Michigan's 14-Game Win Streak Snapped at Ohio State

Saturday, April 19

Columbus, Ohio

Noon

Michigan

30-9, 8-2

Ohio State

22-17, 3-5

Ohio State

Michigan

4/19/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The 13th-ranked University of Michigan softball team had its season-best 14-game win streak broken this afternoon (Saturday, April 19) in a 4-0 loss to Ohio State at Buckeye Field. Michigan starter Nicole Motycka (Sarasota, Fla./Cardinal Mooney HS) allowed just four hits in 5.1 innings, but they all came in the sixth when Ohio State scored all four runs.

Tiffany Haas (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill HS) and Monica Schock (Rialto, Calif./Eisenhower HS) collected two hits apiece to pace the Michigan attack. The Wolverines (30-9, 8-2 Big Ten) entered the day with a half-game lead in the Big Ten over Iowa (8-2), which could take over sole possession of first place in the conference with a win over Purdue later today.

One day after pounding out 11 hits and four runs, the Michigan hitters struggled to get much going against Ohio State starter Katie Chain, putting just two runners on through the first five innings. The Wolverines appeared to pick up where they left off yesterday after a first-inning leadoff single by Haas, but that was the last Michigan runner until a two-out single from Monica Schock (Rialto, Calif./Eisenhower HS) in the fourth. Schock was then caught stealing to end that inning.

Neither team put a runner on second base through the first five innings. In fact, Motycka held the Buckeyes hitless through five innings, marking the third time in nine days that a Wolverine pitcher took a no-hitter into the sixth inning. The Ohio State hitters did some damage in the sixth as a leadoff single by Meghan Rowlands got things started in the sixth with Ohio State's first hit of the game and just its second of the two-game series. Following a sacrifice for the first out of the inning, the Buckeyes delivered an RBI double, an RBI single and a run-scoring bunt before Michigan coach Carol Hutchins called freshman hurler Jennie Ritter (Dexter, Mich./Dexter HS) out of the bullpen. Ohio State promptly executed a double steal to score its fourth and final run of the inning before Ritter got the final two outs of the inning on a strikeout and groundout.

Michigan answered the Ohio State four-run sixth with its best threat of the game in the bottom half of the frame. With two outs and nobody on, Haas drilled a double off the wall in leftfield and moved to third on an infield single by Meghan Doe (Tucson, Ariz./Sabino HS) to set the table for Moulden. After just missing an extra-base hit down the leftfield, Moulden went down on strikes to end the rally.

Ritter kept the Buckeyes off the scoreboard in the top of the seventh, but all the Wolverines could manage in the seventh was a leadoff single by Schock.

Michigan heads to State College, Pa., to face Penn State in a Big Ten doubleheader on Sunday (April 20, noon) at Nittany Lion field.

N O T E S

Ohio State's four-run sixth broke a 29-inning scoreless streak for the Michigan pitching staff, dating back to the sixth inning of its 10-2 win over Eastern Michigan on Tuesday (April 15).

Michigan was shut out for just the third time this season and first since the Big Ten-opening 4-0 loss to Illinois on March 28.

The loss to Ohio State was just Michigan's second in its last 25 meetings vs. the Buckeyes.

Contact: Rich Marion (734) 763-4423