass-Lowell, the most by a freshman in program history. Despite Miranda's stout effort in the circle, the Eagles trailed 3-2 heading to their final turn at bat. After an RBI double leveled the score at three, senior Abby Davidson (Westerville, Ohio-Olentangy Orange) delivered a walk-off RBI single to secure a 4-3 win for the Eagles. EMU's run-rule win over George Mason rewrote the record books with freshman Amanda Akles (La Habra, Calif.-La Habra) belting two home runs en route to tying a program record with six RBI's in the win. Additionally, Akles' pair of dingers marked the first time since 2013 that an Eagle had gone yard twice in one game. Akles' first homer of the day, a three-run shot, was followed by long balls of the bats of seniors Abi Clark (Clinton, Mich.-Clinton) and Aoife Duffy (Powell, Ohio-Olentangy Liberty) in the third inning. The trio of homers marked the first time in program history that the Eagles hit back-to-back-to-back home runs. Following up the five-inning win over George Mason with a come-from-behind 7-3 victory over Siena to complete the weekend, EMU's 4-1 tournament record marked the best non-conference weekend showing for the Eagles since 2011 when the Green and White posted a 4-0 record at the FGCU Invititational, March 2-4.
The Eagles picked up non-conference wins over Seton Hall, Villanova, Morehead State, Brown, and Central Connecticut before opening MAC play, March 25-26. On the road for its first three-game MAC series of the year, Eastern Michigan took on MAC East foe, Akron. After dropping the series opener, 4-3, the Eagles bounced back with an 11-5 victory. For the second time in her freshman season, Akles hit two home runs in a game to lead the EMU offense. Akles' seven RBI broke the previous program record, as the La Habra, Calif. native went 4-for-4 at the plate and added two runs scored and a double. The series win marked the first time the Eagles beat a conference opponent twice in one since since 2013.
After splitting a non-conference doubleheader against Detroit, EMU stumbled through series versus Bowling Green and Toledo. Eastern then bounced back against MAC Regular Season Champion, Kent State, on the road, April 8. Playing through brisk conditions, junior Abbie Minsker (Howell, Mich.-Hartland) tossed the first shutout of her career, keeping the Golden Flashes offense at bay and fueling the Eagles to a 6-0 win.
Following a midweek win over Toledo in which the Green and White overcame a 4-0 deficit, EMU played host to MAC West foe, Ball State. Back-to-back shutouts clinched the series for the Eagles before the Green and White secured its first-ever three-game series sweep of a MAC opponent with a thrilling 15-11 win over BSU. An eight-run fourth put Ball State in front, 10-3, with the Eagles coming to bat in the bottom of the frame. EMU cut the deficit to five, 10-5, through five innings of play. The Cardinals got a run back in the top of the sixth, but EMU's offense erupted for nine runs on six hits and two errors to take a 15-11 lead into the final inning of play. Sophomore Trisha Trujillo (Whittier, Calif.-California) completed a strong relief appearance, sending the Cardinals down in order to wrap up the sweep for the Green and White.
Stumbling down the stretch, the Eagles final win of the season came April 30 in Mount Pleasant, Mich. Dropping the series opener, 7-6, via a walk-off, Eastern Michigan came back to take game two of the weekend set against Central Michigan, 5-2. Miranda picked up the win in the circle, allowing just one earned run on four hits while tossing a complete game. Her run support came in a pair of two-RBI outings at the plate. Junior Katy Wyman (Kalamazoo, Mich.-Portage Central) hit a pinch-hit two-run homer while fellow junior Michelle Kriegshauser (New Lenox, Ill.-Lincoln Way Central) finished the day 2-for-3 with a home run and two-RBI's. The victory was the first for the Eagles in Mount Pleasant since 2011.
From there, Eastern dropped its final four games of the regular season, falling just short of the MAC Tournament.
