Wolverines Run-Rule Owls to Claim FAU Classic Crown

Sunday, February 20

Boca Raton, Fla.

11:00 AM

Michigan

8-1

Florida Atlantic

4-13

Florida Atlantic

Michigan

2/20/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

BOCA RATON, Fla. -- The eighth-ranked University of Michigan softball team remained red hot with its eighth straight victory today (Sunday, Feb. 20), earning a 9-1 win over Florida Atlantic in five innings to claim the FAU Classic championship for the second straight season. Sophomore Wolverine hurler Lorilyn Wilson (Salem, Ore./Sprague HS), who earned tournament MVP honors, struck out seven and allowed just one hit for her third win of the weekend.

Michigan third baseman Grace Leutele (Sierra Vista, Ariz./Buena HS) led today's offensive charge with a 3-3 effort that included a double, two RBI and two runs scored. Becky Marx (St. Joseph, Mich./Lakeshore HS) added her first home run of the season, becoming already the ninth different Wolverine to go deep this season.

As the Wolverines have in seven of their first eight games this season, Michigan jumped on its opponent in the first inning to take the early lead. Tiffany Haas (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill HS), who entered this game hitting .600 for the season, went 0-2 to have her eight-game multi-hit streak snapped, she did manage a leadoff walk to start the three-run first. Jessica Merchant (Wayland, Mich./Wayland HS) tripled two batters later and then scored on a wild pitch. Samantha Findlay (Lockport, Ill./East HS) drew the second walk of the inning and eventually scored on a double from Leutele.

Leutele was in the middle of two more Michigan runs in the third, connecting on a single and executing a double steal for one run before scoring herself on a double from Stephanie Bercaw (Wooster, Ohio/Hillsdale HS).

Wilson, meanwhile, held the Owls hitless through the first three innings but was touched for one run in the top of the fourth. Wilson walked one hitter in both the second and third frames, but pitched around those free passes. She walked the leadoff hitter in the fourth, however, and it finally caught up to her when FAU scored on sacrifice fly. Another walk put two runners on with two out, but Wilson ended the threat by inducing a groundout back to the circle.

Michigan put the game away with four more in the bottom of the fourth, scoring all four runs after the inning's first two hitters went down in order. Freshman Findlay started the rally with a single. A walk, wild pitch and run-scoring single followed to set the stage for Marx's three-run home run and a 9-1 Michigan lead.

Wilson did walk her fifth hitter in as many innings with one out in the fifth, but she struck out the side to close out the win and the tourney title.

N O T E S

Michigan scored 35 runs on 48 hits in just 30 innings over five games at the FAU Classic. Michigan outscored its opponents 35-4 over the weekend.

Juniors Grace Leutele and Tiffany Haas led a very balanced offensive attack, both hitting .500 with four RBI. Haas scored six runs, while Leutele scored on five ocassions.

Stephanie Bercaw's double in the third was the first of her career. Bercaw owns the longest current hit streak on the team at four.

Grace Leutele's three-hit performance was her fourth multi-hit game of the season, which matched Jessica Merchant for the second-best total on the team. Tiffany Haas leads in that category with eight.

Lorilyn Wilson is now 10-0 in her Michigan career. She struck out 21 while allowing just one earned run on three hits in 14.2 innings of work to earn the tournament MVP honor. Jessica Merchant earned the FAU Classic tournament MVP a year ago.

Michigan has now outscored its opponents 18-5 in the first inning this season. The Wolverines' 18 first-inning runs are by far their most this season, with 11 runs in both third and fourth innings next.