Wolverines Split Two Games to Open UCF Tournament

Friday, February 22

Orlando, Fla.

9:30 AM

Michigan

7-2

Drake

3-3

Drake

Michigan

2/22/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Site: Orlando, Fla. (UCF Softball Complex)
Event: UCF Tournament (Day 1)
Scores: Drake 2, #12 Michigan 0; #12 Michigan 1, George Mason 0
Records: U-M (8-2), Drake (3-3), George Mason (0-1)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Feb. 23 -- at Central Florida (6 p.m.), vs. Birmingham Southern (8 p.m.) in UCF Tournament (Orlando, Fla.)

Boxscores: Game 1 | Game 2

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The No. 12-ranked University of Michigan softball team split a pair of shutout games Friday (Feb. 22) on the first day of competition at the UCF Tournament, falling 2-0 to Drake before battling past George Mason 1-0 at the UCF Softball Complex. The Wolverines combined for only 11 hits and one run on the day.

Sophomore Angela Findlay(Lockport, Ill./East HS) earned half of Michigan's hits in the first game vs. Drake, going 3-for-3 in the contest, while senior Samantha Findlay(Lockport, Ill./East HS), senior Alessandra Giampaolo(Pasadena, Calif./Polytechnic HS) and junior Teddi Ewing(Olathe, Kan./East HS) tallied one base hit in each of the day's games.

Sophomore Nikki Nemitz(St. Clair Shores, Mich./Regina HS) and freshman Jordan Taylor(Valencia, Calif./Valencia HS) were both solid from the Wolverines' pitching circle. Nemitz struck out nine, including five of the first six Drake batters she faced, but allowed two runs -- one earned -- in her first loss of the season. While Nemitz started the day on a tear, Taylor finished strong vs. George Mason, fanning six of the last eight batters she faced en route to a career-high 11 strikeouts. The U-M rookie gave up just three hits and did not allow a Patriot runner past second base as she registered the first complete-game shutout of her collegiate career.

Michigan used six hits, three walks and a pair of Bulldog errors to put runners into scoring position on four occasions in the opening game, including loading the bases with one out in the first, but the Wolverines left eight runners stranded in the contest en route to their second shutout defeat of the season.

Drake manufactured runs in the top of the fourth and sixth innings, scoring the game-winner on an RBI double before adding another as a result of a U-M error in the outfield.

The Wolverines appeared poised to score early in the day's second contest against George Mason, loading the bases in the top of the first after base hits from Ewing and Giampaolo and a Patriot fielding error gave U-M three on and only one out. But Michigan could not capitalize and, for the second time in as many games, left three stranded in the opening frame.

Michigan's game-winning run came with two outs in the top of the fourth inning. Sophomore Molly Bausher(Las Vegas, Nev./Spring Valley HS) knocked a single to leftfield and advanced a base on a passed ball during Nemitz's subsequent plate appearance. The Wolverine ace, who has taken at-bats in six games this season, fired an RBI single to right-centerfield, scoring Bausher from second for the game's only tally.

With U-M clinging to a one-run cushion in the bottom of the seventh, Taylor gave her team a brief scare, giving up a leadoff double to put a Patriot runner in scoring position. She responded to the threat with three consecutive strikeouts.

The Wolverines will return to action at the UCF Tournament on Saturday (Feb. 23), facing host Central Florida at 6 p.m. and Birmingham Southern at 8 p.m. Both games will be held at the Knights' UCF Softball Complex.

Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423