Wolverines Fall to Fifth-Seeded Host Oklahoma State in NCAA Regional Final

Sunday, May 19

Stillwater, Okla.

2:00 PM CT

Michigan

43-18

Oklahoma State

47-10

OKLAHOMA STATE

MICHIGAN

(Michigan Photography)

Wolverines Fall to Fifth-Seeded Host Oklahoma State in NCAA Regional Final

5/19/2024 6:58:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Leah Howard

» The Wolverines scored early, but No. 5 overall seed Oklahoma State used a pair of home runs to pull away for a 4-1 home win in the NCAA Regional final.
» Michigan posted four of its five hits in the first inning; Keke Tholl used a bloop single to drive in U-M's lone in the first.
» Lauren Derkowski allowed four runs on seven hits, including three runs on two homers, and struck out four Cowgirl hitters.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- The University of Michigan softball team kept pace early but slowed offensively in a 4-1 defeat to No. 5 overall seed Oklahoma State in the NCAA Regional final on Sunday afternoon (May 19) at OSU's Cowgirl Stadium.

Both teams scored a run in the first inning. The Cowgirls doubled to lead off the game and scored with another hit to the right side to push the first run home in just the second at-bat. Michigan answered with four hits in the bottom half when junior outfielder Ellie Sieler reached on an infield single, moved to scoring position on a groundout and scored from second base when senior first baseman Keke Tholl looped a single into shallow right after fouling off three in a row, including a hard one off her foot.

The Wolverines loaded the bases in the first, following Tholl's RBI single with another looper just inside the left-field line and another infield single to shortstop, but a groundout stranded three.

The Cowgirls' ace pitcher Lexi Kilfoyl, a 2023 NFCA All-American, retired 17 straight batters to keep Michigan off base until the seventh inning. The Wolverines finished with five hits in the game, no walks and struck out eight times.

OSU used a pair of long balls to pull away, retaking the lead with a two-out solo home run in the top of the second inning before adding insurance with another homer, for two runs, in the fifth.

Freshman outfielder Jenissa Conway reached on a roped double to left-center field with one out in the seventh and advanced to third on a groundout, but a strikeout stranded her there to end the game.

Junior right-handed pitcher Lauren Derkowski (19-10) was solid despite defeat, striking out four Cowgirl batters while allowing four runs on seven hits -- and three runs on the two homers -- and one walk.

The Wolverines end their 2024 campaign with a 43-18 record, winning 29 of their last 36 games of the season with an 18-5 mark in Big Ten Conference games, and captured the 11th Big Ten Tournament title in program history. Michigan returned to the NCAA Tournament after a one-year hiatus and advanced to the NCAA Regional final for the fourth time in five years.