Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, April 15
Muncie, Ind.
1 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
14-25, 2-12
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Ball State
27-19, 11-3
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Eastern Michigan
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Ball State
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Photo by: Steve King/KingStudios
Stout Pitching by Miranda Leads Eagles to Split Versus Ball State
4/15/2017 6:46:00 PM | Softball
Nicolle Miranda tossed her second shutout of the season
MUNCIE, Ind. (EMUEagles.com) – Sophomore Nicolle Miranda's (Wilmington, Calif.-Port of Los Angeles) four-hit shutout and a seventh inning RBI knock by sophomore Lucy Lopez (Bakersfield, Calif.-Stockdale) lifted the Eastern Michigan University softball team to a split versus Ball State University, Saturday, April 15. The Eagles (15-25, 3-12 MAC) bounced back from a 9-0 five inning loss in game one, to take game two, 1-0.
Game #1: Ball State 9, Eastern Michigan 0 (5 inn.)
The Eagles used the services of junior Trisha Trujillo (Whittier, Calif.-California) and senior Abbie Minsker (Howell, Mich.-Hartland) in the circle. Trujillo got the start, pitching 2.0 innings as the pitcher of record, falling to 8-14 on the season. Minsker also went 2.0 innings, striking out one in relief.
Eastern was out-hit, 9-1, with junior Haley Hostetler (New Haven, Ind.-Woodlan) registering EMU's lone hit of the game on a bunt single.
Ball State jumped on Eastern Michigan right away, loading the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the first. A bases loaded walk provided BSU with the first run of the game, while a single, sacrifice fly, and a bases clearing double pushed the Ball State lead to 5-0 with one away in the opening frame. Minsker got the early call from the bullpen, inheriting a runner on second with one out. The senior hurler used just five pitches to end the Cardinals' big inning and bring the Eagles to the plate with plenty of work to do.
After a 1-2-3 trip to the plate for EMU, BSU tacked on two more to make the score 7-0.
The Eagles got their first baserunners in the third, as freshman Danielle Rico (Moreno Valley, Calif.-Grand Terrace) walked and Hostetler reached with a bunt single. Having entered as a pinch runner, sophomore Alex Peters (Oscoda, Mich.-Alepena) tried to take third on Hostetler's bunt, but was tagged out before sophomore Lucy Lopez (Bakersfield, Calif.-Stockdale) walked with two outs. The Green and White's scoring chance came to a close on a soft grounder, ending the threat and stranding a pair.
A dropped ball brought two more around for the Cardinals, increasing their lead to 9-0, through three innings.
Eastern had a chance to extend the game in the fifth, but could not avoid the run-rule loss, falling by a final score of 9-0.
Game #2: Eastern Michigan 1, Ball State 0
Sophomore Nicolle Miranda (Wilmington, Calif.-Port of Los Angeles) shined in a pitcher's duel, securing her fifth win of the season. Going the distance, Miranda wrapped up a complete game shutout, while only yielding four hits and striking out three.
Offensively, the Eagles tallied five hits to out-hit the Cardinals by one. Lopez and senior Taylor Wagner (Marshalltown, Iowa-Marshalltown) each went 2-for-4 on the day, with Lopez picking up the lone RBI for the Eagles.
The two hurlers worked through the first three innings without much difficulty, leaving the game scoreless into the fourth.
With Wagner leading off in the fourth, the Eagles put the first two batters aboard. Wagner beat out the throw for an infield single, while senior Michelle Kriegshauser (New Lenox, Ill.-Lincoln Way Central) walked. Sophomore Olivia Logan (Riverview, Mich.-Riverview) moved the runners to second and third on a sacrifice bunt, but a pop out and a fly out left the Green and White without a run.
Ball State got its first hit of the day off of Miranda in the fourth with two outs, but the Eagles' hurler bounced back with a ground out to retire the side.
Following a quiet fifth inning, the Eagles went to work in the sixth. Lopez got things rolling with an infield single, while Kriegshauser walked to put two on with one out. Back-to-back strikeouts stalled another scoring chance for Eastern, keeping the game scoreless with Ball State coming to the plate in the bottom of the sixth.
Miranda worked around a leadoff walk in the sixth, getting a fly out, before sophomore catcher Sam Saporito (Eastvale, Calif.-Eleanor Roosevelt) threw out the runner trying to steal second and Hostetler caught an inning-ending fly out.
Junior Brandice Olmos (Riverside, Calif.-Grand Terrace) sliced a double down the right field line to break open EMU's half of the seventh. Hostetler took a pitch of the arm moments later, putting two aboard for the Eagles with just one out. Saporito moved the runners into scoring position, and Lopez came through with an RBI base knock to give Eastern a 1-0 lead with BSU coming to the plate for the final time.
Ball State ripped a leadoff single off the wall in center, putting the tying run on first with no outs. Miranda bounced back with a fly out in foul territory for the first out of the inning. The Cardinals then blooped a single to right, putting two on with one away, but Miranda stood strong, retiring the next two to end the game and give the Eagles a 1-0 win.
With finals week on the horizon, the Green and White will take a much needed break from competition, before returning to action next weekend, April 21-22, against Western Michigan. The three-game series gets going Friday, April 21, with a 3 p.m. first pitch from Varsity Field.
Game #1: Ball State 9, Eastern Michigan 0 (5 inn.)
