Michigan
24-1
North Carolina
16-13
Michigan Blanks Tar Heels, Wins Its Pool at Kia Klassic
3/18/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
FULLERTON, Calif. -- The fifth-ranked University of Michigan softball team won its 24th straight game and finished pool play at the Kia Klassic a perfect 3-0 after today's (Friday, March 18) 5-0 win over North Carolina. Lorilyn Wilson (Salem, Ore./Sprague HS) ran her record to 10-0 with 4.1 innings of scoreless relief, while Grace Leutele (Sierra Vista, Ariz./Buena HS) jacked her fifth home run of the season.
The Wolverines finished first in Pool C and will match up with the second-place team from Pool B in the first round of the eight-team, single-elimination championship bracket tomorrow (March 19) at 4 p.m.
An overlooked part of Michigan's game beneath the dominant pitching and explosive offense has been a steady defensive effort by the Wolverines. North Carolina touched starter Nicole Motycka (Sarasota, Fla./Cardinal Mooney HS) for a double and single to lead off the game, but Michigan executed against a double steal attempt from the Tar Heels to cut a runner down at the plate and prevent them from taking the early lead.
The Wolverines then took advantage of a North Carolina miscue to score in their half of the first. Following leadoff singles from Tiffany Haas (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill HS) and Alessandra Giampaolo (Pasadena, Calif./Polytechnic HS), a Jessica Merchant (Wayland, Mich./Wayland HS) ground ball was mishandled by the second baseman and allowed Haas to score from second.
North Carolina put two runners on against Motycka in the next two innings as well, but a 21-minute rain delay forced Michigan coach Carol Hutchins to go with Wilson out of the bullpen with two outs and two runners on in the third. Wilson got the final out of the inning and then shut down UNC for the remainder of the game. A walk, hit batsman and wild pitch did put the tying run on third with two outs in the fifth, but Wilson collected one of her six strikeouts to end the rally.
Michigan used another Tar Heel error to score in the fifth, and Leutele's two-run shot in the sixth was part of a three-run inning.
Contact: Rich Marion (734) 763-4423
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Wilson, Lorilyn (10-0)
L: Crystal Cox (7-8)
Batting:
2B: Cassie Palmer 1
Base Running:
CS: Cassie Palmer 1
HBP: Casey Testa 1
Batting:
2B: Motycka, Nicole 1
HR: Leutele, Grace 1
RBI: Leutele, Grace 2
SH: Findlay, Samantha 1 ; Bercaw, Stephanie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Haas, Tiffany 1 ; Merchant, Jessica 1 ; Motycka, Nicole 1 ; Leutele, Grace 1 ; Teschler, Michelle 1
CS: Milian, Rebekah 1
PO: Weatherdon, Michelle 1
