Young, Michigan Work Overtime to Sweep Northwestern

Sunday, March 30

Ann Arbor, Mich.

Noon

Michigan

18-8, 2-1

Northwestern

17-9, 0-3

Northwestern

Michigan

3/30/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Alumni Field)
Score: #14 Michigan 3, Northwestern 1 (9 innings); #14 Michigan 3, Northwestern 1 (8 innings)
Records: U-M (19-8, 3-1 Big Ten), Northwestern (17-10, 0-4 Big Ten)
Next U-M Game: Tuesday, April 1 -- DH at Western Michigan (Kalamazoo, Mich.), 2 p.m.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Senior Marissa Young (Santa Ana, Calif./Mater Dei HS) drove in the winning run in both games as the 14th-ranked University of Michigan softball team took a pair of extra-inning games from Northwestern, winning 6-5 in nine innings and 3-1 in eight on Sunday (March 30) at Alumni Field.

Young hit a solo shot with one out in the bottom of the ninth of game one and drove in a pair of runs with a two-out single in the top of the eighth of game two. Young's walk-off home run in game one would not have been possible if not for a game-tying, two-run home run off the bat of freshman Grace Leutele (Sierra Vista, Ariz./Buena HS) in the bottom of the eighth that tied the score at five. Young went 3-7 on the doubleheader with three RBI, while freshman Tiffany Haas (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill HS) went 3-7 with three runs scored.

The first of the two-game set was a see-saw battle that began without much action, as the teams combined for just one hit in the first two and a half innings. In the bottom of the third inning, Haas got it started for Michigan, doubling down the leftfield line with one out to trigger a Wolverine rally. Meghan Doe (Tucson, Ariz./Sabino HS) singled up the middle, scoring Haas from second and putting Michigan on the board with a 1-0 lead.

The lead did not last, as Northwestern caught a break in the top of the fourth inning when a Michigan error allowed a Wildcat to reach base with one out. After a flyout to center, the Northwestern designated player hit a home run to leftfield, bringing in two unearned runs and shifting the lead to Northwestern, 2-1.

Jessica Merchant (Wayland, Mich./Wayland HS) helped get the bottom of the inning going for Michigan, walking with one out and moving to second on a sacrifice by Leutele. Rightfielder Courtney Betley (Corona, Calif./Santa Ana Mater Dei HS) then hit an infield single to the second base, allowing Merchant to advance to third. After rounding the bag, Merchant broke for home and slid under the catcher's tag to score Michigan's second run and tie the game.

The score did not stay tied up for long, as Northwestern led off the top of the fifth inning with a double to centerfield. In by-the-book fashion, the hitter was bunted to third and scored on a sacrifice fly to center, making the score 3-2 in favor of the Wildcats going into the bottom of the fifth. The Wolverines caught a break in the sixth with one out after Merchant was hit by a pitch. Leutele continued to execute, putting down her second sacrifice bunt of the game, which moved Merchant into scoring position. Merchant advanced to third on an infield single by Betley, and Haas came through in the clutch, hitting a solid single to centerfield to tie the game at three.

Neither team threatened in the seventh, pushing the game into extra innings. Northwestern set the stakes high in the top of the eighth, putting two runs on the board. A single through the left side with nobody out put the go-ahead run at first base. The Wildcats sacrificed the runner to second and Michigan's attempt to gun down the lead run failed, which left two runners on and triggered a pitching change for the Wolverines as Nicole Motycka (Sarasota, Fla./Cardinal Mooney HS) relieved Young. After striking out the next Wildcat hitter, Motycka gave up a double to rightfield and two runs scored to give Northwestern the lead, 5-3.

Trailing by two going into the bottom of the inning, Merchant singled down the rightfield line to put the Michigan tying run at the plate. Leutele came up swinging at the first pitch, drilling it over the rightfield fence for her first career home run, tying the game 5-5. Motycka held the Wildcats to a walk in the top of the ninth, giving the Wolverines the opportunity to win it in the bottom of the inning. With one out and nobody on base, Young hit a first-pitch home run to centerfield for the game-winner.

The second game of the afternoon began like the first, with both teams struggling at the plate. The bats of the Wolverines were quiet until the top of the sixth when Haas ripped a double to left-center, just missing a home run. She was sacrificed to second by Doe and came in to score off a fly ball to rightfield by Melinda Moulden (LaCrescenta, Calif./Crescenta Valley HS), putting the Wolverines on top 1-0.

The Wildcats countered, stringing together two hits and a sacrifice to tie the game in the sixth. Northwestern threatened further damage, ripping a two-out single to leftfield with a runner on second, but the Wildcat player ran through the coach's stop sign at third and was put out at home with a spectacular throw by Betley and superb blocking of the plate by catcher Monica Schock (Rialto, Calif./Eisenhower HS). The score remained tied at one through the seventh, taking the game into extra innings.

The Wolverines caught a break in the top of the eighth inning as Haas reached first base on an error by the NU catcher to lead off the inning. Doe then slapped the ball to leftfield for a single, putting runners on first and second. After a sacrifice bunt by Moulden, Schock popped foul to the third baseman to bring up Young with two out. She roped a single to leftfield, scoring Haas and Doe to put Michigan ahead 3-1.

Northwestern tasted an opportunity for a comeback when a routine fly ball to leftfield turned into a double as result of Moulden falling down while attempting to make the play. However, their hope for victory was shut down by Young, who put up three consecutive strikeouts to shut down the Wildcat offense and end the game.

Michigan heads back to the road for a midweek doubleheader on Tuesday (April 1, 2 p.m.) at Western Michigan in Kalamazoo, Mich.

Q U O T E S

Michigan Head Coach Carol Hutchins
On the game overall ... "Today's wins were all about perseverance and I have to give our kids a ton of credit for staying with it and coming from behind. This can be a difficult game, but our kids did not get down when things were not going our way, and their attitude was a big reason we won these two games. These are big wins and not just because of how we came back, but also because Northwestern is a very good softball team."

N O T E S

Monica Schock went 1-4 in game one and 2-4 in game two to extend her Michigan season-best hit streak to 10 games.

Michigan is now 3-3 in extra-inning games and 6-3 in one-run games.

Marissa Young came out of the bullpen to get the win in game two for her 77th career victory. That win total moves her into sole possession of second place on the Michigan career list, breaking a tie with Kelly Holmes (1994-97). Michigan's career victory leader is Sara Griffin (1995-98), who won 106 games.

Young's game-winning home run in game one is her team-leading sixth of the season.

Contact: Rich Marion (734) 763-4423