Michigan Falls to No. 7 Alabama; Delaney Tops Hofstra

Friday, February 24

Columbus, Ga.

2:30 PM

Michigan

3-3

Alabama

11-2

Michigan

Alabama

Michigan Falls to No. 7 Alabama; Delaney Tops Hofstra

2/24/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Site: Columbus, Ga. (South Commons Stadium)
Event: NFCA Leadoff Classic
Score: #7 Alabama 3, #5 Michigan 2 (9 innings); #5 Michigan 5, Hofstra 3
Records: U-M (4-3), Alabama (11-2), Hofstra (4-4)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Feb. 25 -- vs. Georgia Tech at NFCA Leadoff Classic (Columbus, Ga.), 12:30 p.m.

COLUMBUS, Ga. -- The fifth-ranked University of Michigan softball team split its first two games of the NFCA Leadoff Classic, falling 3-2 to No. 7 Alabama in nine innings but rebounding for a 5-3 win over Hofstra Friday (Feb. 24) at South Commons Stadium.

Senior Stephanie Bercaw (Wooster, Ohio/Hillsdale) hammered her first home run of the season in the game against Alabama, while seniors Grace Leutele (Sierra Vista, Ariz./Buena) and Becky Marx (St. Joseph, Mich./Lakeshore) accounted for Michigan's five runs against Hofstra, giving Marx her team-leading eighth RBI of the season.

Senior Jennie Ritter (Dexter, Mich./Dexter) picked up her first loss of the season in the nine-inning decision against Alabama, while freshman Stacy Delaney (Freeland, Mich./Freeland) earned her first collegiate win in a relief appearance against Hofstra.

Michigan ran its record to 4-3 on the season, dropping its third one-run game of the season. Alabama improved to 11-2 with its win, while Hofstra evened its record to 4-4.

Bercaw and Alabama's Staci Ramsey traded solo home runs in regulation to enter extra innings tied 1-1 in U-M's first game of the NFCA Leadoff Classic. Michigan added a run in the top of the ninth inning, scoring senior Rebekah Milian (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc) from third after she started the inning on second due to the international tiebreaker, but Alabama countered with a pair in the bottom half of the inning to win 3-2.

Bercaw took the first pitch of her first at-bat and hammered a two-out home run over the leftfield fence to give Michigan a 1-0 lead in the second inning. U-M came close to adding a run in the top of the fourth when sophomore Alessandra Giampaolo (Pasadena, Calif./Polytechnic) doubled with one out and raced toward home on a Marx single in the next at-bat, but she was gunned out at the plate by the centerfielder. Alabama tied it up in the fourth on Ramsey's leadoff solo shot to left, a home run that bent around the foul pole, just barely staying in fair territory.

Michigan was able to move Giampaolo to second with one out in the top of the seventh, but the Tide retired the next two batters to send the game into extra innings. Neither team could muster a hit in the eighth, but the Wolverines put a run on the board in the ninth when sophomore Samantha Findlay (Lockport, Ill./Lockport) reached on a fielder's choice and Milian slid around the tag at the plate, making it 2-1. Sophomore Michelle Weatherdon (Marquette, Mich./Marquette) came in to pinch-run for Findlay and advanced to third on a wild pitch and a flyout but remained stranded to end the inning.

Alabama started the ninth with a RBI double, tying the game at 2-2. Michigan retired the first batter of the inning, but a passed ball gave the Tide a runner on third with one out. Ramsey came to the plate and took a pitch up the middle to senior Tiffany Haas (North Tustin, Calif./Foothill), who scooped and threw to home plate, but the runner beat the tag to score and give Alabama a 3-2 victory.

Ritter (2-1) took the loss against Alabama despite recording a season-best 12 strikeouts and giving up just four hits through 8.1 innings.

Against Hofstra, Michigan got off to fast start with three runs in the first inning on the power of a RBI double from Marx, but Hofstra responded in the next half inning to knot it at 3-3 and chase U-M starter junior Lorilyn Wilson (Salem, Ore./Sprague) from the game. The teams held each other off the scoreboard until the fifth, when Leutele drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single, giving Michigan the edge it needed. Delaney pitched 5.1 innings and struck out seven while allowing just one hit.

Haas singled to lead off the game, Findlay reached on an error, and Giampaolo walked to load the bases with no outs. Marx doubled to rightfield to score Haas and Findlay, and Leutele hit a towering sacrifice fly to right to score Marx and make it 3-0.

Hofstra countered with three runs in the top of the second to tie it, 3-3, chasing Wilson from the game. The Pride put three on with one out on an error and a pair of walks, scoring one on a wild pitch and two on a double to leftfield. Delaney came into the game in relief and retired the final batter of the inning to get Michigan out of the jam.

The Wolverines put a two-spot on the board in the fifth on Leutele's bases-loaded single that scored a pair and gave U-M a 5-3 lead. Findlay started the rally with a one-out single, followed by a single by Giampaolo and a walk for Marx to load the bases for Leutele. Leutele caught hold of a pitch and sent it into leftfield, scoring Giampaolo from second and Findlay from third and putting Michigan ahead once again.

Michigan takes on Georgia Tech on Saturday (Feb. 25) at 12:30 p.m. in its final contest of pool play at the NFCA Leadoff Classic. After that, the Wolverines will advance to the bracket playoffs and will play one more game on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. or 7 p.m. with the possibility of two more games on Sunday (Feb. 26).

N O T E S

Freshman Stacy Delaney picked up her first collegiate win, coming into the game in relief against Hofstra, becoming the first pitcher since 2003 not named Motycka, Ritter or Wilson to earn a win for the Wolverines. Nicole Motycka, Jennie Ritter and Lorilyn Wilson have racked up the last 122 wins for the Wolverines before Delaney's decision.

Senior Stephanie Bercaw hit her first home run of the 2006 season, giving her nine in her career. Bercaw hit a first-pitch home run against Alabama ace Stephanie VanBrakle, one of 50 players on the USA Softball Player of the Year watch list.

Senior Jennie Ritter pitched her 60th career complete game and is just nine strikeouts shy of tallying the 800th K of her collegiate career.

Senior Grace Leutele recorded her seventh hit of the season and her first game-winning hit of the 2006 campaign.

Senior Becky Marx recorded her eighth RBI of the 2006 season and notched her third multi-RBI game in the last seven contests. Marx also has the longest active hitting streak on the Wolverine roster with four consecutive games with a hit.

Senior Tiffany Haas' team-high six-game hitting streak came to an end with an 0-for-4 performance against Alabama. Haas also recorded her first strikeout of the season against the Crimson Tide.

Contact: Richard Retyi (734) 763-4423