Game 1 Stats vs. Central Michigan

Game 2 Stats vs. Central Michigan

The long ball doomed the Titans Wednesday afternoon at Buysse Ballpark as Central Michigan banged out five home runs to top Detroit twice, scoring a 9-0 victory in game one and taking game two 8-0.

The Chippewas (12-7) scored 13 of their 17 runs in the doubleheader off of home runs. In game one, CMU grabbed a 3-0 lead in the first inning thanks in part to a two-run home run off the bat of shortstop Molly Coldren. But starting pitcher Anna Bondy (Newport, MI/Carleton-Airport) managed to settle in and find her groove after a rocky start, limiting the visitors to single runs in the second and fourth inning and keeping the Titans within striking distance.

Deroit threatened to close the gap in the bottom of the fourth, when senior catcher Jessica Liebner (Ortonville, MI/Brandon) laced a single to center field with one out and advanced to second on a groundout by sophomore first baseman Kara Spinelli (Newman, CA/Orestimba). With Liebner on second, sophomore shortstop Rachel Copple (Dearborn Hts., MI/Allen Park Cabrini) hit a shot that was mishandled by the Chippewas' shortstop to give the Titans runners at the corners, but a pop-up off the bat of freshman Katie Schaus (Unionville, MI/Unionville-Sebewaing Area) ended the inning before UDM could put a run on the board.

Liebner's base hit in the fourth was the Titans' only hit of the game, and in the sixth inning Central Michigan added four more runs on a grand slam off the bat of outfielder Christina Novak to end the scoring for game one.

Bondy went the distance, allowing six hits and two walks while striking out four and falling to 2-3 on the season.

Central Michigan claimed an early lead in game two as well, thanks again to a two-run home run, this time off the bat of second baseman Brittini Merchant. Starter Stefanie Morong (Ludington, MI/Mason County Central) then coaxed a pair of groundouts to get out of the first inning, and pitched out of a jam in the second to keep the deficit at 2-0.

With a runner on second and no outs, Morong got a groundball, struck CMU left fielder Ashley Gilson out looking and got another groundball to end the second inning.

Detroit managed just a pair of hits in game two, a single up the middle from sophomore left fielder Krissy Pitock (Carelton, MI/Carleton-Airport) in the third and a single off the bat of senior center fielder Erica Houthoofd (Unionville, MI/Unionville-Sebewaing Area) in the fourth. But the Titans were unable to string together enough offense to produce a run, and the Chippewas again put the game out of reach when, in the fifth inning, the Chippewas' designated player Amanda Patrick, belted a three-run homer to increase their lead to 8-0.

Morong pitched all five innings of the second game, striking out three batters and walking none. UDM committed six errors on the day, and stranded all seven of its base runners.

The Titans will look to get Horizon League play off to a good start this weekend as they travel to Dayton for a three-game set with Wright State (8-15) beginning Saturday at 1:00 p.m.