Esman's Sixth-Inning Grand Slam Pushes U-M Past Louisville

Sunday, February 16

Chapel Hill, N.C.

10:00 AM

Michigan

9-0

Louisville

2-7

Michigan

Louisville

(Michigan Photography)

Esman's Sixth-Inning Grand Slam Pushes U-M Past Louisville

2/16/2020 1:18:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

By: Leah Howard

» No. 11 Michigan battled through a back-and-forth game to earn an 8-4 win over Louisville in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge finale.
» Lauren Esman knocked out a pinch-hit grand slam -- her first collegiate hit -- to break a tied game in the sixth; Taylor Bump also posted a pinch-hit home run in the fourth.
» Michigan swept its ACC/Big Ten Challenge weekend and improved to 9-0 on the season.

Site: Chapel Hill, N.C. (Anderson Stadium)
Event: ACC/Big Ten Challenge (Day 3 of 3)
Score: #11 Michigan 8, Louisville 4
Records: U-M (9-0), UL (2-7)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Feb. 21 -- vs. Liberty - Gamecock Invitational (Columbia, S.C.), 10 a.m.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Freshman Lauren Esman delivered a pinch-hit grand slam to break a tied game in the sixth and propel the No. 11-ranked University of Michigan softball team to an 8-4 win against Louisville on Sunday morning (Feb. 16) at North Carolina's Anderson Stadium. With the victory, the Wolverines swept their ACC/Big Ten Challenge weekend and improved to 9-0 on the season.

The grand slam was Esman's first collegiate hit in just her second at-bat. After Louisville loaded the bases with no outs and used a hit-by-pitch to even the score in the fifth, Michigan responded in kind in the next inning, loading the bases with no outs on back-to-back singles and a fielding error. Esman entered and connected with the first pitch she saw, driving it deep over the right-center field wall to provide U-M its largest lead of the contest.

Junior third baseman Taylor Bump also tallied a pinch-hit homer with a two-run shot to center as part of a three-run fourth after Louisville (2-7) had claimed a temporary 3-1 lead -- the first time U-M had trailed this season -- with a three-run home run of its own in the third. It was Bump's second long ball of the season and reclaimed a 4-3 lead for the Wolverines.

Junior first baseman Lou Allan and senior right fielder Thais Gonzalez posted two hits and an RBI apiece, while senior center fielder Haley Hoogenraad also tallied a multi-hit effort with two hits on the day.

Junior left-handed pitcher Meghan Beaubien (5-0) earned the win in relief, allowing two runs on three hits, two walks and three hit batters while striking out two. She found her groove after the go-ahead grand slam, allowing just one baserunner in the final two frames.

Michigan (9-0) will return to the southeast region next weekend when it heads to Columbia, South Carolina, for a four-game slate at the Gamecock Invitational. U-M will open play against Liberty at 10 a.m. on Friday (Feb. 21) at the Carolina Softball Stadium.