Pogue Keys Big Offense as Softball Splits a Twinbill at CMU

Saturday, March 21

Mount Pleasant, MI

1 p.m.

Ball State University

Central Michigan

Photo by: Katrina Shammami, CMU

Pogue Keys Big Offense as Softball Splits a Twinbill at CMU

March 21, 2026 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- Skylinn Pogue had five hits and three RBI over both games of Saturday's doubleheader at Central Michigan. She batted 4-of-4, scored two runs and drove in a pair to lead Ball State to a 7-1 victory over Central Michigan and salvage a split in the second game. The Chippewas held on for a 4-3 win in the opening game, making use of an error and a walk-off single in the final frame.

In game two, Pogue singled in the second and fourth innings before playing hero in the Cardinals' 3-run fifth and 4-run seventh innings.

In the fifth after CMU took a 1-0 lead, Lindsey DeRoeck's sacrifice fly scored Ashlee Lovett to knot the score, then Pogue staked Ball State to a 2-1 lead on an RBI single up the middle. She advanced to second on a throw, then scored on Jessica Hoffman's single. In the seventh DeRoeck doubled to put runners on second and third with one out. Maia Pietrzak scored on a passed ball and Pogue drove in DeRoeck to push the Ball State lead to 5-1. Grace Spencer singled for Ball State's third straight hit, and she and Pogue both scored on a costly fielding error to record the game's final runs.

Defensively, Ball State was errorless in game two, and rode the four-inning pitching of Ella Whitney (5-2) who recorded her fifth win of the season. She scattered five hits and allowed only the Chips' one run in the first inning. Breanna Severino worked in scoreless relief for three innings, striking out two CMU batters.

In the opening game, CMU got its winning run with one out in the bottom of the seventh, as a throwing error by Pietrzak put runners at the corners and Emma Lotus' single up the middle handed the Chippewas the win.

Pietrzak had opened the scoring with a run in the first inning, and her fourth-inning single tied the score at 2. Ball State took a 3-2 lead on Pogue's double to right center, but Rachel Cairo's solo homer for CMU pushed the game into the fifth inning tied 3-3. The late defeat spoiled a strong, 6.1-inning effort by Cardinals pitcher Bridie Murphy. She struck out four while working around six hits.