The Eagles used the services of junior Trisha Trujillo (Whittier, Calif.-California) and senior Abbie Minsker (Howell, Mich.-Hartland) in the circle. Trujillo got the start, pitching 2.0 innings as the pitcher of record, falling to 8-14 on the season. Minsker also went 2.0 innings, striking out one in relief.
Eastern was out-hit, 9-1, with junior Haley Hostetler (New Haven, Ind.-Woodlan) registering EMU's lone hit of the game on a bunt single.
Ball State jumped on Eastern Michigan right away, loading the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the first. A bases loaded walk provided BSU with the first run of the game, while a single, sacrifice fly, and a bases clearing double pushed the Ball State lead to 5-0 with one away in the opening frame. Minsker got the early call from the bullpen, inheriting a runner on second with one out. The senior hurler used just five pitches to end the Cardinals' big inning and bring the Eagles to the plate with plenty of work to do.
After a 1-2-3 trip to the plate for EMU, BSU tacked on two more to make the score 7-0.
The Eagles got their first baserunners in the third, as freshman Danielle Rico (Moreno Valley, Calif.-Grand Terrace) walked and Hostetler reached with a bunt single. Having entered as a pinch runner, sophomore Alex Peters (Oscoda, Mich.-Alepena) tried to take third on Hostetler's bunt, but was tagged out before sophomore Lucy Lopez (Bakersfield, Calif.-Stockdale) walked with two outs. The Green and White's scoring chance came to a close on a soft grounder, ending the threat and stranding a pair.
A dropped ball brought two more around for the Cardinals, increasing their lead to 9-0, through three innings.
Eastern had a chance to extend the game in the fifth, but could not avoid the run-rule loss, falling by a final score of 9-0.
Game #2: Eastern Michigan 1, Ball State 0
Sophomore Nicolle Miranda (Wilmington, Calif.-Port of Los Angeles) shined in a pitcher's duel, securing her fifth win of the season. Going the distance, Miranda wrapped up a complete game shutout, while only yielding four hits and striking out three.
Offensively, the Eagles tallied five hits to out-hit the Cardinals by one. Lopez and senior Taylor Wagner (Marshalltown, Iowa-Marshalltown) each went 2-for-4 on the day, with Lopez picking up the lone RBI for the Eagles.
The two hurlers worked through the first three innings without much difficulty, leaving the game scoreless into the fourth.
With Wagner leading off in the fourth, the Eagles put the first two batters aboard. Wagner beat out the throw for an infield single, while senior Michelle Kriegshauser (New Lenox, Ill.-Lincoln Way Central) walked. Sophomore Olivia Logan (Riverview, Mich.-Riverview) moved the runners to second and third on a sacrifice bunt, but a pop out and a fly out left the Green and White without a run.
Ball State got its first hit of the day off of Miranda in the fourth with two outs, but the Eagles' hurler bounced back with a ground out to retire the side.
Following a quiet fifth inning, the Eagles went to work in the sixth. Lopez got things rolling with an infield single, while Kriegshauser walked to put two on with one out. Back-to-back strikeouts stalled another scoring chance for Eastern, keeping the game scoreless with Ball State coming to the plate in the bottom of the sixth.
Miranda worked around a leadoff walk in the sixth, getting a fly out, before sophomore catcher Sam Saporito (Eastvale, Calif.-Eleanor Roosevelt) threw out the runner trying to steal second and Hostetler caught an inning-ending fly out.
Junior Brandice Olmos (Riverside, Calif.-Grand Terrace) sliced a double down the right field line to break open EMU's half of the seventh. Hostetler took a pitch of the arm moments later, putting two aboard for the Eagles with just one out. Saporito moved the runners into scoring position, and Lopez came through with an RBI base knock to give Eastern a 1-0 lead with BSU coming to the plate for the final time.
Ball State ripped a leadoff single off the wall in center, putting the tying run on first with no outs. Miranda bounced back with a fly out in foul territory for the first out of the inning. The Cardinals then blooped a single to right, putting two on with one away, but Miranda stood strong, retiring the next two to end the game and give the Eagles a 1-0 win.
With finals week on the horizon, the Green and White will take a much needed break from competition, before returning to action next weekend, April 21-22, against Western Michigan. The three-game series gets going Friday, April 21, with a 3 p.m. first pitch from Varsity Field.
#RapidReaction l Hear from @niiikkkkiiiii & Lucy Lopez (@marvel_girl27) after the Eagles' 1-0 win over Ball State! #EMUEagles pic.twitter.com/PBRPANSZwY
— EMUSoftball (@EMUSoftball) April 15, 2017
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: ROTHWELL, Alyssa (5-2)
L: Trujillo, Trisha (8-14)
Batting:
2B: HOUCK, Rachel 1 ; LEE, Madison 1 ; WYNN, Kennedy 1
RBI: LABRADOR, Maddy 1 ; LEE, Madison 2 ; KING, Danae 1 ; WYNN, Kennedy 2
SF: KING, Danae 1
Base Running:
RUNS: DOMINIQUE, Haley 2 ; HOUCK, Rachel 2 ; HOGG, Janae 1 ; LABRADOR, Maddy 2 ; LEE, Madison 1 ; HOPPER, Brittany 1
SB: LABRADOR, Maddy 1
HBP: DOMINIQUE, Haley 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
1
R
0
H
0
RBI
0
AB
2
R
0
H
0
RBI
0
AB
2
R
0
H
0
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
SS/2B
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
1B/3B
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
2B/SS
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
3B/2B
/ Softball
C/OF
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballC
/ 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