Blair, Kersten Homer to Back Storako's One-Hit Pitching in Shutout of Oakland

Wednesday, March 16

Ann Arbor, Mich.

4:00 PM

Michigan

17-6

Oakland

7-7

Oakland

Michigan

Alex Storako (Michigan Photography)

Blair, Kersten Homer to Back Storako's One-Hit Pitching in Shutout of Oakland

3/16/2022 6:02:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

By: Leah Howard

» Alex Storako struck out 16 batters and allowed only a leadoff infield single in improving to 13-0 on the season.
» Lexie Blair opened the scoring with a three-run home run in the fifth inning.
» Sierra Kersten had two hits, including a two-run homer in the sixth inning that capped the scoring.
» After a weekend off from competition, Michigan has five home games on the schedule next week.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Senior RHP Alex Storako struck out 16 batters and received offensive support via home runs from senior Lexie Blair and sophomore Sierra Kersten as the No. 21-ranked University of Michigan softball shut out Oakland 6-0 in an hour and 20 minutes Wednesday afternoon (March 16) at the Wilpon Complex, home of Alumni Field.

After yielding an infield single to lead off the game, Storako was dominant in picking up her 13th victory of the season against no losses. She had at least two punchouts in each inning and struck out the side in both the third and fourth as part of a stretch of eight consecutive K's. She walked none and allowed only two balls to leave the infield, the latter of which came on Madison Jones' deep drive to center field that graduate student Kristina Burkhardt hauled in at the wall to close the sixth inning.

Oakland pitcher Sydney Campbell was equally effective in the early going, limiting the Wolverines to three baserunners -- on two singles and a hit by pitch -- as the teams sailed through the first four innings without a score.

Michigan finally got to Campbell with three runs in the fifth. A one-out single by Kersten and two-out walk to sophomore pinch-hitter Keke Tholl set the table for Blair, who sent an 0-1 pitch over the wall in center for her second round-tripper of the season and a 3-0 Michigan lead.

The Wolverines tacked on three more runs in the sixth. Burkhardt led off with infield hit on a grounder the shortstop dove to her right to stop, moved to second on senior Hannah Carson's sacrifice bunt, took third on a groundout, and scored when senior Melina Livingston beat out a slow roller to third base. Kersten followed with a home run halfway up the bleachers in right field for her fourth long ball of the year.

Michigan has the weekend off before returning to action with five home games next week, including the first Big Ten Conference games of the season. The Wolverines will host Western Michigan on Tuesday (March 22, 4 p.m.) and Miami University on Wednesday (March 23, 4 p.m.) before a three-game weekend set against Nebraska (March 25-27). Tickets are available at MGoBlue.com/tickets.