Michigan Sweeps Twinbill on Final Day of USF Classic

Sunday, February 8

Tampa, Fla.

9:00 AM

Michigan

2-1

Hampton

0-6

Hampton

Michigan

2/8/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Photo Gallery

Feb. 8, 2015

Taylor Swearingen

• Boxscores: Hampton | Illinois State
• Notes | Quotes | Photo Gallery

Site: Tampa, Fla. (USF Softball Stadium)
Event: USF Softball Classic (Day 2)
Score: #8 Michigan 9, Hampton 2; #8 Michigan 4, Illinois State 1
Records: U-M (3-1), HU (0-6), ISU (2-3)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Feb. 13 -- vs. Western Kentucky - Florida State Invitational (Tallahassee, Fla.), 10 a.m.

TAMPA, Fla. -- The No. 8 University of Michigan softball team swept the second day of the USF Softball Classic on Sunday (Feb. 8) at the USF Softball Stadium. The Wolverines defeated Hampton, 9-2, and Illinois State, 4-1, to start the 2015 season with a 3-1 mark.

Sophomore Megan Betsa struck out 14 Hampton batters in the opener. She allowed just one hit and one earned run with a pair of walks to pick up her first win of 2015. Junior Sierra Romero was 3-for-4 at the plate with four RBI and her first home run of the year. Juniors Sierra Lawrence and Kelsey Susalla had two RBI apiece while freshman Aidan Falk roped a pair of hits in the Hampton win.

Senior Sara Driesenga fanned nine Redbird hitters in the second game of the double dip. She allowed an unearned run with five hits to pick up her second win of the year.

After loading the bases and not scoring against Hampton in the first, the Wolverines quickly put up a pair of runs in the third. Sophomore Kelly Christner reached on an infield single and trotted home on Romero's first home run of the year, a lined shot to left field. Two hitters later, Driesenga doubled to the gap in left field. Junior Olivia Richvalsky came on pinch run and she scored on Susalla's single to center.

The Maize and Blue scored three more runs in the fourth. Sophomore Abby Ramirez was hit by a pitch and Lawrence walked to open the frame. Both runners moved up on a passed ball and U-M loaded the bases after Christner's walk. Romero brought in a pair with a single and Susalla drove in Christner on an RBI groundout to short.

The Pirates scored two runs in the top of the sixth, but Michigan used some two-out magic to make it 9-2 in the bottom of the frame. Sophomore Lindsay Montemarano walked with two away. She moved to third after freshman Nikki Wald's single to right. Montemarano scored on an RBI single off the bat of freshman Amanda Vargas. Lawrence then drove in a pair with a double to the wall in left.

Illinois State used an error and a double to plate a run in the first in the nightcap. The Wolverines answered with three runs in the fourth. Susalla reached on a one-out single. She went to second on freshman Tera Blanco's groundout and scored on Falk's single up the middle. A walk to Ramirez and a throwing error by the Redbirds gave the Maize and Blue the 3-1 lead heading to the fifth.

The Wolverines added insurance in the bottom of the sixth as freshman Taylor Swearingen belted a solo home run to lead off the frame. It was her first home run in a Michigan uniform.

The Wolverines head to Tallahassee, Florida, for the Florida State Invitational next Friday through Sunday (Feb. 13-15). Michigan opens play on Friday against Western Kentucky at 10 a.m.

Communications Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423