Michigan
45-3
Eastern Michigan
10-16
Wolverines Sweep Eagles, Raise Winning Streak to 11
4/19/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Alumni Field)
Scores: #1 Michigan 5, Eastern Michigan 0; #1 Michigan 14, Eastern Michigan 2 (5 innings)
Records: U-M (46-3), EMU (10-17)
Next U-M Game: Friday, Apr. 22 -- vs. Penn State (Alumni Field), 6:00 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 1-ranked University of Michigan softball team extended its winning streak to 11 games with two victories (5-1, 14-2 in five innings) in today's (Tuesday, April 19) twinbill vs. Eastern Michigan at Alumni Field. Samantha Findlay (Lockport, Ill./East HS) took the team lead with her 17th home run, while Jennie Ritter (Dexter, Mich./Dexter HS) upped her season mark to 22-0 thanks in large part to a 10-run first-inning from Michigan in the nightcap. The Wolverines used a two-hitter by Lorilyn Wilson (Salem, Ore./Sprague HS) for a win in game one.
Wilson was supported by a a pair of two-run home runs from junior third baseman Grace Leutele (Sierra Vista, Ariz./Buena HS) and junior catcher Becky Marx (St. Joseph, Mich./Stevensville-Lakeshore HS). Marx's shot came in the second inning to break a 1-1 tie. After surrendering two hits that produced the Eagles only run in the first inning, Wilson held the Eagles hitless for the remainder of the game. She also fanned nine batters while walking two.
Michigan did tie the game in the first when Tiffany Haas (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill HS) led off the inning with a single to left and advanced to second on a groundout. Senior shortstop Jessica Merchant (Wayland, Mich./Wayland HS) cracked a double to right-center to easily score Haas. After a scoreless third, Leutele was back at it with a two-run blast of her own to close out the scoring in the first.
A 5-1 lead was more than enough for Wilson as she retired the next nine of the last 10 batters, four via the strikeout, to secure the victory.
Michigan took control of game two with an offensive explosion in the first inning, which has been the Wolverines most productive frame this season with 63 runs scored. Haas instantly put the pressure on the Eagles as she led off with a single and swiped her 10th base of the season. Freshman Alessandra Giampaolo (Pasadena, Calif./Polytechnic HS) earned her first hit and RBI of the twinbill with a double to drive in Haas. Findlay and Motycka subsequently drilled back-to-back long balls to force a pitching change, after which the Wolverines managed just one more hit, a Merchant RBI single, but capitalized on a couple EMU errors to jump out to a 10-0 lead.
Michigan did not let up in the second and combined five hits to produce four more runs. The Missouri connection of freshman Angie Danis (Manchester, Mo./Parkway HS) and sophomore Stephanie Winter (St. Charles, Mo./St. Charles HS) each earned her first career hits with an RBI single.
After sitting down five of the first six batters, Ritter ran into some trouble in the third, when the Eagles touched her for two hits to score their first run of the game. Ritter had pitched 13 straight scoreless innings prior to the Eagles' third-inning run. Ritter would allow three more hits in the final two innings while also allowing one more runner to cross home plate.
With the large lead intact, the Wolverines cruised to a 14-2 run-rule victory to cap the sweep of the doubleheader.
Michigan will host Penn State Friday night (April 22, 6 p.m.) at Alumni Field.
Q U O T E S
Michigan Head Coach Carol Hutchins
On the doubleheader overall ... "I did not think our focus was real great in game one. (Lorilyn) Wilson was much better in the final three innings in terms of her focus and that's important because she is a big key for us the rest of the way. I liked the fact we were able to get some people a little playing time like Angie Danis at first base, Stephanie Winter at third base, Tiffany Worthy at catcher and even (Nicole) Motycka was able to get some work in out in leftfield."
On the offense ... "I liked the our at-bats a lot better in the second game. I thought our concentration was much better and you could see it in the results. We did not have the focus from pitch to pitch in the first game that we need to have. It's still April and we need to have better focus in general. I was happy to see young players like Winter and Danis aggressive and being rewarded with a couple hits."
N O T E S
With four hits in seven at-bats, Tiffany Haas eclipsed the 200-hit mark for her career. She has 202 career hits. Haas has five multi-hit games in the past six games and 22 on the season. She also extended her hit streak to seven games.
Grace Leutele tied Marissa Young (2000-2003) for third place on Michigan's all-time home run list with 22.
With at least one hit in each game of the doubleheader, Nicole Motycka extended her hit streak to a season-high eight games. Her current streak is also a team best.
Jessica Merchant's double in game one of the doubleheader was the 43rd of her career, which ties her for fourth on the all-time U-M list with Kelsey Kollen (1999-2002).
With two hits on the day, Jessica Merchant is now within one of 200 hits for her career.
Jennie Ritter improved to 22-0 this season. She has a .836 career winning percentage (51-10) which places her second all-time at U-M.
Samantha Findlay drove in three runs for the third time this season with a first-inning home run in the second game of the twinbill. She has a team-high 13 multi-RBI games.
Lorilyn Wilson has allowed three hits or less in all of her 11 complete games this season.
The Wolverines' 14 runs in the second game of today's doubleheader are their second-best single-game run total of the season. Michigan scored 17 runs against Middle Tennessee State on March 25.
Contact: Rich Marion (734) 763-4423
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Ritter, Jennie (22-0)
L: Aimee Woodrum (6-8)
Batting:
2B: Lindsay Schmid 1
RBI: Kelly Gulliver 1 ; Lindsay Schmid 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Jessica Grant 1 ; Stephanie Sabo 1
SB: Kelly Gulliver 1
HBP: Kayla Bluthardt 1
Batting:
2B: Giampaolo, Alessandra 1 ; Worthy, Tiffany 1
HR: Findlay, Samantha 1 ; Motycka, Nicole 1
RBI: Haas, Tiffany 1 ; Giampaolo, Alessandra 2 ; Merchant, Jessica 1 ; Findlay, Samantha 3 ; Danis, Angie 1 ; Motycka, Nicole 2 ; Winter, Stephanie 2 ; Teschler, Michelle 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Haas, Tiffany 1 ; Giampaolo, Alessandra 1 ; Weatherdon, Michelle 2 ; Merchant, Jessica 2 ; Findlay, Samantha 1 ; Danis, Angie 1 ; Motycka, Nicole 1 ; Leutele, Grace 1 ; Bercaw, Stephanie 1 ; Worthy, Tiffany 2 ; Teschler, Michelle 1
SB: Haas, Tiffany 1
HBP: Leutele, Grace 1
