Nemitz Perfect as Wolverines Shut Out Panthers in Five

Saturday, February 23

Orlando, Fla.

6:00 PM

Michigan

9-2

Birmingham Southern

5-4

Birmingham Southern

Michigan

Nemitz Perfect as Wolverines Shut Out Panthers in Five

2/23/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

Site: Orlando, Fla. (UCF Softball Complex)
Event: UCF Tournament (Day 2)
Score: #12 Michigan 8, Birmingham Southern 0 (5 innings)
Records: U-M (9-2), Birmingham Southern (5-4)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, Feb. 24 -- vs. Auburn (8 a.m.), at Central Florida (4 p.m.) in UCF Tournament (Orlando, Fla.)

Boxscore

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Sophomore pitcher Nikki Nemitz(St. Clair Shores, Mich./Regina HS) tossed the fifth perfect game in University of Michigan softball history, pacing the No. 12 Wolverines to an 8-0, five-inning victory over Birmingham Southern on the second day of competition at the UCF Tournament on Saturday (Feb. 23) at the UCF Softball Complex.

Michigan (9-2) was slated to play Central Florida as well on Saturday, but rain forced a shuffling of the schedule. The Wolverines will conclude play at the UCF Tournament tomorrow (Sunday, Feb. 24) with a pair of contests, playing Auburn (8 a.m.) and host UCF (4 p.m.) at the UCF Softball Complex.

Nemitz overwhelmed the Panthers' lineup, striking out seven of the 15 batters she faced, including six of the first nine. She closed the game in similar fashion, striking out the first batter of the fifth frame before forcing a foulout and easily fielding a blooper back to the pitching circle for the final out. She did not allow a ball out of the infield en route to the first no-hitter of her collegiate career.

The Wolverine ace received plenty of run support from her teammates as Michigan used three multi-run innings to claim its first run-rule performance of the season. Senior first baseman Samantha Findlay(Lockport, Ill./East HS) knocked out her third home run in as many tournament appearances, going 2-for-2 from the plate with five RBI. Junior shortstop Teddi Ewing(Olathe, Kan./East HS) also went 2-for-2 with an RBI, while Nemitz helped her own cause with a leadoff double in the bottom of the second inning.

With one out in the bottom half of the opening frame and a pair of U-M runners in scoring position -- including sophomore Angela Findlay(Lockport, Ill./East HS), who registered her second double of the season in the preceding at-bat -- Samantha Findlay drove in the only runs her team would need with a towering three-run shot over the centerfield fence. The home run pulled Findlay within two of Michigan's school record in the category, currently held by two-time All-American Jessica Merchant (46, 2002-05).

The Wolverines manufactured two more runs off a pair of hits, two walks and a hit batsman in the second inning. With senior pinch runner Michelle Weatherdon(Marquette, Mich./Marquette HS) on third base after Nemitz's double and a subsequent fly ball, Ewing lofted a base hit to left-centerfield to extend her hitting streak to three games and claim her second RBI of the season. The Panthers recorded the second out, but BSC pitcher Bethney Reynoldson quickly fell into trouble, loading the bases with back-to-back walks before hitting Samantha Findlay to bring in another run.

Michigan wrapped up its scoring with another three-run showing with two outs in the fourth frame. Samantha Findlay drove in her fifth run of the game with a single down the leftfield line, scoring Ewing, who reached after a leadoff single and subsequently stole her third base of the season. Sophomore Maggie Viefhaus(Eureka, Mo./Eureka HS) rifled a two-RBI single up the middle in the following at-bat to net the Wolverines their necessary eight-run cushion and bring a premature end to the contest.

Contact: Leah Howard (734) 734-4423