Saturday, February 26
Columbus, Ga.
4:35 PM
Michigan
12-1
7
vs
0
Creighton
6-3
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Creighton
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
3
Michigan
0
0
5
0
2
0
X
7
7
0
Motycka Homers, Tosses Shutout in Win Over Creighton
2/26/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
COLUMBUS, Ga. -- The eighth-ranked University of Michigan softball team advanced to the semifinals of the NFCA Leadoff Classic by blanking Creighton 7-0 Saturday evening (Feb. 26) in the first round of the Gold Bracket playoffs. Nicole Motycka (Sarasota, Fla./Cardinal Mooney HS) provided the fireworks with 11 strikeouts in a two-hit, complete-game shutout and added her second home run of the season for good measure as the Wolverines won their 12th straight and upped their season mark to 12-1.
The 24-team Leadoff Classic that consisted of 11 nationally ranked teams when the tournament began has been whittled down to four teams in the Gold Bracket semifinals, with Michigan facing 21st-ranked Florida State in one semifinal tomorrow at 11 a.m.. The other semifinal pits No. 13 Oklahoma vs. No. 16 Georgia. The winners face off in the championship game at 1 p.m.
Motycka connected for one of three Wolverine home runs as Alessandra Giampaolo (Pasadena, Calif./Polytechnic HS) and Grace Leutele (Sierra Vista, Ariz./Buena HS) also went deep during a five-run third inning that put Michigan in control of the contest.
The Wolverines were held to seven hits but did an excellent job of working the count, drawing three walks to key the five-run third. Michelle Teschler (Casco, Mich./Richmond HS) drew a leadoff walk and scored on Giampaolo's home run. After two were out, Findlay and Motycka drew back-to-back walks to set the stage for Leutele's three-run shot.
In the circle, Motycka was as overpowering as she has been all season, allowing just a first-inning walk through the first three frames. Creighton leadoff hitter Loren Flores singled to start the fourth and moved up to second base but no further. The Blue Jays moved a runner to second base in the sixth as well, but the only two scoring opporutunities of the game went for naught.
Motycka was never really threatened, striking out two hitters in the first, third, fifth and seventh innings. The senior then put an exclamation point on the win with a two-run shot in the fifth for a 7-0 Michigan lead.
The 24-team Leadoff Classic that consisted of 11 nationally ranked teams when the tournament began has been whittled down to four teams in the Gold Bracket semifinals, with Michigan facing 21st-ranked Florida State in one semifinal tomorrow at 11 a.m.. The other semifinal pits No. 13 Oklahoma vs. No. 16 Georgia. The winners face off in the championship game at 1 p.m.
Motycka connected for one of three Wolverine home runs as Alessandra Giampaolo (Pasadena, Calif./Polytechnic HS) and Grace Leutele (Sierra Vista, Ariz./Buena HS) also went deep during a five-run third inning that put Michigan in control of the contest.
The Wolverines were held to seven hits but did an excellent job of working the count, drawing three walks to key the five-run third. Michelle Teschler (Casco, Mich./Richmond HS) drew a leadoff walk and scored on Giampaolo's home run. After two were out, Findlay and Motycka drew back-to-back walks to set the stage for Leutele's three-run shot.
In the circle, Motycka was as overpowering as she has been all season, allowing just a first-inning walk through the first three frames. Creighton leadoff hitter Loren Flores singled to start the fourth and moved up to second base but no further. The Blue Jays moved a runner to second base in the sixth as well, but the only two scoring opporutunities of the game went for naught.
Motycka was never really threatened, striking out two hitters in the first, third, fifth and seventh innings. The senior then put an exclamation point on the win with a two-run shot in the fifth for a 7-0 Michigan lead.
Contact: Rich Marion (734) 763-4423
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Motycka, Nicole (4-1)
L: Tammy Nielsen (4-2)
Batting:
SH: Christine Fukumoto 1
Batting:
HR: Giampaolo, Alessandra 1 ; Motycka, Nicole 1 ; Leutele, Grace 1
RBI: Giampaolo, Alessandra 2 ; Motycka, Nicole 2 ; Leutele, Grace 3
SH: Haas, Tiffany 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Giampaolo, Alessandra 1 ; Merchant, Jessica 1 ; Findlay, Samantha 1 ; Motycka, Nicole 2 ; Leutele, Grace 1 ; Teschler, Michelle 1
SB: Findlay, Samantha 1
CS: Giampaolo, Alessandra 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
1
H
3
RBI
3
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
2
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
CF
/ Softball3B
/ Softball
P/UT
/ Softball
RF
/ SoftballArchive: Softball’s 2005 National Title Victory Tour
Tuesday, June 10
Archive: Softball’s 2005 National Title White House Visit
Monday, June 09
Archive 6/8/2005: Women's College World Series, Game 7 vs. UCLA, 4-1 (10 inn.)
Sunday, June 08
Archive 6/7/2005: Women's College World Series, Game 6 vs. UCLA, 5-2
Saturday, June 07
