It should have been the proudest performance of Central Michigan pitcher Kari Seddon’s career.
Instead, after throwing seven perfect innings — weathering a three-and-a-half hour rain delay in the second — she was saddled with a 4-0 loss and Ohio advanced to the Mid-American Conference Tournament semifinals.
Bobcat starter Emily Wethington (W, 20-10) surrendered three hits in the outing, which lasted more than five hours from first pitch to last. More importantly, she put up a goose egg in the most significant statistical category — runs allowed.
Seddon baffled the Bobcat batters through seven innings, striking out five. It was only fitting that Wethington, the team’s leader on the mound and at the plate all season, broke up the bid for perfection in the top of the eighth, drawing a walk
on a full count.
Sophomore Lauren Gellerman snatched away Seddon’s no-hitter on the next pitch sending a single to left field. Then, coach Jodi Hermanek saw her team’s window and elected to bring on sophomore outfielder Chelsea Hortman to pinch-hit for freshman Raven King. The gamble paid off.
Hortman singled to second base scoring Erin Lashley, who pinch-ran for Wethington. Alexandria Basquez followed-up by hitting into a fielder’s choice but got enough of the ball to give the Bobcats a two-run lead.
Second baseman Brooke Morgart kept the rally going with a one-out single, which brought shortstop Alexis Joseph, who was 0-for-3 heading into the at-bat, to the plate.
Joseph wasted no time launching a bases-clearing triple to the gap in left center to give the Bobcats, and Wethington, all the run support
they would need.
She retired the first two Chippewa batters in the bottom of the inning and got Seddon to ground the ball to Joseph for the final out of the game.
Hermanek could not be reached for comment. The No. 2 seed Bobcats will face No. 1 Western Michigan at 5 p.m. today.
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