U-M Wins Pitchers' Duel, Blowout at Louisville Tourney

Friday, March 25

Louisville, Ky.

5:00 PM

Michigan

28-1

Western Kentucky

14-12

Western Kentucky

Michigan

U-M Wins Pitchers' Duel, Blowout at Louisville Tourney

3/25/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Site: Louisville, Ky. (Ulmer Stadium)
Event: Louisville Courtyard by Marriott Classic
Scores: #1 Michigan 2, Western Kentucky 0; #1 Michigan 17, Middle Tennessee State 1 (5 innings)
Records: U-M (29-1), WKU (14-12), MTSU (6-18)
Next U-M Game: Saturday, March 26 -- at Louisville in Courtyard by Marriott Classic (Louisville, Ky.), noon

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The top-ranked University of Michigan softball team answered its first-ever No. 1 ranking emphatically with a pair of wins today (Friday, March 26) at the Courtyard by Marriott Classic. The victories ran a wide gamut of styles as the Maize and Blue used two solo home runs from Jessica Merchant (Wayland, Mich./Wayland HS) and a two-hit, 13-strikeout performance from Jennie Ritter (Dexter, Mich./Dexter HS) in a 2-0 win over Western Kentucky.

The Wolverines then loosened up the bats in the nightcap as the they pounded out season bests with 17 runs on 19 hits in a 17-1 win over Middle Tennessee State in five innings. Becky Marx (St. Joseph, Mich./Stevensville-Lakeshore HS) was the offensive star with two doubles, a home run and four runs batted in. Alessandra Giampaolo (Pasadena, Calif./Polytechnic HS) and Merchant added three hits apiece, Samantha Findlay (Lockport, Ill./East HS) broke out of a mini slump with four RBI and Nicole Motycka (Sarasota, Fla./Cardinal Mooney HS) went deep to help her own cause in the circle, where she grabbed her fifth win of the season.

Michigan has now outscored its opponents 36-6 in the first inning after a four-run first against the Blue Raiders from MTSU. The Wolverines collected six hits in the frame, including a two-run home run from Motycka and a run-scoring double from Marx after two were out. Michigan then had its most productive inning of the season as 13 Wolverines went to the plate in the second, which included two hits from Merchant, another run-scoring double from Marx and, capping the explosion, a bases-clearing, two-out double from Findlay.

Motycka was the pitching recipient of Michigan's outburst and scattered nine hits over five innings, allowing one run in the bottom of the first.

The Wolverines utilized a familiar recipe in their first win of the day, using the long ball and an overpowering effort on the mound. Michigan has now hit at least one home run in 26 games this season, and Merchant went deep with a pair of solo shots. Her first came with two outs in the first as the Wolverines scored in the first inning for the 15th time this season. Michigan entered today's games hitting .314 as a team with two outs, led by a .379 mark from Merchant.

Merchant then connected for her team-leading ninth home run of the season and Michigan all-time-best 35th of her career to lead off the fourth. It proved more than enough for Ritter, whose shutout was her team-best sixth of the season. Ritter struck out the side in the first and added two more in the second and was well on her way to a 13-strikeout effort, her sixth double-digit strikeout performance of the season.

Ritter struck out two more in the third and the first two she faced in the fourth before allowing her first hit of the game. The only other hit she allowed was a leadoff single in the sixth, but that runner was unable to advance. In fact, Western Kentucky was unable to advance a runner past first base against Ritter.

The Wolverines did threaten to blow it open in the fifth when an error and an Giampaolo single put runners on the corners with one out. Merchant was wisely intentionally walked, but Michigan failed to capitilize.

For all of Ritter's domination in the circle, a two-out walk in the seventh brough the tying run to the plate, but she fittingly ended it with her 13th K of the game.

Michigan returns to the diamond at the Courtyard by Marriott Classic tomorrow (Saturday, March 26) vs. host Louisville at noon before possibly advancing to the championship round later in the day.

Contact: Rich Marion (734) 763-4423