Wolverines Take Two from Louisville to Win Tournament

Saturday, March 26

Louisville, Ky.

Noon

Michigan

30-1

Louisville

16-11

Michigan

Louisville

Wolverines Take Two from Louisville to Win Tournament

3/26/2005 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, Louisville 0; #1 Michigan 7, Louisville 0
Records: U-M (31-1), Louisville (16-12)
Next U-M Game: Wednesday, March 30 -- at Bowling Green (Bowling Green, Ohio), 2 p.m.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The No. 1-ranked University of Michigan softball team should remain in the nation's top spot for another week after closing out a perfect 4-0 weekend and claiming the Louisville Courtyard by Marriott Classic title today (Saturday, March 26) with a pair of wins (2-1, 7-0) over host Louisville. The Wolverines held off a strong effort from the Cardinals in the day's first game as the Wolveines were held to a season-low three hits, but one was a home run from Samantha Findlay (Lockport, Ill./East HS) and that, along with an RBI groundout from Jessica Merchant (Wayland, Mich./Wayland HS), was just enough.

The second game of the twinbill was a different story as Jennie Ritter (Dexter, Mich./Dexter HS) breezed through the Louisville lineup, allowing just four hits and striking out nine for her 14th win of the season and eighth shutout. Merchant was one of three Wolverines with two hits, including her team-leading 10th home run of the season with a two-run shot in the first.

Michigan added another run in the second when Rebekah Milian (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc HS) led off with one of her two hits in the game and eventually scored on a two-out, RBI single from Alessandra Giampaolo (Pasadena, Calif./Polytechnic HS).

Michigan's 4-0 lead was due in large part to Ritter bearing down with runners in scoring position. For instance, a Cardinal one-out triple in the second was for naught after a lineout and strikeout. Then a Louisville one-out double in the second remained just that after Ritter struck out the next two hitters. This became a theme as Ritter stranded runners on first and second in the fifth with a big strikeout and then overcame two Michigan errors and a wild pitch in the sixth by striking out the final two hitters of the inning with runners on second and third.

Ritter faced seven batters with runners in scoring position and retired six of those hitters on strikes. Ritter's ability to pitch in tight situations wore down the Cardinals, who contributed to a three-run Michigan sixth with an error, walk and two wild pitches. Giampaolo did start the inning with a double -- her second hit of the game -- and scored on a Merchant single.

The RBI was Merchant's fourth of the day but not her most important. That honor went to her bases-loaded groundout in the sixth inning of the day's first game. The groundout along with a Findlay home run in the fourth provided the only Michigan scoring as the Wolverines were out-hit for just the third time all season. Louisville owned a 6-3 edge in the hitting department and put a runner on second in the first and third innings vs. Michigan starter Lorilyn Wilson (Salem, Ore./Sprague HS).

After those two threats were vanquished, it appeared Louisville would surely break through in the fourth, loading the bases with nobody out after two singles and a walk. Tiffany Haas (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill HS) cut down a runner at the plate on a fielder's choice and then Wilson did her best Ritter impersonation with two strikeouts to preserve the 1-0 lead.

Wilson looked like she may have taken Louisville's best shot after she went through the fifth and sixth with just one runner reaching, but the seventh inning put Michigan's win streak in jeopardy. Wilson allowed two singles, including an RBI single wrapped around a wild pitch, and suddenly the tying run was on first base and the top of the Louisville order was coming up.

As she had done at the right moment all season, Michigan coach Carol Hutchins went to the bullpen and called upon Ritter with one out. A harmless popout to first base and a strikeout from Ritter helped Michigan avoid one of its biggest scares of the season.

The Wolverines have just one more tuneup before opening Big Ten play, traveling to Bowling Green on Wednesday (March 30) at 2 p.m.

N O T E S

Tiffany Haas went 1-4 in each game today to extend her Michigan season-best and career-best hit streak to 14 games.

Jessica Merchant's four RBI give her the team lead with 28.

Michigan has now homered in 29 of its 32 games this season.

The Wolverines have scored in the first inning in 17 of 32 games and are 16-1 when doing so. Michigan opponents, on the other hand, have scored in the first inning on just three occasions this season.

Michigan is now 4-1 in one-run games.

The run Lorilyn Wilson allowed in the seventh inning of today's first game snapped her streak of 61 straight innings without allowing an earned run. She last allowed an earned run in the fourth inning of a 9-1 win over Florida Atlantic on Feb. 20.

Jessica Merchant finished the weekend hitting .636 with three home runs, eight RBI and a 1.455 slugging percentage

Alessandra Giampaolo also enjoyed a solid weekend, hitting .545 with two doubles.

Rebekah Milian's two-hit effort in the nightcap was her second multi-hit game of the season.

Michigan's three hits in today's opener mark its lowest output of the season. The Wolverines' previous low were four-hit efforts in wins over Georgia Tech (4-1) on Feb. 25 and DePaul (1-0) on March 19.

Contact: Rich Marion (734) 763-4423