Taylor, Giampaolo Help U-M Bowl Over the Falcons

Wednesday, April 9

Ann Arbor, Mich.

4:00 PM

Michigan

34-4

Bowling Green

4-19

Bowling Green

Michigan

4/9/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score Photo Gallery

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Wilpon Complex)
Scores: #6 Michigan 4, Bowling Green 0
Records: Michigan (34-4), Bowling Green (4-19)
Next U-M Event: Friday, April 11 -- at Wisconsin (Madison, Wis.), 6 p.m. CDT

Boxscore | Notes & Quotes| Photo Gallery

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Freshman pitcher Jordan Taylor(Valencia, Calif./Valencia HS) earned her seventh straight shutout victory, pacing the No. 6-ranked University of Michigan softball team to a 4-0 victory over Bowling Green on Wednesday afternoon (April 9) in front of 772 fans at the Wilpon Softball Complex.

Taylor matched a career-best 14 strikeouts for the third time in as many starts, nearly duplicating her previous starting performance vs. Illinois (April 4) with a complete-game two-hitter with one walk. The Wolverine rookie extended her streak to 48.1 straight shutout innings. Over the stretch, she has registered 72 strikeouts while allowing just three walks and 21 hits.

The Wolverines' senior captains -- leftfielder Alessandra Giampaolo(Pasadena, Calif./Polytechnic HS) and second baseman Samantha Findlay(Lockport, Ill./East HS) -- led the Michigan offense for the second time in as many days, collecting three of four Wolverine RBI in the match-up. Giampaolo and sophomore catcher Roya St. Clair(Livonia, Mich./Stevenson HS) each matched season bests with three hits a piece, while Findlay, just a day removed from setting the U-M career record for RBI, added two more on the game-winning double in the third frame.

Giampaolo and sophomore centerfielder Molly Bausher(Las Vegas, Nev./Spring Valley HS) set up the deciding hit in the third with back-to-back singles to lead off the inning. After a ground-out advanced both runners into scoring position, Findlay knocked a long double to left centerfield, scoring both base runners to give the Wolverines the only lead they would need.

Michigan added a run a piece in the subsequent two innings. After reaching on a fielder's choice in the home half of the fourth, junior shortstop Teddi Ewing (Olathe, Kan./East HS) picked up her team-leading 10th stolen base of the year, sliding head first into second beat the throw and place herself within striking distance. With two outs in the following at-bat, Giampaolo knocked hersecond double of the contest -- and seventh of the season -- to left centerfield, allowing Ewing to race home. The run induced a BGSU pitching change, but the move did little to quell the Wolverines' momentum. Sophomore third baseman Maggie Viefhaus(Eureka, Mo./Eureka HS) wrapped up her team's scoring in the fifth frame with a two-out, solo home run -- her second in four games. Viefhaus carried the pitch just a few inches inside the right foul pole as the ball sailed over the outfield fence.

The Falcons put runners on base with leadoff singles in the second and fifth innings and a leadoff walk in the fourth, but perhaps their greatest opportunity was taken away on the warning track in the sixth.Leadoff hitter Dawnjene DeLong lifted a high fly ball to dead centerfield, and it looked to be going over the fence until Bausher made a spectacular over-the-shoulder, snow-cone catch to keep BGSU scoreless. Taylor did her part in the top of the seventh, striking out the side to end the game.

Michigan (33-4, 7-1 Big Ten) will travel to Madison, Wis., for a two-game series against the Badgers. U-M will play at 6 p.m. CDT on Friday (April 11) and noon on Saturday (April 12) at Goodman Diamond.

Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423