EMU's season was highlighted by a number of awardwinners. The Green and White had three players named MAC West Divsion Player or Co-Player of the Week throughout the season as Kriegshauser, Akles, and Miranda all received the award. At the conference level, Kriegshauser, Duffy, and Akles garnered postseason recognition. Kriegshauser was an All-MAC First Team selection while Duffy nabbed a spot on the All-MAC Second Team. Akles also became the fourth MAC All-Freshman Team honoree in program history, and first since 2013. One week after reeling in All-MAC honors, Kriegshauser was tabbed a Second Team All-Region selection by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, the first Eagle to earn the award since Ashley Strauss did so in 2008.
Kriegshauser paced the Eagles' offensive production at the plate, finishing the season ranked inside the MAC's top-five in seven offensive categories. Hitting an astounding .429 at the plate in MAC play, Kriegshauser ranked second in the conference in batting average and owned a .746 slugging percentage, the fourth best in the conference. Additionally, Kriegshauser's 15 doubles this season rank second in single season records at EMU and pushed her career total to 40, catapulting her into a tie for seventh-place in Eastern Michigan annals.
Duffy reeled in the first All-MAC honor of her career after a sensational senior season in which the Powell, Ohio product posted career-highs in nearly every statistical category. At the plate, Duffy posted eight multi-hit performances and tallied multi-RBI's on one occasion. Duffy finished the season with a career-best .304 batting average, including a blistering .354 in league play. Additionally, she turned in career-bests in hits (24), doubles (4), home runs (2), RBI's (11), slugging percentage (.430), and on-base percentage (.385). Duffy's play at the plate was matched by her best season defensively where the senior backstop played a pivotal role in the development of a young pitching staff. With Duffy leading the effort behind the plate, the Green and White pitching staff posted a 4.58 earned run average, the lowest since 2012 while each of the three Eagle hurlers set career-highs in strikeouts. Commanding and leading the EMU pitchers, Duffy led the league in runners caught stealing, throwing out a career-high eight base runners in MAC play.
Becoming the second freshman to be named to the MAC All-Freshman team under the guidance of Head Coach Melissa Gentile, Akles is the first Eagle to earn the honor since Kriegshauser did so in 2014. Akles ranked second among freshman with 17 RBI's in league play while belting four home runs in her first collegiate season. Her four round-trippers tied for the most by a freshman this season. Finishing the conference slate with a .277 batting average, Akles finished the season with nine multi-hit games, highlighted by four three-hit performances and a four-hit clinic. She also added eight multi-RBI showings in her first year as an Eagle.
EMU's on-the-field success was matched by its academic success, as the Eagles landed a program-record, 12, on the Academic All-MAC Team. The Green and White's 12 selections not only marked the most in EMU history but also led the league as the only team to land more than nine on the squad. Making the Academic All-MAC Team for the Green and White were: Myranda Barnes (Ypsilanti, Mich.-Belleville), Abi Clark (Clinton, Mich.-Clinton), Abby Davidson (Westerville, Ohio-Olentangy Orange), Aoife Duffy (Powell, Ohio-Olentangy Liberty), Haley Hostetler (New Haven, Ind.-Woodlan), Mady Hostetler (New Haven, Ind.-Woodlan), Michelle Kriegshauser (New Lenox, Ill.-Lincoln Way Central), Abbie Minsker (Howell, Mich.-Hartland), Brandice Olmos (Riverside, Calif-Grand Terrace), Angel Schilke (Saline, Mich.-Saline), Trisha Trujillo (Whittier, Calif.-California), and Elaine Whitbeck (Holland, Mich.-West Ottawa).
