Softball Survives and Walks off Ball State 6-5 in Home Opener

Friday, March 20

Mount Pleasant, Mich.

3:00 PM

Central Michigan University

12-11, 3-1

Ball State

11-11, 0-4

Ball State

Central Michigan

Photo by: Kailey Hill '26 - @rahsignz

Softball Survives and Walks off Ball State 6-5 in Home Opener

3/20/2026 6:59:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Photo Gallery

Grace Koenig draws a bases loaded walk and secures the first victory for Softball at Margo Jonker Stadium.

By: Julia Bice

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- A Central Michigan victory that took 10 innings, but a victory nonetheless! Central Michigan scored two runs in the bottom of the 10th inning to defeat Ball State 6-5 in its home opener Friday night at Margo Jonker Stadium.

CMU took a 4-0 lead with four runs in the third inning. The scoring started with a double from Grace Koenig that scored Angela Petrovitch. An RBI single from London Williams plated Jenna Kuzara from third base and Koenig from second base. Another single from Cierra Laska scored Williams, and the Chippewas were up 4-0.

No scoring happened until the top of the seventh inning when Ball State scored four runs to tie the game with two outs. An RBI double, single and sacrifice fly scored the four runs.

Cierra Laska threw the final 3.1 innings for the Chippewas and collected six strikeouts. Laska replaced Aubrey Strelow in the seventh inning. Strelow replaced Mackenzie Langan who started for CMU.

Langan threw six complete innings, allowed five hits and collected four strikeouts of her own. Strelow faced six batters with one strikeout of her own with one hit allowed, and three walks.

In the three innings of work for Laska, she worked two 1-2-3 innings until the top of the 10^th when the Cardinals took the 5-4 lead.

CMU answered the call in the 10^th. Laska started the inning with a single down the left field line and moved over on a sacrifice bunt from Rachel Cairo. Keira Tolmie, who entered to catch in the top of the 7^th to catch, hit the game tying RBI with a double to right center.

Then Petrovitch drew a walk, Emma Lotus drew a walk and a walk-off walk from Koenig allowed Petrovitch to cross the plate.

Ball State's pitching staff walked eight Chippewas and colllected just seven strikeouts. Entering the game today, the Cardinals had drawn 96 walks on the season, compared to the Chippewas' 58. The Chippewa pitching staff accounted for 11 strikeouts over the 10 innings and 199 pitches thrown.

For Central Michigan, Angela Petrovitch, London Williams, and Cierra Laska each had two hits in the game, and Petrovitch drew three walks from the leadoff spot.

The two teams will be back in action on Saturday for a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.

For the latest news and updates on CMU Softball, follow the team on X (@cmusoftball) and Instagram (@cmichsoftball).

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— CMU —