Michigan
34-15, 14-8
Wisconsin
27-18, 12-11
U-M Scores Nine Unanswered in Comeback Win at Wisconsin
5/8/2022 6:50:00 PM | Softball
» No. 23 Michigan scored nine unanswered runs over the final three runs to rally to a 13-9 win in the regular-season finale -- and claim the series sweep -- at Wisconsin.
» Melina Livingston drove in runs in all five plate appearances, going 3-for-3 with a career-best five RBI; U-M posted double-digit hits for the third time this weekend with 14.
» RHP Lauren Derkowski earned the win in relief, striking out six while allowing no runs on one hit and three walks over the final 3.1 innings.
MADISON, Wis. -- The No. 23-ranked University of Michigan softball team scored nine unanswered runs over the final three innings to win a wild one, 13-9, in the regular-season finale at Wisconsin on Sunday afternoon (May 8) at the Badgers' Goodman Diamond. With the victory, the Wolverines swept the final weekend series and finished the regular season with five straight wins.
Down 9-4 after the fourth inning, Michigan chipped away in the fifth and sixth, plating two runs in the former before taking the lead with a four-spot in the latter.
The Wolverines led off the sixth inning with three straight hits, including an RBI single from senior first baseman Lexie Blair, before using a walk to load the bases. Graduate student second baseman Melina Livingston, who drove in runs in all five of her plate appearances, posted a sac fly, and just two pitches later, freshman outfielder Ellie Sieler lined a game-tying RBI single into leftfield. A hit-by-pitch reloaded the bases with two outs, and freshman shortstop Ella McVey worked a five-pitch walk to push across the go-ahead run.
Wisconsin put the tying run on with a one-out walk in the bottom half, but freshman RHP Lauren Derkowski responded with back-to-back strikeouts to strand the runner at first then got big insurance in the seventh on homers from senior catcher Hannah Carson and Livingston. Carson sent a no-doubt two-run shot to rightfield for her fifth homer of the season, while Livingston went deep to leftfield for her fourth.
Derkowski (3-3) went 1-2-3 with a pair of strikeouts to close out the game and earn the win in relief. She finished with six total strikeouts and no runs allowed on one hit and three walks through the final 3.1 innings.
Four Wolverine pitchers saw time in the circle. Freshman RHP Annabelle Widra also pitched multiple frames in relief, allowing two runs on two hits and no walks with one strikeout through 2.2 innings.
Michigan boasted 14 hits -- its third game this weekend in double digits -- with five different players tallying multiple base knocks. Livingston went 3-for-3 with a career-best five RBI. In addition to her two sac flies and seventh-inning homer, she registered RBI singles in the first and third innings.
U-M (34-15, 14-8 Big Ten) will be the No. 4 seed at the Big Ten Tournament next weekend in East Lansing, Michigan. After a first-round bye, U-M will open play against the winner of the Maryland-Michigan State first-round game at 7 p.m. on Thursday (May 12) at Secchia Stadium.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Derkowski, Lauren (3-3)
L: SCHWARTZ (22-10)
Batting:
2B: Burkhardt, Kristina 1
HR: Carson, Hannah 1 ; Livingston, Melina 1
RBI: Blair, Lexie 1 ; Carson, Hannah 2 ; Bump, Taylor 1 ; Livingston, Melina 5 ; Sieler, Ellie 1 ; Widra, Annabelle 1 ; McVey, Ella 1
SH: Blair, Lexie 1
SF: Livingston, Melina 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Burkhardt, Kristina 1 ; LeClair, Audrey 3 ; Blair, Lexie 2 ; Rodriguez, Kaylee America 1 ; Carson, Hannah 4 ; Kersten, Sierra 1 ; Livingston, Melina 1
SB: Burkhardt, Kristina 1 ; Widra, Annabelle 1
HBP: Widra, Annabelle 1
Batting:
HR: KONWENT 1 ; KUMMER 1
RBI: KONWENT 3 ; GIRARDOT 1 ; KUMMER 5
Base Running:
RUNS: KONWENT 1 ; GIRARDOT 2 ; BANNON 1 ; KUMMER 1 ; SCHLOSSER 1 ; HUBBARD 2 ; HERBST 1
CS: BANNON 1
HBP: SCHLOSSER 1 ; HUBBARD 2