After opening the year at the Troy Tournament, Feb. 12-14, the Eagles bounced back to win the EMU Madeira Beach Invitational, Feb. 19-21. The Green and White posted a 4-1 record at the weekend tournament, topping UMass-Lowell (4-3), Manhattan (8-6), George Mason (9-1), and Siena (7-3). Freshman Nicolle Miranda's (Wilmington, Calif.-Wilmington) effort in the circle paced the Green and White in its first game of the tournament. The freshman hurler struck out a career-high 12 batters versus UMass-Lowell, the most by a freshman in program history. Despite Miranda's stout effort in the circle, the Eagles trailed 3-2 heading to their final turn at bat. After an RBI double leveled the score at three, senior Abby Davidson (Westerville, Ohio-Olentangy Orange) delivered a walk-off RBI single to secure a 4-3 win for the Eagles. EMU's run-rule win over George Mason rewrote the record books with freshman Amanda Akles (La Habra, Calif.-La Habra) belting two home runs en route to tying a program record with six RBI's in the win. Additionally, Akles' pair of dingers marked the first time since 2013 that an Eagle had gone yard twice in one game. Akles' first homer of the day, a three-run shot, was followed by long balls of the bats of seniors Abi Clark (Clinton, Mich.-Clinton) and Aoife Duffy (Powell, Ohio-Olentangy Liberty) in the third inning. The trio of homers marked the first time in program history that the Eagles hit back-to-back-to-back home runs. Following up the five-inning win over George Mason with a come-from-behind 7-3 victory over Siena to complete the weekend, EMU's 4-1 tournament record marked the best non-conference weekend showing for the Eagles since 2011 when the Green and White posted a 4-0 record at the FGCU Invititational, March 2-4.
The Eagles picked up non-conference wins over Seton Hall, Villanova, Morehead State, Brown, and Central Connecticut before opening MAC play, March 25-26. On the road for its first three-game MAC series of the year, Eastern Michigan took on MAC East foe, Akron. After dropping the series opener, 4-3, the Eagles bounced back with an 11-5 victory. For the second time in her freshman season, Akles hit two home runs in a game to lead the EMU offense. Akles' seven RBI broke the previous program record, as the La Habra, Calif. native went 4-for-4 at the plate and added two runs scored and a double. The series win marked the first time the Eagles beat a conference opponent twice in one since since 2013.
After splitting a non-conference doubleheader against Detroit, EMU stumbled through series versus Bowling Green and Toledo. Eastern then bounced back against MAC Regular Season Champion, Kent State, on the road, April 8. Playing through brisk conditions, junior Abbie Minsker (Howell, Mich.-Hartland) tossed the first shutout of her career, keeping the Golden Flashes offense at bay and fueling the Eagles to a 6-0 win.
Following a midweek win over Toledo in which the Green and White overcame a 4-0 deficit, EMU played host to MAC West foe, Ball State. Back-to-back shutouts clinched the series for the Eagles before the Green and White secured its first-ever three-game series sweep of a MAC opponent with a thrilling 15-11 win over BSU. An eight-run fourth put Ball State in front, 10-3, with the Eagles coming to bat in the bottom of the frame. EMU cut the deficit to five, 10-5, through five innings of play. The Cardinals got a run back in the top of the sixth, but EMU's offense erupted for nine runs on six hits and two errors to take a 15-11 lead into the final inning of play. Sophomore Trisha Trujillo (Whittier, Calif.-California) completed a strong relief appearance, sending the Cardinals down in order to wrap up the sweep for the Green and White.
Stumbling down the stretch, the Eagles final win of the season came April 30 in Mount Pleasant, Mich. Dropping the series opener, 7-6, via a walk-off, Eastern Michigan came back to take game two of the weekend set against Central Michigan, 5-2. Miranda picked up the win in the circle, allowing just one earned run on four hits while tossing a complete game. Her run support came in a pair of two-RBI outings at the plate. Junior Katy Wyman (Kalamazoo, Mich.-Portage Central) hit a pinch-hit two-run homer while fellow junior Michelle Kriegshauser (New Lenox, Ill.-Lincoln Way Central) finished the day 2-for-3 with a home run and two-RBI's. The victory was the first for the Eagles in Mount Pleasant since 2011.
