Young Dominates No. 4 Oklahoma with One-Hit Shutout

Saturday, February 23

Columbus, Ga.

7:30 PM

Michigan

6-3

Oklahoma

13-2

Oklahoma

Michigan

2/23/2002 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

COLUMBUS, Ga. -- The 10th-ranked University of Michigan softball team bounced back from its 1-2 record in pool play with a 1-0 win over No. 4 Oklahoma Saturday night (Feb. 23) in the Silver Championship Bracket first round at the NFCA Leadoff Classic. Michigan now gets a rematch with eighth-ranked Arizona State tomorrow at 10 a.m. in the Silver Bracket semifinals. The winner of that contest faces the winner of the game between 11th-ranked Oregon State and Washington at noon, while the loser is done for the weekend.

Young

Michigan rode on the right arm of junior hurler Marissa Young (Santa Ana, Calif./Mater Dei HS), who one week after tossing the third perfect game in school history tossed a one-hit shutout to hand the nation's fourth-ranked team just its second loss of the season. Young struck out 11, walked three and received all the help she needed in the third inning on an RBI single off the bat of cleanup hitter Monica Schock (Rialto, Calif./Eisenhower HS).

Young was dominant again as she set down the first 16 batters she faced, not allowing a Sooner baserunner until a one-out single in the top of the sixth. In fact, Oklahoma had pushed only one runner past first base until Young issued consecutive two-out walks in the bottom of the seventh. The California native, however, settled down to strike out her 11th hitter of the night, securing her second complete-game shutout of the season.

After threatening in the second by putting two runners with two outs but coming up empty, Michigan's lone run came in the third after senior outfielder Mary Conner (Plymouth, Mich./Plymouth-Canton HS) opened the inning by reaching on an error. She was pushed into scoring position on a single from Meghan Doe (Tucson, Ariz./Sabino HS) and scored on an RBI single from Schock.

Michigan threatened to get Young an insurance run or two in the bottom of the fourth after back-to-back singles from Young and Melinda Moulden (LaCrescenta, Calif./LaCrescenta HS) put runners on first and second with nobody out. However, Michigan hit into consecutive fielder's choice situations before Conner lined out to end the inning.

As it turned out the one-run in the third inning was all the insurance needed by Young, who also happened to be the only player in the game to record a pair of hits.

N O T E S

Kelsey Kollen's Michigan season-best hitting streak of seven was snapped tonight as she went 0-3.

Tonight's win over Oklahoma is Michigan's first of the season over a ranked opponent.

Contact: Rich Marion (734) 763-4423