Wolverines Bounce Back with Back-to-Back Shutouts of Wisconsin

Saturday, March 13

Leesburg, Fla.

10:20 AM

Michigan

7-3, 7-3

Wisconsin

4-6, 4-6

Wisconsin

Michigan

Sierra Kersten (Michigan Photography)

Wolverines Bounce Back with Back-to-Back Shutouts of Wisconsin

3/13/2021 3:46:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Leah Howard

» No. 23 Michigan earned shutouts in both ends of a doubleheader, 8-0 in five innings and 3-0, against Wisconsin to rebound from a walk-off loss in extra innings yesterday.
» Sierra Kersten went 4-for-5 with three RBI, while Hannah Carson posted two hits, including a triple, and three RBI in the opening game, and Lexie Blair extended her hit streak to 11 games.
» RHP Alex Storako earned both wins, allowing just two hits and walk with 20 strikeouts through nine total innings; she earned 12 strikeouts against 13 batters faced in relief in the second game.

Site: Leesburg, Fla. (Sleepy Hollow Sports Complex)
Scores: #23 Michigan 8, Wisconsin 0 (5 inn.); #23 Michigan 3, Wisconsin 0
Records: U-M (8-3, 8-3 B1G), UW (4-7, 4-7 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, March 14 -- vs. Wisconsin (Leesburg, Fla), 9:20 a.m.

LEESBURG, Fla. -- The No. 23-ranked University of Michigan softball team bounced back with a pair of shutout wins against Wisconsin, sweeping a doubleheader, 8-0 in five innings and 3-0, on Saturday (March 13) at the Sleepy Hollow Sports Complex.

The Wolverine bats came alive in the series opener as U-M scored a season-high eight runs en route to its first run-rule victory of the season. Michigan matched its season best with nine hits apiece in both ends of the twinbill. Freshman utility Sierra Kersten went 4-for-5 with three RBI on the day, while junior catcher Hannah Carson posted two hits and three RBI in the first slate and junior outfielder Lexie Blair extended her hit streak to 11 games with a hit in each contest.

Junior Alex Storako (5-2) earned both wins from the circle, allowing no runs and just two hits while striking out 20 through nine total innings pitched. She was perfect outside of a sixth-inning walk after entering in the fourth inning of the later game -- all 12 outs she recorded came via strikeout.

Michigan used a pair of big innings, plating three in the third and four in the fourth to push the opener into run-rule territory. Senior first baseman Lou Allan and Carson went back-to-back extra-base hits with a double and a triple to the outfield fence. Carson's three-bagger was U-M's first of the season and the second of her career. She scored on a sac fly to shallow left in the next at-bat.

U-M scored all of its runs with two outs in the fourth. Senior shortstop Natalia Rodriguez initiated the rally with a single and a stolen base, and Blair promptly plated her with a first-pitch RBI double over the Badger center fielder's head. Wisconsin made a pitching change, but U-M used a wild pitch, hit-by-pitch and walk to load the bases for Carson, who snuck a two-run single past the diving shortstop and up the middle. Kersten tacked on one more with a roped shot right at the UW second baseman for an RBI single.

Storako hit the first batter of the fifth but forced back-to-back popups, and Michigan doubled off the Badger runner on the latter to end the game just five pitches later. It was Storako fifth game -- in seven total appearances -- with double-digit strikeouts.

Storako entered the second game after U-M took a 1-0 lead -- off a Kersten RBI single down the left-field line in the top of the fourth -- and a leadoff Badger single in the bottom half and struck out the next seven batters. Senior right0handed pitcher Sarah Schaefer was strong in the start, allowing three hits and a hit-by-pitch through three shutout innings in her first appearance in two seasons. She missed all of last year's shortened season due to injury.

The Wolverines padded their lead with a pair of runs in the sixth. Kersten punched a one-out single through the right side, advanced on a sac bunt and scored when sophomore designated player Lauren Esman drove an RBI double to the gap in left-center field. Esman scored herself, unearned, on a dropped ball at first base off a bouncing grounder to short.

Storako allowed a one-out walk in the bottom of the sixth but struck out the next five Badgers batters to close out the game.

Michigan (8-3, 8-3 Big Ten) wraps up its second and final Big Ten "bubble" weekend with the series finale against Wisconsin tomorrow (Sunday, March 14). The game starts at 9:20 a.m. at the Sleepy Hollow Sports Complex, and will be streamed live on Big Ten Network Plus.