From there, Eastern dropped its final four games of the regular season, falling just short of the MAC Tournament.
EMU's season was highlighted by a number of awardwinners. The Green and White had three players named MAC West Divsion Player or Co-Player of the Week throughout the season as Kriegshauser, Akles, and Miranda all received the award. At the conference level, Kriegshauser, Duffy, and Akles garnered postseason recognition. Kriegshauser was an All-MAC First Team selection while Duffy nabbed a spot on the All-MAC Second Team. Akles also became the fourth MAC All-Freshman Team honoree in program history, and first since 2013. One week after reeling in All-MAC honors, Kriegshauser was tabbed a Second Team All-Region selection by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, the first Eagle to earn the award since Ashley Strauss did so in 2008.
Kriegshauser paced the Eagles' offensive production at the plate, finishing the season ranked inside the MAC's top-five in seven offensive categories. Hitting an astounding .429 at the plate in MAC play, Kriegshauser ranked second in the conference in batting average and owned a .746 slugging percentage, the fourth best in the conference. Additionally, Kriegshauser's 15 doubles this season rank second in single season records at EMU and pushed her career total to 40, catapulting her into a tie for seventh-place in Eastern Michigan annals.
Duffy reeled in the first All-MAC honor of her career after a sensational senior season in which the Powell, Ohio product posted career-highs in nearly every statistical category. At the plate, Duffy posted eight multi-hit performances and tallied multi-RBI's on one occasion. Duffy finished the season with a career-best .304 batting average, including a blistering .354 in league play. Additionally, she turned in career-bests in hits (24), doubles (4), home runs (2), RBI's (11), slugging percentage (.430), and on-base percentage (.385). Duffy's play at the plate was matched by her best season defensively where the senior backstop played a pivotal role in the development of a young pitching staff. With Duffy leading the effort behind the plate, the Green and White pitching staff posted a 4.58 earned run average, the lowest since 2012 while each of the three Eagle hurlers set career-highs in strikeouts. Commanding and leading the EMU pitchers, Duffy led the league in runners caught stealing, throwing out a career-high eight base runners in MAC play.
Becoming the second freshman to be named to the MAC All-Freshman team under the guidance of Head Coach Melissa Gentile, Akles is the first Eagle to earn the honor since Kriegshauser did so in 2014. Akles ranked second among freshman with 17 RBI's in league play while belting four home runs in her first collegiate season. Her four round-trippers tied for the most by a freshman this season. Finishing the conference slate with a .277 batting average, Akles finished the season with nine multi-hit games, highlighted by four three-hit performances and a four-hit clinic. She also added eight multi-RBI showings in her first year as an Eagle.
EMU's on-the-field success was matched by its academic success, as the Eagles landed a program-record, 12, on the Academic All-MAC Team. The Green and White's 12 selections not only marked the most in EMU history but also led the league as the only team to land more than nine on the squad. Making the Academic All-MAC Team for the Green and White were: Myranda Barnes (Ypsilanti, Mich.-Belleville), Abi Clark (Clinton, Mich.-Clinton), Abby Davidson (Westerville, Ohio-Olentangy Orange), Aoife Duffy (Powell, Ohio-Olentangy Liberty), Haley Hostetler (New Haven, Ind.-Woodlan), Mady Hostetler (New Haven, Ind.-Woodlan), Michelle Kriegshauser (New Lenox, Ill.-Lincoln Way Central), Abbie Minsker (Howell, Mich.-Hartland), Brandice Olmos (Riverside, Calif-Grand Terrace), Angel Schilke (Saline, Mich.-Saline), Trisha Trujillo (Whittier, Calif.-California), and Elaine Whitbeck (Holland, Mich.-West Ottawa).
Players Mentioned
3B/1B
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
3B/OF
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
SS/2B
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
2B/SS
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
2B/1B
/ 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