Michigan Completes Weekend Sweep with Win at No. 21 ASU

Sunday, March 1

Tempe, Ariz.

2:00 PM MT

Michigan

18-1

Arizona State

15-7

Michigan

Arizona State

Michigan Completes Weekend Sweep with Win at No. 21 ASU

3/1/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score Photo Gallery

March 1, 2015

Sierra Lawrence

• Box Score | Photo Gallery | Notes & Quotes

Site: Tempe, Ariz. (Alberta B. Farrington Softball Stadium)
Event: ASU Louisville Slugger Invitational (Day 3 of 3)
Scores: #3 Michigan 6, #21 Arizona State 2
Records: U-M (18-1), ASU (15-7)
Next U-M Event: Wednesday, March 4 -- at Cal State Fullerton (Fullerton, Calif.), 6 p.m. PST

TEMPE, Ariz. -- The No. 3-ranked University of Michigan softball team used the long ball to wrap up its undefeated weekend, knocking out four home runs to defeat host No. 21 Arizona State, 6-2, on Sunday afternoon (March 1) at Alberta B. Farrington Softball Stadium. The Wolverines pushed their win streak to 18 straight games.

Junior centerfielder Sierra Lawrence headlined the Wolverines' offensive efforts from the leadoff spot, going 3-for-4 with two home runs and three runs batted in. Junior rightfielder Kelsey Susalla and senior catcher Lauren Sweet also went deep. All six Michigan runs came off the long ball, upping its weekend total to 20 over five games.

Sophomore RHP Megan Betsa (8-0) earned the victory in relief, allowing just hits and no runs through 2.2 innings. Senior LHP Haylie Wagner, who started the game but was pulled in the fourth, reentered when Betsa took a comebacker off her throwing hand in the sixth and earned the save, retiring the final four ASU batters in order. She ended her appearance with one strikeout and two hits allowed.

Michigan claimed its early advantage on solo home runs from Susalla and Lawrence in the second and third innings, respectively. Susalla gave U-M its first lead on a one-out shot to rightfield, while Lawrence took a first-pitch liner deep over the leftfield wall.

The Sun Devils threatened in the bottom of the second and third before breaking through with a pair of runs to even the score in the fourth. Shortstop Chelsea Gonzales cut the U-M lead to one on a leadoff home run to leftfield. First baseman Bethany Kemp walked in the next at-bat, inducing the Wolverine pitching change, before advancing on a hit batsman and fielder's choice and scoring on a squeeze bunt.

The Wolverines retook the lead in the sixth off the bat of Sweet, who followed a leadoff walk with a full-count, two-run blast high over the wall in rightfield. Susalla nearly followed suit in the next at-bat, but her one deep fly to leftfield was snagged on the track.

Arizona State threatened again in the home half, loading the bases with one out for rightfielder Sierra Rodriguez, who lined the ball back to the pitching circle. The ball struck Betsa, who recovered to throw out the lead runner at home. Wagner reentered and forced an inning-ending lineout to shortstop after three pitches.

Lawrence went yard again in the top of the seventh to cushion the Wolverines' lead, belting out her fifth home run of the weekend with a two-run shot deep over the right centerfield wall.

The Wolverines will remain out west for their annual spring break trip, heading to Fullerton, California, to take on Cal State Fullerton at 6 p.m. PST on Wednesday (March 4) at Anderson Family Field.

N O T E S

• With today's win, Michigan improved to 15-11 in the all-time series against Arizona State. U-M has claimed the last four games in the series -- all held in Tempe, Arizona.

• The Wolverines hit .442 (61-for-138) with 20 home runs over the ASU Louisville Slugger Invitational. U-M slugged .971 as a team. Nine Wolverine batters hit .300 or better, while four hit .400 or better.

• Junior Sierra Lawrence hit .786 (11-for-14) over the weekend with five home runs. In her last six games in Tempe, stretching back into last season's NCAA Regional, Lawrence knocked out seven homers, including four in consecutive at-bats with her two in the first inning vs. Toledo.

• Lawrence owns three career multi-homer games. She boasted two over the last five games.

• Junior Kelsey Susalla already owns career highs in several categories, including hits (22), doubles (7) and triple (2). She has matched her career high with five home runs and 12 runs scored.

• Freshman Tera Blanco boasts a seven-game hitting streak. Senior Lauren Sweet and Lawrence both own six-game hit streaks.

• Junior Sierra Romero has reached base in each of the last 18 games. She owns a .667 on-base percentage this season.

• Senior LHP Haylie Wagner earned her third save of the season. With seven saves in her career, she moved to the fifth position among U-M's all-time leaders in the category. She needs one more to reach the fourth spot and two to reach the second spot. Jordan Taylor (2008-11) owns the school record with 12 saves.

Q U O T E S

Michigan Head Coach Carol Hutchins
On the improvements in hitting every weekend ... "If anything has improved, it's been our confidence. Our kids are very confident. I'll take a confident kid any day; that's an important quality, especially in hitting."

On the hitters picking up the pitchers this weekend ... "We like people to just do their part. The good news is that we're not peaking in pitching right now. The pitchers need to trust that the hitters will pick them up. You don't want your pitchers to be afraid to up a home run or a run. You want them to attack the hitters and trust that if they do make a mistake, their hitters will get it done for them. Our hitters have certainly earned their trust at this point."

On Haylie Wagner pitching well after reentering ... "She was a whole different person. She was the Haylie Wagner that I wish would have started the game. Her mentality was better, her approach was better, and she attacked them. When she attacks the opponents, she's really good."

On Sierra Lawrence breaking through at the plate ... "She broke through, and she was lights out. She watched a little film of herself from the fall -- she was lights out in the fall -- because she just wasn't staying loaded. She's such a student; she figured it right out. Boy, was she fantastic."

On Kelsey Susalla's consistency ... "Kelsey just comes to work every day. Everybody can take a lesson from her. She shows up to practice, and she's the same person. She doesn't get caught up in anything. She just comes with lunch bucket every day to work. I really like that about her. She's a blue-collar worker."

U-M Junior Sierra Lawrence
On improved hitting ... "It has a lot to do with improved confidence. You get better with more at-bats and pitches, and as you start to do better, you start to build that confidence. They really go together."

On her success in Tempe ... "I've done pretty well here. The past couple weeks, I've just been working really hard to get back to where I need to do and just do my part."

On the consistency throughout the lineup ... "It's a great feeling. It's an even better feeling to know that if you don't get it done, someone behind you is going to get it done."

On the team's expectations ... "The expectation never changes for us. We like to win and want to win. That will always be the goal. We just need to stay in our process and not get too high on ourselves."

Communications Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423