Michigan
37-10
Eastern Michigan
6-34
Merchant's Slam, Ritter's Shutout Highlight Sweep of EMU
4/29/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Scores: #14 Michigan 6, Eastern Michigan 0; #14 Michigan 12, Eastern Michigan 2 (5 innings)
Records: U-M (38-10), EMU (6-35)
Next U-M Game: Thursday, May 1 -- DH vs. Oakland (Alumni Field), 4 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The 14th-ranked University of Michigan softball team earned a pair of wins in an afternoon doubleheader today (Tuesday, April 29) against Eastern Michigan. Michigan (38-10) earned a 6-0 win in game one and a 12-2 five-inning victory in game two. Starter Jennie Ritter (Dexter, Mich./Dexter HS) went the distance in game one, shutting out the Eagles on four hits and striking out five in seven innings to improve her record to 4-2. The Wolverines used a balanced attack, getting 12 hits with eight players putting at least one hit on the board. Michigan's offense was highlighted by a monster three-run home run to leftfield by Melinda Moulden (LaCrescenta, Calif./Eisenhower HS), her seventh of the season.
| | Merchant's grand slam and two-run HR in game two gave her a career-high six RBI. |
Both teams went hitless in the first inning of game one, but Michigan threatened in the second, beginning on a one-out, line-drive single to rightfield by Motycka. First baseman Jennifer Olds (Riviera Beach, Fla./Suncoast HS) then fought off a pitch for a single to centerfield, advancing the runner to second. Third baseman Grace Leutele (Sierra Vista, Ariz/Buena HS) was unable to bring any runs home, grounding to third for the force, leaving runners on first and second. Catcher Lisa Mack (Saline, Mich./Saline HS) then walked to load the bases for rightfielder Michelle Teschler (Casco, Mich./Richmond HS), who could not get the run home, grounding to shortstop for the force at second.
The Eagles had no major threats throughout the contest, with their four hits distributed among four different innings. The best they were able to manage against Ritter was a double down the leftfield line in the third, but hopes were lost after a strikeout and a ground ball to second ended the inning.
Michigan struck first in the third inning, leading off with a single down the rightfield line from Tiffany Haas (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill HS). Meghan Doe (Tucson, Ariz./Sabino HS) then beat out a throw from the Eagle third baseman on a one-hop ground ball to put runners on first and second for Moulden, who blasted a three-run home run to leftfield to put the Wolverines ahead 3-0. Merchant followed with a single, but a Motycka groundout forced her at second for the first out of the inning. Two Michigan runners were aboard with still just one out when a bloop single to shallow rightfield from Leutele loaded the bases for Mack, who responded with a single to centerfield to score Motycka and raise Michigan's lead to 4-0.
Ritter helped out the Eagles with a walk in the fifth inning, and a stolen base put the runner in scoring position with one out. A passed ball then moved the runner to third with two out, but a flare snagged by third baseman Leutele ended the inning with no runs scored.
The Wolverines added to their lead in the fifth, ignited by a doubled drilled to centerfield by Olds and a single by Leutele to put runners on the corners with nobody out. After Leutele stole second, Mack again delivered with runners in scoring position, sending a single to leftfield which scored Olds for a 5-0 lead. The Wolverines closed out the scoring on a Haas sacrifice fly to centerfield, putting Michigan up 6-0.
The score was held into the seventh inning with Ritter still looking strong. Two quick outs were put on the board after fly balls to the outfield, but an error by Haas forced Ritter to seal the deal herself with a strikeout.
Unlike game one, Michigan did not waste any time putting its first runs on the board. In the Wolverines half of the first Doe led off the frame with a slap single to leftfield, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and eventually scored on a monster home run to right-center by catcher Monica Schock (Rialto, Calif./Eisenhower HS). Her fourth long ball of the season gave the Wolverines a 2-0 lead.
The Wolverines broke the game wide open in the second inning, starting with a single up the middle by Olds. After Leutele hit a fly ball that was caught by a diving Eagle rightfielder, Angie Churchill (Mokena, Ill./Lincoln Way HS) and Courtney Betley (Corona, Calif./Santa Ana Mater Dei) hit back-to-back singles through the hole on the right side of the infield to load the bases for Doe. The Michigan centerfielder hit a fielder's choice to shortstop to score Olds and make the score 3-0 in favor of the Wolverines. Motycka then just missed a home run on a double to right-center, scoring Betley and Churchill to up the Michigan lead to five. A walk to Schock loaded the bases for Merchant, who hit a grand slam to centerfield for her fourth home run of the season and a 9-0 Michigan advantage.
Meghan Ritter came on in relief to pitch in the top of the fourth, making her second appearance of the season. After giving up a walk and a single to leftfield, the Wolverine pitcher struck out the next two Eagles and appeared ready to get out of the inning unscathed. However, a single and a passed ball put two runs on the board for EMU to cut the deficit to seven (9-2). Ritter then pitched herself out of the inning, striking out the final batter to complete the frame striking out the side.
In the bottom of the inning, the Wolverines answered with three runs of their own. The rally began with a one-out single to leftfield by Motycka, who scored one batter later on a Lauren Holland (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc HS) double over the head of the Eagle centerfielder. Merchant then stepped up to the plate and crushed a two-run home run, her fifth of the season and second of the evening, to end the scoring with a 12-2 Michigan lead.
Ritter stayed in to close out the game for the Wolverines, pitching a perfect fifth and ending with a strikeout to give Michigan the win 12-2 by the eight-run rule.
Michigan's next outing will be a doubleheader against Oakland on Thursday (May 1, 4 p.m.) at Alumni Field.
N O T E S
Jessica Merchant's first career two-homer game in the nightcap gave her a career-best six RBI. Her second-inning grand slam is her first career and Michigan's third of the season.
Lauren Holland's double in game two is her first career extra-base hit.
Melinda Moulden's home run in game one is her seventh of the season, which is a career high for the senior leftfielder. Moulden hit six home runs as a sophomore.
Nicole Motycka went 1-4 in game one and 2-2 in game two to extend her career-best hit streak to six games.
Michigan's four home run this afternoon upped its school-record season total to 42.
Contact: Rich Marion (734) 763-4423
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Ritter, Jennie (4-2)
L: DENMAN (4-13)
Batting:
2B: HANN 1
Base Running:
SB: STANSBERRY 1
Batting:
2B: Olds, Jennifer 1
HR: Moulden, Melinda 1
RBI: Haas, Tiffany 1 ; Moulden, Melinda 3 ; Mack, Lisa 2
SF: Haas, Tiffany 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Haas, Tiffany 1 ; Doe, Meghan 1 ; Moulden, Melinda 1 ; Motycka, Nicole 1 ; Olds, Jennifer 1 ; Leutele, Grace 1
SB: Leutele, Grace 1
