Wolverines Complete Home Sweep against Indiana

Saturday, April 18

Ann Arbor, Mich.

2:00 PM

Michigan

40-6, 13-2

Indiana

14-30, 5-9

Indiana

Michigan

4/18/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Photo Gallery

April 18, 2015

• Boxscores: Game 1 | Game 2
• Notes & Quotes | Photo Gallery | Play of the Day

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Wilpon Complex)
Score: #4 Michigan 3, Indiana 0; #4 Michigan 7, Indiana 1
Records: U-M (41-6, 14-2 Big Ten), IU (14-31, 5-10 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Tuesday, April 21 -- vs. Michigan State (Wilpon Complex), 7 p.m.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 4-ranked University of Michigan softball team took both games of its doubleheader, 3-0 and 7-1, to complete the series sweep against Indiana on Saturday afternoon (April 18) in front of 1,909 fans at the Wilpon Complex, home of Alumni Field.

Sophomore shortstop Abby Ramirez tallied a pair of hits in both contests, going 4-for-6 with three runs scored, to extend her career-long hitting streak to 11 straight games -- the longest for the Wolverines this season. Junior second baseman Sierra Romero knocked out a home run in the first game, while junior centerfielder Sierra Lawrence and junior rightfielder Kelsey Susalla both went deep in the second.

Both Wolverine pitchers were solid in complete-game efforts from the circle. Senior LHP Haylie Wagner (17-2) earned her third shutout of the season, striking out five while allowing five hits and one walk. Sophomore RHP Megan Betsa (20-4) struck out 14 -- her second double-digit strikeout effort of the weekend -- while allowing one run off five hits and three walks.

Michigan held a narrow 2-1 lead after four innings in the nightcap before breaking the game open with three runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth. After getting robbed by a hard inward wind on what looked to be a sure home run in the third, Susalla made it count in the fourth, bombing a three-run no-doubter halfway up the rightfield grandstand -- her 10th long ball of the season.

The Wolverines put their first three batters on base in the sixth for Romero, who lifted one high into rightfield, dropping it in shallow for a run-scoring single. Lawrence got caught in a pickle between second and third on the play, but all three base runners advanced when the Hoosier second baseman opted to throw to second, with Ramirez sliding in safely at home.

Lawrence gave the Wolverines an early first advantage with a leadoff solo shot in the first inning, connecting with the 0-2 pitch and lining into the visiting bullpen beyond the leftfield wall -- her 11th home run. Michigan added another run in the third on sophomore leftfielder Kelly Christner's run-scoring single down the rightfield line.

Betsa struck out eight of the first 10 batters she faced, before Indiana spoiled her no-hit bid with three base knocks in the fourth, including rightfielder Brianna Meyer's bases-loaded, run-scoring single to rightfield that, like Romero's later in the game, got caught in the wind and dropped shallow. Betsa responded with a punchout and a first-pitch groundout to get out of the jam.

Indiana again threatened in the sixth inning when Betsa issued back-to-back walks to lead off the inning. Meyer drove a high-flying ball into the left-centerfield gap, but Christner made a spectacular diving catch and hopped up to double up the runner at second base. Betsa fanned the next batter on four pitches to end the inning.

In the first slate, Michigan scored all of its runs in the third inning. With two aboard after back-to-back doubles from Ramirez and Lawrence -- the latter a line drive through the right side that nearly took out the first base umpire -- Romero connected with the first pitch of the next at-bat, bombing it out to right centerfield. It marks her second home run of the weekend and 16th this season.

Indiana posted a pair of two-out hits in the fifth to pose its biggest threat, but Wagner quickly ended the inning with a three-pitch punchout.

The Wolverines will resume its homestand on Tuesday (April 21), hosting in-state rival Michigan State at 7 p.m. at Alumni Field inside the Wilpon Complex. [ Tickets ]

N O T E S

• With today's doubleheader sweep, the Wolverines improved to 78-28 in all-time series against Indiana. U-M has won the last eight games in the series.

• Michigan claimed all five of its Big Ten series this season, sweeping Ohio State, Rutgers and Indiana.

• With three RBI today, junior Sierra Romero upped her career total to 202 and moved to the second spot among U-M's all-time leaders in the category, passing Amanda Chidester (200, 2009-12). She is 17 shy of the record holder Samantha Findlay (2005-08) with 219.

• Romero also upped her career home run tally to 57 and is now just one shy of the second spot among Michigan's all-time leaders, currently held by Dorian Shaw (58, 2008-11). Samantha Findlay (2005-08) also owns that Wolverine record with 62.

• Sophomore Abby Ramirez extended her hitting streak to a career-long 11 games, the longest Wolverine streak this season. She also earned her fifth and sixth multi-hit games of the season.

• Senior LHP Haylie Wagner collected her 92nd career win in the day's first slate, earning a share of the fourth spot among U-M's all-time wins leaders. She is tied with current volunteer coach Nikki Nemitz (2007-10).

• Sophomore RHP Megan Betsa boasts nine double-digit strikeout games this season, including three of her last four. She struck out 26 in the weekend series.

• Sophomore Kelly Christner boasts four assists in leftfield this season.

Q U O T E S

Michigan Head Coach Carol Hutchins
On the Wolverines' first game ... "I felt that we were swinging so big. They were seeing the ball well, they were just trying too hard to hit it. Trying harder doesn't really work. We got out of rhythm. Honestly, we're really contagious. If one hits pop-ups, we all hit pop-ups. If one hits home runs, we all hit homers. We're very infectious and we need somebody to break out. It was good for us because we had to rely on our pitcher and Haylie did a great job and our defense. There are going to be games like that; we're not always going to run-rule. I didn't always like our at bats, but I liked that we were in a tight game."

On Abby Ramirez's recent success ... "Her nickname is Spark. It's her job to spark the offense. That's her part on the team and I think she takes it seriously."

On Lindsey Montemarano's more vocal role ... "That's her game. She's loud by nature. I think she was a little quiet early in the year; didn't have a lot of confidence and was in and out of the lineup. Now I think she's getting comfortable with her role. With confidence comes your best, so I think she's giving us a better effort."

On why Michigan is such a good team ... "We've got a lot of really good players. Indiana's coach commented me earlier this morning how good we are. But what's going to be the key to our success is that we are collectively great. When we're all together on the same page, we're great. We have great plays, great hitters. We have great pitchers, but we have to all be together on the field. You saw us get a little out of that during the game with people getting caught up with their pop-ups and their at-bats. I try to convince them that we are batting, and that it's our at bat."

U-M Sophomore Kelly Christner
On her diving catch and double play ... "Honestly, when it was hit I didn't think I had a chance to get to it, but as I kept running I was like, 'I might have a shot at this so I might as well dive.' I knew SiLo (Sierra Lawrence) was right behind me, so I knew if I missed it, she'd be right there. When I caught it, I kind of freaked out, but I had to finish the play. I saw the girl was still running back at second, so I tried to get her out."

On what made the difference in strength of offense ... "Just attacking the first pitch. We were talking about with the coaches. Those girls, their pitchers were trying to get ahead in the count. Just attacking that first pitch and staying on top of it and driving it."

U-M Senior LHP Haylie Wagner
On Indiana putting up a good fight at the plate ... "Indiana is a good hitting team and they were really going after the first-pitch strikes. I knew I had to mix up the speed and change it up. They put a good fight."

On improving throughout the game ... "I think I was just going out and attacking. I think runs help for our benefit, but I was just attacking them each time and making my ball spin."

Communications Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423