St. Clair's Bat Delivers Two Wolverine Wins

Friday, February 13

Las Vegas, Nev.

9:00 AM PT

Michigan

5-1

BYU

5-3

BYU

Michigan

2/13/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Site: Henderson, Nev. (Stephanie Lynn Craig Park Field #1)
Event: Louisville Slugger Desert Classic
Scores: #6 Michigan 4, Brigham Young 2; #6 Michigan 3, Louisville 2
Records: U-M (6-1), BYU (5-3), Louisville (6-1)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Feb. 14 -- vs. DePaul at Louisville Slugger Desert Classic (Las Vegas, Nev.), 9 a.m. PST

Boxscores: Game 1 | Game 2

HENDERSON, Nev. -- The No. 6-ranked University of Michigan softball team emerged victorious in a pair of low-scoring affairs, beating Brigham Young, 4-2, and edging out Louisville by a 3-2 margin on the opening day of the Louisville Slugger Desert Classic on Friday (Feb. 13) at Stephanie Lynn Craig Park.

Junior catcher Roya St. Clair(Livonia, Mich./Stevenson HS) provided enough offense for the Wolverines to sweep the day's competition, going 4-for-5 and driving in five runs on the day. Junior Nikki Nemitz(St. Clair Shores, Mich./Regina HS) and sophomore Jordan Taylor (Valencia, Calif./Valencia HS) saw time on the hill in each game, alternating starting and relief roles. Taylor, who got the starting nod in the first game, struck out 10 batters in 5.2 innings of work on the day, while Nemitz toed the slab for 8.1 innings and struck out 15 batters. Both pitchers were perfect when called on in a relief role.

The Wolverines used a pair of two-run innings to win the morning slate against Brigham Young, gaining the early lead off a two-run double in the second and, after BYU evened the score, capitalizing on a series of miscues to retake the lead for good in the fifth.

The Cougars kicked off the second frame with a leadoff hit-by-pitch and a subsequent walk to quickly put a pair of U-M runners on base, and St. Clair made them pay, drilling a two-RBI double -- her third of the season -- down the right-field line.

BYU chipped away at the Wolverines' lead with a pair of one-run innings, scoring on an RBI single to center field in the third and a solo homer to left in the fifth. Michigan responded in the bottom half of the frame, bringing home a pair of runs after two errors from the Cougars' shortstop. Junior centerfielder Molly Bausher(Las Vegas, Nev./Spring Valley HS) led off the inning with a infield single and quickly advanced to third after a wild pitch and fielding error in the next at bat. After a U-M groundout, the Wolverines took advantage of a throwing error to score both Bausher and freshman leftfielder Bree Evans(Bloomington, Calif./Rialto HS).

The Wolverines went the route of one-run innings in the second match of the day, using a trio of them to sink the Cardinals. St. Clair used a long ball and a pair of singles to drum up the runs needed.

St. Clair proved to be the game's first run when she sent a shot over the center-field wall to put the Wolverines up 1-0 in the top of the third. Louisville got its only runs of the game on a two-run home run in the home half of the fourth inning to grasp a short lived 2-1 lead.

Michigan responded quickly in the top of the fifth with another RBI off the bat of St. Clair to level the score at 2-2. Sophomore Dorian Shaw(Burke, Va./Robinson SS) walked to open the inning and her pinch runner, senior Megan Gregory(Rockford, Mich./Rockford), was moved into scoring position on a sacrifice from Nemitz. St. Clair stepped to the plate and delivered the run-scoring hit into right field. The Wolverines continued to threaten, loading the bases up but left them stranded to end the inning.

In the sixth frame, Michigan took a 3-2 lead on St. Clair's third hit of the game. With a runner on first, Shaw doubled to center field to give the Maize and Blue two runners in scoring position. St. Clair then came through with a two-out stroke up the middle, driving in freshman Amanda Chidester(Allen Park, Mich./Cabrini HS) from third base. The Cardinals got a runner into scoring position in the sixth, but five straight strikeouts from Taylor to end the game made the one-run lead stand up.

Michigan continues action in the Louisville Slugger Desert Classic on Saturday (Feb. 14), facing No. 16 DePaul at 9 a.m. PST, and No. 4 UCLA at 1:30 p.m., UNLV's Eller Media Stadium.

Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423