Home Runs by Blair, Carson Help U-M Cap Off Perfect Weekend at Indiana

Sunday, March 28

Bloomington, Ind.

Noon

Michigan

13-3, 0

Indiana

7-9, 0

Michigan

Indiana

Hannah Carson (Michigan Photography)

Home Runs by Blair, Carson Help U-M Cap Off Perfect Weekend at Indiana

3/28/2021 3:14:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

By: Leah Howard

» Michigan completed a four-game sweep at Indiana with a 4-0 win.
» Lexie Blair and Hannah Carson hit long solo home runs and had two hits apiece.
» Pitchers Alex Storako and Meghan Beaubien combined for U-M's seventh shutout of the season.
» Indiana put runners in scoring position in all but two innings and left nine runners on base.

Site: Bloomington, Ind. (Andy Mohr Field)
Score: #25 Michigan 4, Indiana 0
Records: U-M (13-3, 13-3 B1G), IU (7-9, 7-9 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Friday, April 2 -- vs. Michigan State (Wilpon Complex), 4 p.m.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Juniors Lexie Blair and Hannah Carson hit solo home runs, and the No. 25-ranked University of Michigan softball team's pitchers and defense managed to keep Indiana off the scoreboard for a 4-0 victory Sunday (March 28) at Andy Mohr Field. The Wolverines (13-3) won all four games of the Big Ten Conference series and improved to 13-3 on the season.

Michigan set the tone early, as Blair took the second pitch of the game deep over the wall in right field for her third round-tripper of the season. She has at least one hit in all 16 games this season.

Michigan added single tallies in the next two innings as well. In the second, senior Lou Allan led off with a walk. Freshman pinch runner Audrey LeClair moved to second on a groundout, took third on sophomore Julia Jimenez's single through the left side, and came home when fifth-year senior Haley Hoogenraad snuck an RBI single past the third baseman into left.

In the top of the third inning, Carson homered for the second straight day, smacking Emily Goodin's 3-1 offering to right with a similar location and distance as Blair's blast. Goodin pitched in every game of the series, making three starts, and absorbed all four losses.

Amber Linton took over in relief of Goodin in the fourth and limited Michigan to one insurance run, in the sixth. Senior Taylor Bump singled to lead off the inning, and two outs later pinch runner Kaylee Rodriguez stood at second base after two groundouts. Freshman Sierra Kersten then lined a double to the gap in right-center to give the Wolverines a 4-0 lead.

There was plenty of action on the bases for Indiana, which put runners in scoring position in the second, third, fourth, sixth and seventh innings. However, the Hoosiers left nine runners on base as the Michigan pitchers managed to work their way out of multiple jams.

Junior right-handed pitcher Alex Storako (8-2) started and tossed five shutouts innings, allowing two hits, walking three, hitting three batters and striking out six to lower her earned-run average to 0.49. In both the second and third innings, she ended the frame with a strikeout looking to subdue the scoring threats.

The Wolverines' defense came to Storako's rescue in the fifth, erasing two Hoosiers from the basepaths. Gabbi Jenkins was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, but a popup to Jimenez at second base with the runner going led to a double play. Another Hoosier reached on a walk but was thrown out by Carson trying to steal second to end the inning.

Senior LHP Meghan Beaubien came on in relief to start the sixth inning and navigated her way through a couple of dicey situations. The Hoosiers got a runner to third in the sixth, but Beaubien fanned Katie Lacefield to end the inning. In the seventh, Indiana had runners on second and third with one out after a leadoff triple and an infield single, but Beaubien got a strikeout swinging and flyout to right field to complete Michigan's seventh shutout of the season.

Eight of the nine batters in Michigan's starting lineup had at least one hit, with Blair and Carson picking up two apiece.

The Wolverines are scheduled to make their home season debut Friday (April 2), when they host Michigan State at 4 p.m. at the Wilpon Complex, home of Alumni Field. The teams will also play a 1 p.m. doubleheader Saturday in Ann Arbor before closing the series with a 1 p.m. single game Sunday in East Lansing, Mich.