Hit Parade Helps Michigan Knock Off No. 6 Arizona State

Saturday, March 14

Fullerton, Calif.

9:00 AM PT

Michigan

19-7

Arizona State

24-5

Arizona State

Michigan

Hit Parade Helps Michigan Knock Off No. 6 Arizona State

3/14/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

Site: Fullerton, Calif. (Anderson Family Field)
Event: Judi Garman Classic
Score: #10 Michigan 7, #6 Arizona State 3
Records: U-M (19-7), Arizona State (24-5)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, March 15 -- vs. #12 Arizona - Judi Garman Classic (Fullerton, Calif.), 1 p.m. PDT

Boxscore

FULLERTON, Calif. -- The No. 10-ranked University of Michigan softball team used a pair of big innings to knock off No. 6 Arizona State, 7-3, in continued action at the annual Judi Garman Classic on Saturday (March 14) at Anderson Family Field. U-M posted 11 hits -- its third double-digit hit performance in five games -- and scored four runs in the fourth to cruise past the defending NCAA champion.

Freshman leftfielder Bree Evans(Bloomington, Calif./Rialto HS), junior rightfielder Angela Findlay(Lockport, Ill./East HS) and freshman second baseman Stephanie Kirkpatrick(Plainfield, Ill./Central HS) all boasted multi-hit efforts from the plate but combined for just two RBI. Freshman designated player Amanda Chidester(Allen Park, Mich./Cabrini HS) and junior third baseman Maggie Viefhaus(Eureka, Mo./Eureka HS) drove in a pair of runs on one hit apiece; the latter a two-run blast in the second frame.

Despite allowing a season-high 13 hits from the pitching circle, the Wolverine staff put forth a solid effort and largely stifled a potent ASU offense. Sophomore Jordan Taylor(Valencia, Calif./Valencia HS) earned the victory in relief, upping her record to 8-4 with a seven-strikeout, nine-hit performance through 4.2 innings.

Viefhaus' home run, coming with no outs in the second inning, provided U-M the early lead and one it never relinquished. Junior catcher Roya St. Clair(Livonia, Mich./Stevenson HS) singled to third base to lead off the frame before Viefhaus, in the next at bat, got a hold of the 2-0 pitch and sailed deep over the fence in centerfield. The two-run shot was Viefhaus' third homer of the season.

The Sun Devils responded with a run in the following frame, using two hits, a hit batsman and a sacrifice fly to cut Michigan's lead to one. The second of the two hits -- a single to centerfield -- loaded the bases and induced a U-M pitching change, bringing Taylor into the contest with one out. The Wolverine righthander, on just six pitches, retired the next two ASU batters on the sac fly and subsequent strikeout.

Michigan pulled away with four runs in the bottom half of the fourth, tallying five hits -- including four straight with one out -- to seal up its third win against a ranked opponent in four games. With two runners in scoring position after a leadoff hit batsman and junior pitcher Nikki Nemitz's (St. Clair Shores, Mich./Regina HS) subsequent double down the rightfield line, Kirkpatrick kicked off the Wolverines' hit streak with an RBI single to leftfield. Sophomore pinch hitter Marley Powers(Owosso, Mich./Owosso HS) drove in Nemitz with a hard comebacker to the pitching circle to extend her personal hit streak to a season-high three games. After Evans singled to rightfield to advance two U-M baserunners into scoring position, Findlay laced the ball to the same spot, scoring Kirkpatrick from third to earn her seventh RBI in seven games. Chidester capped the productive inning with a sacrifice fly to leftfield.

U-M took advantage of an Arizona State miscue with bases loaded to add an insurance tally in the sixth. Kirkpatrick and Findlay knocked a pair of base hits through the leftside gap, sandwiching a four-pitch walk to Evans, and, with one out, Chidester smacked the ball toward the Sun Devil second baseman, who erred on the pickup, allowing Kirkpatrick to race home from third.

Arizona State manufactured a pair of runs in the top of the seventh, using four straight hits with two outs to narrow the score. Taylor got ahead with back-to-back strikeouts to open the frame and, after allowing the two runs, ended the inning in similar fashion, striking out pinch hitter Christina Zambrana on five pitches.

Michigan will close out its challenging slate at the Judi Garman Classic tomorrow (Sunday, March 15) with a 1 p.m. PDT contest against perennial power No. 12 Arizona at the Anderson Family Field in Fullerton, Calif.

Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423