TOLEDO, Ohio – The Toledo softball team split its doubleheader vs. Central Michigan at Scott Park on Wednesday afternoon by bouncing back from a disappointing 5-2 defeat in Game One with a 2-1 triumph in Game Two.
Junior
Makenna Durieux keyed the Rockets' victory in the nightcap by limiting the Chippewas (17-27, 15-19 MAC) to just one run and six hits in a complete-game effort. Junior
Aleah Marra drove in UT's only two runs with a two-out double in the second inning.
"Makenna came out and dominated from the first inning," Head Coach
Joe Abraham said. "She has improved a lot as the year has progressed and gave us a huge outing when we needed it most. She had her pitches working and just exuded confidence the entire game."
Toledo (27-22, 17-16 MAC) appeared to be on its way to a 2-1 victory in the opener but allowed the Chippewas to rally with four runs in the seventh inning,
Senior
Erin Hunt (19-13) held CMU to just three hits in the opening six frames before allowing four hits in the Chippewas' final at-bat. She was hurt in the inning by a misplayed sacrifice bunt that put runners on first and second with nobody out. Following a successful sacrifice, CMU registered back-to-back singles to take the lead and added two insurance runs later in the inning.
Toledo will close out its season this weekend with a four-game series vs. Akron. The Rockets will host the Zips in single games on Friday, May 14 and Sunday, May 16 and a doubleheader on Saturday, May 15.
GAME ONE
- Toledo broke up a pitcher's duel when Jenna Kroll's single to right field in the fourth inning plated the game's first two runs.
- The Chippewas broke through for a run of their own on pinch-hitter Samantha Mills' RBI single to left-center.
- Erin Hunt retired CMU in order in the sixth inning before the Chippewas rallied. Mills' single to left-center field tied the score at 2-2, and Abbey Tolmie's single up the middle gave the visitors the lead.  Shannon Stein's two-run single down the left-field line accounted for game's final scoring.
GAME TWO
- CMU took a 1-0 lead when Stein led off the second with a double and scored on Kelsey Alexander's single to right field. Durieux avoided any further damage by retiring the next three batters.
- Toledo responded with two runs in the bottom of the frame. Alea Marra came through with a big two-out double after the Rockets had put runners on second and third with nobody out.