Ritter, Michigan Shut Out Indiana in Big Ten Tournament

Saturday, May 13

Evanston, Ill.

10:00 AM CT

Michigan

39-13

Indiana

29-23-1

Michigan

Indiana

Ritter, Michigan Shut Out Indiana in Big Ten Tournament

5/13/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

EVANSTON, Ill. -- The University of Michigan softball team took another step toward repeating as Big Ten Tournament champion with its second straight shutout of the 2006 conference tournament, blanking the sixth-seeded Indiana Hoosiers, 4-0, Saturday (May 13) at Sharon J. Drysdale Field.

Senior Jennie Ritter (Dexter, Mich./Dexter) earned her second straight complete-game shutout win, striking out 14 batters and allowing just three hits to earn her 26th win of the season. Senior Becky Marx's (St. Joseph, Mich./Lakeshore) RBI double in the first inning proved the game-winner, while senior Tiffany Haas (North Tustin, Calif./Foothill) added a pair of hits and scored twice.

Michigan put the Hoosiers in an early hole with a run in the first on Marx's RBI double, scoring Haas from second after she led the inning off with a single. Five innings later, the Wolverines put up a pair of runs in the sixth on hits from junior Tiffany Worthy (Yorba Linda, Calif./Lutehran) and senior Stephanie Bercaw (Wooster, Ohio/Hillsdale), putting U-M ahead 3-0.

Ritter kept Michigan's one-run lead intact with 11 strikeouts through the first five innings, allowing just three hits until Michigan's bats added two more runs to the team total. She fanned a batter in the sixth and a pair in the seventh, giving her 20 strikeouts through 12.0 innings at the tournament and extending her shutout streak to 19.0 innings.

Haas led off the first with a single and was sacrificed to second, setting up Marx's RBI double to center and putting the Wolverines up 1-0. Michigan added a pair in the sixth after senior Grace Leutele (Sierra Vista, Calif./Buena) drew a two-out walk, stole second base and scored when Worthy's single was bobbled by the Hoosier rightfielder, allowing Leutele to round third and score easily. Bercaw doubled to center in the next at-bat, scoring Worthy from first base and giving Michigan a 3-0 advantage.

Haas led off the seventh with her second hit of the game, doubling to centerfield, and scored on junior Rebekah Milian's (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc) single in the next at-bat, extending U-M's lead to 4-0.

Michigan advances to the tournament final where it will face the winner of the Northwestern/Ohio State game. The championship game will start at approximately 2 p.m. CDT and will be broadcast on tape delay on CSTV beginning at 7 p.m.

N O T E S

Senior Becky Marx began the Big Ten Tournament by going 6-for-6 from the plate with four RBI, a home run and a double. Marx went 4-for-4 against Michigan State in the first game of the tourney and began the semifinal game against Indiana by going 2-for-2 with a double and one RBI. Marx's streak came to an end with a groundout in the fifth.

Senior Jennie Ritter recorded her 40th career shutout, moving into a tie for first place on U-M's all-time list. She also threw her 83rd career complete game, moving into a tie for second on Michigan's all-time list.

Contact: Richard Retyi (734) 763-4423