Wolverines Split Opening-Day Games at USF-Rawlings Invitational

Friday, February 7

Tampa, Fla.

11:30 AM

Michigan

0-1

Delaware

2-2

Delaware

Michigan

Jenissa Conway (Michigan Photography)

Wolverines Split Opening-Day Games at USF-Rawlings Invitational

2/7/2025 9:39:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2

By: Leah Howard

» Michigan split its opening-day games, falling to Delaware 8-2 before defeating host USF 1-0 at the USF-Rawlings Invitational.
» Jenissa Conway led U-M with three hits and drove in the game-winning run in the fifth inning against the Bulls; Lauren Putz went 2-for-5 with two walks in her collegiate debut.
» Lauren Derkowski earned a complete-game shutout against USF, posting three strikeouts while allowing five hits and no walks.

TAMPA, Fla. -- The University of Michigan softball team kicked off the 2025 season with an opening-day split, falling to Delaware 8-2 in the opener before bouncing back with a 1-0 shutout against host South Florida at the USF-Rawlings Invitational on Friday (Feb. 7) at USF Softball Stadium.

Sophomore outfielder Jenissa Conway led the Wolverines (1-1) with three hits, the game-winning RBI in the second slate and a run scored in the first, while freshman first baseman Lauren Putz went 2-for-5 on the day with a pair of walks in her first collegiate games.

Senior right-handed pitcher Lauren Derkowski (1-0) tossed a complete-game, five-hit shutout against USF (2-1), registering three strikeouts and no walks to earn the Wolverines' first win of the season. The Bulls only put three runners in scoring position and did not advance beyond second base.

Michigan manufactured the lone run of the nightcap in the fifth inning, loading the bases with a leadoff walk, an error at first base and junior second baseman Indiana Langford's bunt single before Conway pushed across freshman pinch runner Cece Thorington with a 6-3 RBI groundout. The Bulls intentionally walked junior third baseman Maddie Erickson to reload the bases, but a swinging strikeout left all three runners stranded.

The Wolverines thought it had the first run earlier, in the first inning when USF's pitcher and catcher collided trying to catch a shallow popup just feet down the first-base line to allow Conway to score from second base. However, it was overturned on review, and Erickson was called for interference for the inning's third out.

USF led off the bottom of the seventh with back-to-back singles to lodge its biggest threat of the game, but the Wolverines retired the next three Bulls in order on a pair of popouts and an Erickson catch while wrapped up the netting next to the third-base dugout. It was Erickson's second grab in foul territory in as many innings.

The Wolverines could not shake a slow start in the opener.

Delaware (2-2) took advantage of three hit batters and a pair of RBI doubles to left-center to plate five runs in the top of the first. Michigan got one back in the bottom half of the frame when Conway drove a single under the right fielder's glove to make it to third base and scored on a passed ball in the next at-bat.

Michigan stranded two in the first inning and 13 in the contest, including bases-loaded situations in both the fourth and sixth innings to stymie its rallies.

The Wolverines rallied again in the seventh. Putz beat out an infield single to short for her first collegiate hit, then scored her first collegiate run two batters later on an errant throw off a bouncing grounder to short. Michigan had two runners in scoring position with no outs after the error and run scored but went down in order to close out the game.

Freshman RHP Haley Ferguson pitched the bulk of the innings against Delaware and was solid in her first collegiate appearance, entering with runners on the corners and one out in the first and allowing three runs on five hits and a walk over 5.2 innings. Sophomore RHP Erin Hoehn (0-1) took the loss against the Blue Hens with three hits and five runs allowed.

Michigan will return to action at the USF-Rawlings Invitational tomorrow (Saturday, Feb. 8) when it takes on Illinois State at 10 a.m. and No. 3 Florida at 3 p.m. at USF Softball Stadium.