Game 1 Stats vs. Eastern Michigan (HTML)

Game 2 Stats vs. Eastern Michigan (HTML)

The Titans' softball team was in action against in-state rival Eastern Michigan Wednesday afternoon, making the trip to Ypsilanti, MI, but UDM was unable to spoil the Eagles' home opener, falling 10-2 and 8-0.

Momentum looked to be swinging in Detroit's (2-13) favor in the fourth inning of game one of Wednesday's doubleheader, but a costly Titan error with two outs allowed the Eagles to score three unearned runs and extend their lead to 8-1.

Eastern Michigan (8-14) wasted no time getting on top in the first contest, as leadoff hitter Katy Blaharski hit a drive that hit the top of the left field fence and bounced over. The Eagles wound up with three runs in the first inning, thanks in part to a pair of Titan errors, but freshman pitcher Anna Bondy (Newport, MI/Carleton-Airport) settled in a bit and allowed just one run in each the second and third innings.

UDM chipped into the Eastern Michigan lead in the third inning. Sophomore second baseman Melissa Barrett (Taylor, MI/Kennedy) drew a walk to start the inning and stole second. Following a pair of strikeouts junior Stefanie Morong (Ludington, MI/Mason County Central) grounded up the middle to bring Barrett in to score.

After EMU extended its advantage in the fourth frame, senior center fielder Erica Houthoofd (Unionville, MI/Unionville-Sebewaing Area) drew a two-out walk, then advanced on a passed ball and was brought into score thanks to a single up the middle off the bat of senior catcher Jessica Liebner (Ortonville, MI/Brandon), who was 2-for-2 at the plate in game one.

Morong came on in relief of Bondy to start the fifth, looking to keep the Eagles off the scoreboard and give the Titans a chance to stage a comeback. Eastern Michigan plated just one run in the fifth, but UDM was unable to take advantage of a Bondy base hit in the sixth before the Eagles took a 10-2 lead to end the game in the home half of the inning.

The Titans managed six hits in the day's opener, but squandered several scoring opportunities by leaving seven runners on base, including three in the fourth after they were loaded after a trio of consecutive walks with no outs. Bondy lasted four innings in the circle in the first game, allowing eight runs, but just three of them earned, while striking out one and walking none. 

”There's a few times in each game where we had a chance to capitalize on some miscues and we did not take that opportunity,” said head coach Sunny Jones. “We did not execute and ran ourselves out of innings, and against good teams you can't do that.”

In game two, it was Morong who got the start in the circle for the Titans. After walking the leadoff batter, a popped-up bunt was caught by Liebner who fired down to first to convert the twin-killing, and Morong then induced a groundout to third to complete the unconventional three-up, three-down inning.

Trouble came Detroit's way in the second frame, however, as the Eagles put up a pair of runs and claimed a 2-0 lead. The damage may have been worse, but a tumbling snag by Houthoofd while battling the sun limited left EMU catcher Sarah Gerber with a sac fly rather than a two-run extra-base hit.

But Eastern Michigan notched four extra-base hits in the third inning, including back-to-back homers by sisters Jenny and Allison Scherer, increasing the lead over to 6-0. The second game came to another early end as the Eagles put up solo runs in the fourth and fifth while holding the Titans off the board, and winning 8-0. UDM managed just three hits in the second game, one each from Morong, Houthoofd and Barret, but drew three walks off EMU pitching and ended up stranding five runners.

Detroit returns to Horizon League play to kick-off Easter weekend, hosting Valparaiso University at Buysse Ballpark for three games, beginning with a doubleheader Friday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. The Crusaders entered their Wednesday doubleheader against Northen Illinois University with a record of 18-7 overall, and 2-0 in conference play after taking two games from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay on Sunday.