Notes & Quotes: #7 Michigan 6, #4 Alabama 1
5/28/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
N O T E S
With its decisive 6-1 win over Alabama, Michigan improved to 7-16 over its nine WCWS appearances. The Wolverines are 4-5 all-time in their first WCWS contest; the last time they won their opening game, the Wolverines went on to capture the 2005 NCAA Championships. U-M is 56-35 all-time in 17 years of NCAA Tournament play.
With the decisive victory, the Wolverines improve to 5-3 in the all-time series against Alabama, including a 2-0 mark in postseason play. U-M previously defeated the Crimson Tide, 3-2, at the 2001 NCAA Regional in Ann Arbor.
Michigan has knocked out at least one homer in five of its six NCAA Tournament games this season, combining for 10 long balls over the stretch.
After failing to hit a home run in her first collegiate game, freshman designated player Amanda Chidester homered in her first Big Ten game, her first home game at Alumni Field, her first NCAA Tournament game and her first Women's College World Series game.
Senior shortstop Teddi Ewing picked up her second straight multi-hit effort with a season-best 3-for-3, two-RBI performance from the plate. It is Ewing's third three-hit game of in career. She is hitting .438 (7-for-16) in NCAA Tournament play.
With her complete-game three-hitter vs. Alabama, junior LHP Nikki Nemitz improved her career record to 71-15 over her three-year tenure at Michigan. She needs one more win to claim a share of the fifth spot among Michigan's all-time win leaders -- a position currently held by All-American Kelly Kovach (1992-95).
Nemitz pushed her season strikeout total to 300 with her five Ks vs. Alabama. She is just the fifth pitcher in U-M program history to reach the single-season milestone. Two-time All-American Jennie Ritter (2003-06) finished her career with back-to-back 400-strikeout seasons.
Nemitz extended her career-best hitting streak to seven games with a sixth-inning, leadoff single. Over the stretch, which includes all NCAA Tournament games, Nemitz has batted .476 (10-for-21) with four extra-base hits and five RBI.
Despite tallying a sixth-inning RBI, freshman leftfielder Bree Evans saw her career-best hitting streak snapped at seven with a 0-for-5 effort. Evans hit .481 (13-for-27) with two RBI and eight runs scored over the stretch.
Freshman second baseman Stephanie Kirkpatrick's looper in the second inning was the first hit allowed by Alabama's Kelsi Dunne in 13.1 innings. Dunne entered the contest off the heels of back-to-back no hitters against Jacksonville State in the NCAA Super Regional last weekend.
Michigan's eight hits against Dunne tied as the second-most by the sophomore pitcher this season and the most since allowing 12 hits against Florida on March 28.
The Crimson Tide allowed runs in consecutive innings -- single runs in the second, third and fourth frames -- for the first time since March 28 (a string of 29 games) when Florida scored a single run in the first and second innings and eight runs in the third frame in a 10-1 final.
Michigan turned a season-high two double plays against Alabama in its WCWS opener -- in the second and sixth innings. U-M owns 12 double plays on the season and five in its six NCAA Tournament games.
Q U O T E S
Michigan Head Coach Carol Hutchins
Opening comment... "I told the kids, 'sometimes the hardest game is the first game.' I am very impressed with -- more than any other aspect of our game -- our composure as a group. This is everybody in this program's first time here. I thought we were very composed, and I thought Nikki [Nemitz] commanded the game and gave us great confidence. We were able to capitalize on some good at bats and drew some great walks, and the bottom of the order got it done for us today."
On where the composure and poise came from... "We have been playing at a very high level all season, and we have had a very tough schedule. Once we rolled into the Big Ten season we just kept competing at the same level, and we only focused on us no matter who the opponent was. I think our kids believe they are just as deserving to be here as Alabama or Florida or anybody else. They have a lot of confidence in themselves, and they have been doing this all year. We have been playing this kind of competition all year."
On freshman Stephanie Kirkpatrick breaking out of slump... "Becky Marx, my volunteer assistant, put it into words when she was in the lineup. She batted eighth, Rebekah Milian batted ninth, and they're saying back in 2005 was that when the bottom of the order comes through, championships are won. Everyone takes turns for getting it done. We have yet to have everyone in the lineup be hot at the same time -- that would be awesome. But it was her turn tonight, and she made a lot of great things happen and hopefully it will give her confidence throughout the rest of the tournament."
U-M Freshman Designated Player Amanda Chidester
On her third-inning home run... "She was throwing me up and in like she was to everyone else, and it was a great pitch. I was just looking at the low pitch, like coach was telling us. I had seen her changeup the at bat before that, and I knew if I could wait on a changeup, I would be able to hit it. It's just what I was looking for."
U-M Senior Shortstop Teddi Ewing
On getting three runs in the sixth inning... "We came in knowing [Kelsi Dunne] was a great pitcher, and she was going to play her game. We just wanted to go in there and play one-pitch softball and getting three runs was huge. Nikki [Nemitz] was throwing a great game out there, and we felt confident on defense. We just stuck to our game plan and made things work for us. She is a great pitcher, so getting three runs on her gave us a little bit more confidence in the box."
On her first experience at the WCWS... "It's all of our dreams come true. We love being here, and the coaches made us believe that we deserve to be here. Going out there and playing college softball just means a lot to us. To walk on this field where so many great players have walked, where so many great coaches have walked, it is really an honor to be here and a humbling experience. Our team is just thrilled to have the chance to go out there and compete and play some softball."
U-M Junior LHP Nikki Nemitz
On her pitching performance... "I thought Biggie [pitching coach Jennifer Brundage] called a great game. Most of my pitches were working pretty well and we kept throwing both corners, off-speed and up. It just kept them guessing and Biggie called a great game to mix in there every once in a while with the changeup. They just never knew what corner it was going in and I didn't either. That is just the best way to do it."
On hitting three Alabama hitters in the fifth... "I don't worry about the other team so much as I do myself. I was pressing; I was acting like it was a closer game than it was. I just got out of my own head and wasn't throwing my game. When Biggie came out to me, she just told me to relax and have fun out there. I didn't mean to hit them; I was just pressing. I didn't feel any kind of momentum change. Getting out of that inning, I felt like we had the momentum on our side because we did shut them down."
