Merchant, Ritter Garner Weekly Accolades from Big Ten
3/29/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
PARK RIDGE, Ill. -- The No. 1-ranked Michigan softball team kept rolling along this past weekend (March 25-26) with a perfect 4-0 record to win the Louisville Courtyard by Marriott Classic and extend the nation's longest winning streak to 31 games. Individual accolades accompanied the team accomplishments as two Wolverines were honored by the Big Ten Conference office today (Tuesday, March 29) with Jessica Merchant (Wayland, Mich./Wayland HS) grabbing Big Ten Player of the Week recognition and Jennie Ritter (Dexter, Mich./Dexter HS) earning Big Ten co-Pitcher of the Week distinction.mention.
| | Merchant | | Ritter |
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Merchant accounted for both of Michigan's runs in a 2-0 win over Western Kentucky (March 25) when the co-captain connected for two solo shots. After going 3-3 with two RBI vs. Middle Tennessee State (March 25) and driving in the winning run vs. Louisville (March 26), she hit her team-best 10th home run of the season as part of a three-RBI performance in Michigan's 7-0 championship game win over host Louisville (March 26).
Her eight RBI over the weekend raised her team-leading total in that category to 28. Already the school's career home run leader, Merchant upped her career total to 35 with her three weekend bombs.
Ritter is one of the hottest pitchers in the nation, sporting a 14-0 record with a 0.76 earned run average after going 2-0 with 0.00 ERA this past weekend. She tossed complete-game shutouts over Western Kentucky and Louisville to give her a team-best eight for the season. She was at her best in the tournament's final day, coming out of the bullpen to get the final two outs and the save in a 2-1 win over Louisville to close out round-robin play. She then took the circle less than one hour later and threw a four-hit, complete-game shutout of the host Cardinals in the championship game.
Now a two-time conference honoree this season and three-time winner for her career, Ritter struck out 23 hitters over the weekend, including 13 in a two-hit complete-game win over Western Kentucky. She now has 465 career strikeouts, which puts her into a tie for third place on the Michigan list with Kelly Kovach (1992-95). Ritter's other weekly honor this season came on March 8 after she tossed two no-hitters the previous week vs. then-No. 15 Florida (March 1) and South Florida (March 4) as well as matched her career best with 15 strikeouts in a second matchup with the Gators (March 5).
The Michigan pitching staff, which leads the Big Ten with a 0.63 ERA and 291 strikeouts, has been awarded four weekly conference awards this season, with Lorilyn Wilson (Salem, Ore./Sprague HS) earning the other two.
The top-ranked Wolverines return to the diamond tomorrow (March 30, 4 p.m.) for a contest at Bowling Green. Michigan finally opens its home season and the Big Ten slate on Friday (April 1, 4 p.m.) vs. No. 21 Iowa at Alumni Field.
Contact: Rich Marion (734) 763-4423
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