Notes and Quotes: #7 Michigan 2, #25 Notre Dame 1
5/16/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
N O T E S
• The Wolverines have advanced to the final game of the NCAA Regional in each of the last 10 seasons. They have won seven regional titles over that stretch.
• With today's victory, Michigan improves to 10-4 in the all-time series against Notre Dame. The Wolverines have won five straight in the series. U-M also defeated the Irish in last season's second NCAA Regional slate (8-0, 5 inn.).
• Adding its two wins on the day, U-M improved to 16-0 in home games this season.
• Michigan has knocked at least one home run in 12 of its 16 home games this season. U-M owns three in NCAA Regional play this weekend, recording three in the opener vs. Miami and another in the seventh inning vs. Notre Dame.
• More than half -- 57.1 percent (28/49) -- of junior third baseman Maggie Viefhaus' hits this season have come with extra bases. The Wolverine boasts a .658 season slugging percentage on 18 doubles, one triple and nine home runs.
• Viefhaus has hit registered big home runs in each NCAA Regional of her collegiate career. Prior today's game-tying solo shot in the seventh, she tallied a first-inning grand slam against Oregon State in the 2007 NCAA Regional final and knocked out a game-ending slam in the fifth frame vs. Wright State in last seasons regional opener. She boasts four career homers in NCAA Tournament play.
• Viefhaus' 2-for-3 effort at the plate vs. Notre Dame was her 12th multi-hit effort of the season.
• Over her last seven appearances, a stretch of 36.2 innings dating back to the second of two games vs. Indiana (April 29), sophomore RHP Jordan Taylor boasts a 0.95 ERA with just 11 hits allowed and 68 strikeouts
Q U O T E S
Michigan Head Coach Carol Hutchins
On the U-M victory... "I told the kids -- Bonnie [Tholl] actually told them -- that they were all heart in that game. The game doesn't know what inning it is -- it doesn't matter when you score -- and every pitch of the game counts. We really showed that today -- heart. It really doesn't matter what inning it is -- it just happened to be the seventh -- and Maggie's [Viefhaus] home run gave us huge momentum, and I thought Jordan [Taylor] pitched outstanding to hold us in the game and did a great job. I thought Brittney Barger pitched a great game as well. She did a great job, and Notre Dame played outstanding. So, we're very excited, and it's a great win to get. Two great teams played outstanding on both sides of the ball, and I thought we did very well.
"I think you have to give us credit for hanging in there and doing what we had to do. We had opportunities through the second half of the game, and I felt confident that we really could push one across. But there is a lot of pressure on you in the seventh inning, because you know you don't get any more chances. It's tough when you have to do it in the seventh, and our kids, again, did an outstanding job. You have to give our pitching a lot of credit. That's the best Notre Dame team I've seen in a while, and Jordan did an outstanding job against them. It keeps us in the game and gives us a chance to win it."
On the late rally... "I think more than anything at that point you're just trying to get base runners. You're trying to have good at bats. You're trying to get people on base; Maggie [Viefhaus] hit it over the fence, so she wasn't even on base. That's really what you're looking to do, every pitch. If she throws the low pitch, we're looking to make her bring something we can hit. With Maggie's at-bat -- whether she hits it out or not -- that was a great at bat."
U-M Junior Third Baseman Maggie Viefhaus
On her seventh-inning home run... "Well, I had to start something, so I was just trying to get extended and put the ball in play. She gave me a middle-inside pitch that I could drive pretty well, and I knew that it was going out just because it was pretty high. I was just really excited; I was excited just to keep the game going. But it wasn't over yet."
On being a good postseason hitter... "The atmosphere is very exciting. I love playing here, and I love our fans. I was thinking about that earlier when Jordan just pitched a strike, and the fans went wild; I just thought, 'It was only a strike.' But it's so cool because our fans are so supportive. It's amazing because it just makes you open your eyes. You just get more focused and more focused as the game goes on and you get deeper in the game. But I don't really treat postseason games any differently."
On the seventh-inning rally... "Absolutely, we still thought we would score. As long as there's an out left in the game you can win. We had three outs to get two runs and thats all that matters."
U-M Freshman Outfielder Bree Evans
On the Wilpon Softball Complex crowd... "I heard them when we went in, but when I'm up to bat, I don't really hear too much. So, I didn't hear them then. But when I was up to bat I wasn't really thinking about too much else besides hitting the ball. I knew that if I got a drop, then Kristin [Larsen] was going to score because she has the speed. So, that's all I was trying to do and all I was thinking about."
On playing in her first NCAA Tournament... "I don't really think of it as regionals. I know what it is and what it means, but I really just try to play as normal game and not to put too much pressure on myself. I just try to stay calm like it's any other game."
