Michigan
21-2
Eastern Michigan
7-11
Wolverines Pound EMU in Five Innings in Home Opener
3/16/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 16, 2016
» Kelsey Susalla posted a three-run homer in the first inning to highlight her two-hit, five-RBI effort.
» Sara Driesenga allowed just two hits and no walks and struck out five EMU batters to earn a complete-game win and improve to 11-0 on the season.
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Alumni Field)
Scores: #2 Michigan 14, Eastern Michigan 1 (5 inn.)
Records: U-M (21-2), EMU (7-11)
Next U-M Event: Tuesday, March 22 -- vs. Western Michigan (Alumni Field), 4 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 2-ranked University of Michigan softball team opened the home portion of its 2016 schedule in explosive fashion, defeating Washtenaw County foe Eastern Michigan, 14-1 in five innings, on Wednesday afternoon (March 16) at the Wilpon Complex, home of Alumni Field. The Wolverines extended their win streak to a season-long 10 straight games.
Michigan showed no signs of its sluggish weekend at the plate. Eight different players recorded hits as the Wolverines pounded out 11 hits, including three doubles and three home runs, and plated multiple runs in all four innings of the shortened contest.
Senior rightfielder Kelsey Susalla headlined the Wolverine offense with two hits and five RBI, highlighted by a three-run bomb in the first inning. Junior third baseman Lindsay Montemarano and freshman second baseman Faith Canfield also tallied home runs and posted three RBI apiece at the bottom of the U-M order. It marks Canfield's first collegiate long ball.
Senior RHP Sara Driesenga (11-0) was steady from the circle, allowing just two hits -- one being a solo homer in the second inning -- and no walks while striking out five Eagles batters through five innings.
The Wolverines took advantage of free bases throughout the game, starting off early in the first inning when Susalla followed back-to-back walks with a three-run bomb -- her sixth of the season -- deep into the trees beyond the leftfield fence. She added two more RBI on a second-inning groundout and a single up the middle and hard off the EMU pitcher's glove in the third.
Montemarano homered in the third after missing three straight chances to lay down a sac bunt, instead lifting a two-run shot up into the wind and carrying it over the left centerfield wall -- her third homer of the season.
Canfield's homer highlighted a five-run fourth inning for the Wolverines, following a Montemarano RBI double to the base of the leftfield wall with a three-run shot just over it. Michigan added one more run on a late throwing error to close out the game's scoring.
SUSALLA LONG-BALLA! Susalla puts one over the left-center field fence to get Michigan on the board, 3-0! #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/jUdSNEEJiF
-- Michigan Softball (@umichsoftball) March 16, 2016
Michigan will take this weekend off from competition before returning to action next Tuesday (March 22), hosting another in-state foe in Western Michigan at 4 p.m. at the Wilpon Complex, home of Alumni Field. Tickets are available through the U-M Ticket Office. Among the featured Midweek MACtion promotions, hot dogs are $1, team tickets are $1, and tech gloves will be given to the first 250 fans.
Communications Contact: Leah Howard
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Driesenga, Sara (11-0)
L: MIRANDA, Nicolle (3-7)
Batting:
2B: LOGAN, Olivia 1
HR: KRIEGSHAUSER, Michel 1
RBI: KRIEGSHAUSER, Michel 1
Base Running:
RUNS: KRIEGSHAUSER, Michel 1
Batting:
2B: Lawrence, Sierra 1 ; Blanco, Tera 1 ; Montemarano, Lindsay 1
HR: Susalla, Kelsey 1 ; Montemarano, Lindsay 1 ; Canfield, Faith 1
RBI: Romero, Sierra 1 ; Christner, Kelly 1 ; Susalla, Kelsey 5 ; Montemarano, Lindsay 3 ; Canfield, Faith 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Lawrence, Sierra 2 ; Romero, Sierra 2 ; Christner, Kelly 1 ; Richardson, Courtney 1 ; Susalla, Kelsey 1 ; Sbonek, Mary 1 ; Sobczak, Alex 1 ; Wald, Nikki 1 ; Montemarano, Lindsay 2 ; Canfield, Faith 2
SB: Romero, Sierra 1
HBP: Blanco, Tera 1 ; Vargas, Amanda 1 ; Canfield, Faith 1
