Wolverines Win Back-to-Back Elimination Games to Advance to NCAA Regional Final

Saturday, May 18

Stillwater, Okla.

2:30 PM CT

Michigan

42-17

Northern Colorado

27-26

NORTHERN COLORADO

MICHIGAN

(Michigan Photography)

Wolverines Win Back-to-Back Elimination Games to Advance to NCAA Regional Final

5/18/2024 10:18:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Highlights vs. Northern Colorado Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2

By: Leah Howard

» Michigan defeated Northern Colorado 4-2 in a walk-off and Kentucky 4-2 in a rematch in back-to-back NCAA Regional elimination games.
» Maddie Erickson hit the walk-off two-run homer in the seventh inning against UNC, while Lilly Vallimont and Keke Tholl both posted two-run homers against Kentucky.
» Hannah George threw four perfect innings to earn a win and a save in relief; she recorded the final nine outs against the Wildcats.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- The University of Michigan softball team battled through back-to-back elimination games on day two of NCAA Regional play Saturday (May 18), defeating Northern Colorado 4-2 in a walk-off and Kentucky 4-2 in a rematch of its regional opener at Oklahoma State's Cowgirl Stadium.

With the victory, the Wolverines (43-17) advance to the regional final Sunday (May 19) when they will take on host Oklahoma State at 2 p.m. CDT at Cowgirl Stadium. Michigan will need to win twice against the Cowgirls to advance to next weekend's super regional.

Michigan took advantage of the long ball in both contests. Sophomore third baseman Maddie Erickson belted a two-run, walk-off homer in the seventh inning against Northern Colorado, while sophomore/freshman catcher Lilly Vallimont and senior first baseman Keke Tholl both registered two-run shots in the Kentucky game. Erickson and Vallimont posted three RBI apiece on the day.

Vallimont, who took a foul ball directly off her right arm in the top of the first inning then made a diving catch on a foul popup in the second, broke through to give Michigan the first lead in the bottom of the second. Freshman outfielder Jenissa Conway reached on a hit-by-pitch, and Vallimont connected with the first pitch of the next at-bat, lining it deep down the left-field line for her sixth homer of the season.

Kentucky scored unearned on an RBI single in the third to narrow the Wolverine lead to 2-1, but Tholl responded with her two-run shot in the home half, sending a no-doubter into the deck seating beyond the left-field wall for her team-best 16th home run of the season and a 4-1 U-M advantage.

The Wildcats added another unearned run off a high-chop single up the middle and subsequent fielding error, but that would end the game's scoring in the fourth inning.

Freshmen right-handed pitcher Erin Hoehn (15-5) earned the win with two runs on eight hits and no walks through four innings. Graduate student RHP Hannah George entered with two on and no outs in the fifth and, with help from Erickson at third, promptly forced a 5-3 double play and another 5-3 groundout on a hard-hit bouncer down the third-base line. George went six up, six down over the final two innings to earn her second save this season.

Michigan clawed back from a 2-0 deficit in the earlier game against the Bears, who scored their runs on a first-inning solo homer and third-inning fielder's choice -- on which the Wolverines turned a double play but after the run scored.

Erickson drove in U-M's first run in the bottom of the third. Junior shortstop Ella McVey, who scored two of Michigan's four runs in the game, led off with a walk and scored from second base when Erickson looped an RBI single into right-center field.

The Wolverines evened the score with two outs in the sixth -- and just one at-bat after the potential tying run was thrown out at the plate off a Conway fielder's choice to the right side. Vallimont roped a ball into left-center field, and the UNC left fielder ranged over to get her glove on it but lost it when she hit the wall. Vallimont was credited with an RBI double as Conway scored from first base.

Northern Colorado threatened in the top of the seventh, drawing back-to-back walks to chase junior RHP Lauren Derkowski from the game. George (7-1) entered with two on and two outs and retired the next three batters to ultimately get the win in relief. Derkowski finished with four strikeouts and allowed two runs on three hits and four walks.

UNC also changed pitchers in the bottom of the seventh. McVey led off with a single down the left-field line and, after two quick outs, Erickson ended the game with a two-run shot to left field -- her 12th home run of the season.