WMU softball off to a slow start with one game win

Nathan Palcowski
Staff Reporter

The Western Michigan Softball team got off to a slow start in the Kajikawa Classic, winning just one game to get a record of 1-5.   The only win was against Cal-State Northridge on Saturday, 9-0.

WMU started off the season with a tough test against number one ranked Arizona State on Thursday.   The Broncos were no match for the Sun Devils as ASU went on to win, 10-0.  The Broncos left multiple runners in scoring position, but couldn’t capitalize. While Arizona State had an offensive explosion with four runs off five hits in the third inning.

“We had opportunities early but didn’t get runs across the plate,” Kathy Leitke said, WMU softball head coach.

For Leitke and the Broncos, facing the number one team in the nation was not going to be an easy task.

“They (ASU) are a great team and they took advantage when opportunities arose. That’s why there number one,” Leitke said.

The Broncos on Friday ended up losing to both Utah, 5-0 and New Mexico 5-4.  Before entering the New Mexico game, the Broncos were held without a run for 13 consecutive innings.  Then in the bottom of the first inning against New Mexico, WMU first baseman Tara Buchanan hit a two-run home run to get the Broncos on the board.

WMU finally got their first win of the season on Saturday against Cal-State Northridge, 9-0.  The offensive explosion started early as in the first inning, the Broncos went through the entire batting order twice. WMU catcher Courtney Rousseau started with a home run and went on to go 2 for 4 with 3 RBI’s.

The offensive explosion was stopped shortly after as the Broncos fell just short to the Bradley Braves, 2-1.  WMU pitcher Becca Shemberger pitched a gem allowing just two earned runs off of four hits, with four strikeouts as well.  Second Baseman, Emma Bogart provided the only run when she singled late in the sixth inning to cut the lead to one.

Finishing out the weekend on Sunday, the Broncos lost to number nine ranked Tennessee, 9-6.  WMU will a significant amount of time off before they will play in the USF Under Armor Invitational on March 2-4.

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Posted by njstrehl on Feb 13 2012. Filed under Breaking, Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

Nora Strehl