Merchant Homers Twice in Nightcap for Split with CMU

Wednesday, April 6

Mt. Pleasant, Mich.

2:00 PM

Michigan

35-3

Central Michigan

12-7

Michigan

Central Michigan

4/6/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Site: Mt. Pleasant, Mich. (CMU Softball Complex)
Score: #1 Michigan 4, Central Michigan 5; #1 Michigan 7, Central Michigan 3
Records: U-M (36-3), CMU (12-8)
Next U-M Game: Friday, Apr. 8 -- at Wisconsin (Madison, Wis.), 6:00 p.m.

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- The No. 1-ranked University of Michigan softball team dropped the first game of a doubleheader today (April 6) at Central Michigan 5-4 before bouncing back to gain a split with a 7-3 win in the nightcap on the shoulders of two home runs from Jessica Merchant (Wayland, Mich./Wayland HS). She drilled a two-run shot in the first inning and a three-run shot in the second, but could have used one of those two in the seventh inning of game one when she grounded out to shortstop to end the game with the tying run standing on second base.

Merchant is now within two home runs of the single-season school record of 15 that she herself set just last season. Alessandra Giampaolo (Pasadena, Calif./Polytechnic HS) added a home run as well in the seventh inning of game two and singled ahead of Merchant's two-run blast to give the Wolverines an early 2-0 lead in the nightcap.

Merchant then gave the Wolverines an almost insurmountable lead with a two-out, three-run bomb in the second. The lead was safe particularly with the way Lorilyn Wilson (Salem, Ore./Sprague HS) was throwing as she struck out five and allowed just two harmless singles through four innings.

Michigan coach Carol Hutchins wanted to get some more work for Nicole Motycka (Sarasota, Fla./Cardinal Mooney HS) and brought her out of the pen in the fifth. After a scoreless fifth, trouble brewed for Motycka much the way it did in game one. An error by Motycka in the circle as well as a hit batsman and a passed ball opened the door for three CMU runs on just two hits in the sixth. Hutchins was forced to call on ace Jennie Ritter (Dexter, Mich./Dexter HS) to close out the sixth with a strikeout and then tossed a perfect seventh with two more K's.

While Hutchins wanted to give Ritter the entire day off before going back into Big Ten action this weekend, the Wolverines needed her contribution after dropping the opener, thanks in large part to three errors behind Motykca. She allowed four unearned runs and four hits before being pulled with one out in the third, but did strikeout six which is her third-best stikeout performance of the season.

She set the side down in order in the first, striking out two, but ran into trouble in the second. After a single and hit batsman to open the inning, Motycka hurt her own cause with a throwing error on a bunt attempt that resulted in the game's first run. Two outs later, an RBI single brought home a second unearned run.

Michigan's offensive support was missing as well after Haas led off the game with a single. Michigan did not get another hit until Haas came through again with one out in the sixth and set the table for a Michigan rally. By this time, however, the Wolverines were down 4-0 after two more Michigan errors had led to two more CMU runs in the fourth.

As they have all season from the top of the order, Giampaolo followed Haas with a single of her own and after Merchant was hit by a pitch for the third time this season, the bases were loaded. Samantha Findlay (Lockport, Ill./East HS) added to her team-best 35 RBI with a two-run double. Another two-run double after two were out from Grace Leutele (Sierra Vista, Ariz./Buena HS) and it looked like Michigan may avoid the upset.

Wilson had come out of the bullpen to close out the fourth and produced a 1-2-3 fifth, but relinquished the lead in the sixth when the Chippewas executed perfectly. A single to right, a sacrifice and a single to centerfield prodcued the game-winner. Rebekah Milian (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc HS) did make things interesting in the seventh with a leadoff single and moved to second with one out, but Giampaolo struck out and Merchant grounded out to short.

Michigan goes back on the road this weekend with single games at Wisconsin on Friday (April 8, 6 p.m. CDT) and Saturday (April 9, noon CDT) and a doubleheader at Minnesota on Sunday (April 10, noon CDT).

NOTES

 Michigan's string of 16 straight games with a home run was snapped in the opener. The Wolverines bounced back to match a season best with three in the nightcap. Michigan has homered in 35 of 39 games this season.

 Jessica Merchant matched a personal season best with five RBI in game two, but remains one RBI behind team leader Samantha Findlay whose two RBI in game one give her 37 for the season.

 Jessica Merchant, Samantha Findlay and Grace Leutele are tied for the team lead with nine multi-RBI games after each recorded one today.

 Tiffany Haas added a two-hit effort in game one to give her a team-best 17 multi-hit games this season. Merchant is one behind her with 16 after collecting three hits in the nightcap.

 Alessandra Giampaolo's home run in game two is her third of the season and first since Feb. 26 vs. Creighton.

Contact: Rich Marion (734-763-4423)