U-M Falls to No. 21 James Madison, Bounces Back to Beat No. 16 Arizona State

Thursday, March 7

Tempe, Ariz.

1:30 PM MT

Michigan

9-9

James Madison

8-4

James Madison

Michigan

Natalie Peters

U-M Falls to No. 21 James Madison, Bounces Back to Beat No. 16 Arizona State

3/7/2019 11:59:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Photos: James Madison Photos: Arizona State

By: Leah Howard

» Michigan split a pair of games against ranked opponents at the ASU Invitational, falling to No. 21 James Madison, 3-0, in nine innings before hanging on to win a wild 7-6 decision against No. 16 Arizona State.
» Michigan's five-run lead was narrowed to just one run in the sixth inning against ASU; Alex Sobczak, who went 3-for-4, scored on an error to add a key insurance run in the seventh.
» RHP Alex Storako recorded the final four outs against ASU for her first collegiate save; she struck out nine and threw eight shutout innings in the loss to James Madison.

Site: Tempe, Ariz. (Farrington Softball Stadium)
Event: ASU Invitational (Day 1 of 3)
Scores: #21 James Madison 3, #25 Michigan 0 (9 innings); #25 Michigan 7, #16 Arizona State 6
Records: U-M (10-9), JMU (8-4), ASU (16-7)
Next U-M Event: Friday, March 8 -- vs. Lehigh - ASU Invitational (Tempe, Ariz.), 2 p.m. MST

TEMPE, Ariz. -- The No. 25-ranked University of Michigan softball team split a pair of games against ranked opposition on its opening day at the ASU Invitational, bouncing back to claim a wild 7-6 decision over No. 16 Arizona State after dropping a nine-inning, 3-0 game to No. 21 James Madison on Friday (March 7) at the Sun Devils' Alberta B. Farrington Softball Stadium.

The Wolverines have faced ranked opposition in four of their last five games on their spring-break trip and posted an impressive 3-1 mark in those contests, with all three wins coming against teams ranked 16th or better.

Michigan's win in the nightcap over Arizona State started as a pitcher's duel -- scoreless through three innings -- and turned into a slugfest late with 12 combined runs over the final three innings. The Wolverines built a five-run lead only to see ASU pull within one behind a four-run sixth -- and then again pull within one on a seventh-inning home run. Incidentally, the Sun Devils had used a seventh-inning home run to walk off on James Madison just prior to taking the field against Michigan.

Senior first baseman Alex Sobczak was 3-for-4 to lead the Wolverines offensively against ASU and earned an RBI with a single up the middle in the fourth that broke the game's scoreless tie. U-M added two runs in the fifth -- both on RBI doubles from senior center fielder Natalie Peters and freshman left fielder Lexie Blair -- and three more in the sixth on consecutive at-bats to extend its lead to 6-1.

Arizona State stormed back in the home half of the inning, loading the bases with no outs and three seemingly innocuous hits before a pair of two-run singles hit the outfield grass and pulled the Sun Devils within one. Freshman right-handed pitcher Alex Storako entered the game and forced a groundout just two pitches later to get out of the jam.

Sobczak, who singled to lead off the top of the seventh, added an insurance run with some heads-up baserunning, first advancing to third on a wild pitch then scoring when the throw to third went awry.

The extra run proved important when the Sun Devils knocked out a one-out solo home in the bottom of the seventh. Storako regrouped and retired the next two ASU batters on a flyout and popout to end the game and earn her first collegiate save.

Sophomore LHP Meghan Beaubien (5-3) secured the victory from the circle, striking out seven Sun Devils while allowing five runs (four earned) on eight hits and a walk through 5.2 innings.

The Wolverines' earlier contest against James Madison was quite different. Both teams combined for just nine hits and took a scoreless tie into the ninth when the Dukes broke through with three runs -- two on a one-out home run -- to push across the first and game-winning runs.

Michigan was not without its own chances in the contest, twice leaving a runner stranded on third base -- notably with one out in the eighth inning with the international tiebreaker in play. Sophomore shortstop Natalia Rodriguez was placed on second base and promptly moved to third on a flyout, but was left there on an unassisted groundout to first base and flyout to center field.

Storako was outstanding despite the loss against James Madison, striking out nine while allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits and four walks over 8.1 innings pitched.

Michigan (10-9) will continue action at the ASU Invitational Friday (March 8) when it takes on Lehigh at 2 p.m. MST and New Mexico State at 4:30 p.m. MST at Farrington Softball Stadium.