Findlay Headlines Wolverines' Victory over PSU in Texas

Sunday, February 17

Austin, Texas

11:00 AM CT

Michigan

7-1

Penn State

0-3

Michigan

Penn State

Findlay Headlines Wolverines' Victory over PSU in Texas

2/17/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

Site: Austin, Texas (McCombs Field)
Event: Time Warner Texas Invitational
Score: #12 Michigan 6, Penn State 2
Records: U-M (7-1), Penn State (0-3)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Feb. 22 -- vs. Drake (9:30 a.m.), vs. George Mason (11:30 a.m.) at UCF Tournament (Orlando, Fla.)

Boxscore

AUSTIN, Texas -- After rain washed out bracket playoffs a day earlier, the No. 12-ranked University of Michigan softball wrapped up competition at the Time Warner Texas Invitational with a 6-2 victory over Big Ten Conference rival Penn State on Sunday (Feb. 17) at McCombs Field. The Wolverines gained an early lead before boasting back-to-back multi-run innings in the sixth and seventh and withstood a late PSU rally en route to their sixth consecutive win.

Senior first baseman Samantha Findlay(Lockport, Ill./East HS) registered her best offensive performance of the season, coming just a base hit shy of the cycle in a 3-for-4 showing from the plate with three runs scored and three RBI. Sophomore third baseman Maggie Viefhaus(Eureka, Mo./Eureka HS) and freshman leftfielder Dorian Shaw(Burke, Va./Robinson SS) each tallied a pair of hits as the trio -- batting 4-5-6 in the U-M order -- combined for the Wolverines' seven hits in the contest.

Freshman pitcher Jordan Taylor(Valencia, Calif./Valencia HS) tossed six shutout innings -- retiring the first 11 batters faced -- to claim the complete-game victory and improve her season record to 3-1. Taylor fanned nine Nittany Lion batters -- matching a career high -- including two each in the third, fifth and seventh frames.

In her first plate appearance, as Michigan's leadoff in the second inning, Findlay launched a towering solo home run over the fence in left centerfield to give her team an advantage it would not relinquish. It was Findlay's second homer of the season and inched her closer to the Wolverines' school record in the category. She needs just three more to match Jessica Merchant's mark (46, 2002-05).

After several short and unsuccessful plate appearances from both teams in the middle frames, the Wolverines took advantage of three PSU errors in the top of the sixth and, combined with Findlay's RBI double, manufactured three runs to pad their lead. With two on and no outs after an early Nittany Lion error and a successful U-M fielder's choice, Findlay laid down a masterful bunt into the shallow infield, scoring senior centerfielder Alessandra Giampaolo(Pasadena, Calif./Polytechnic HS) from second base. Penn State ace Ashley Esparza earned her second out on a comebacker to the pitching circle, but walked Shaw in the subsequent at-bat to load up the bases. Her Nittany Lion teammates did help the cause, committing fielding errors in back-to-back at-bats to allow sophomore rightfielder Angela Findlay(Lockport, Ill./East HS) and her sister, Samantha, Findlay, to come home for the game-winning runs.

With Giampaolo on base after a leadoff walk in the seventh, Samantha Findlay rifled an RBI triple down the leftfield line -- just the second triple of her career -- and trotted home herself when Viefhaus sent a base hit right back at Esparza in the next at-bat to wrap up Michigan's scoring.

Penn State earned its runs in the bottom half of the seventh on a one-out, two-run shot from Desi Giordano over the fence in right centerfield. Taylor had walked Kayce Zielinski to lead off the inning, and, after giving up the home run, she made little work of the remaining Nittany Lion batters, earning back-to-back strikeouts to close out the game.

The Wolverines will head to Orlando, Fla., to participate in the UCF Tournament next weekend (Feb. 22-24) at the UCF Softball Complex. U-M will open play against Drake at 9:30 a.m. on Friday before facing George Mason at 11:30 a.m.

Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423