Michigan
25-8
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Western Michigan
8-10
Wolverines Run Rule WMU in 2025 Home Opener
3/25/2025 9:10:00 PM | Softball
» Michigan rallied twice from early deficits to earn a 12-4, six-inning decision against Western Michigan in its home opener.
» Lauren Putz went 2-for-3 with two runs and three RBI, including the go-ahead two-run shot in the third; Ryleigh Carricaburu knocked out the game-ending leadoff homer in the sixth for her first collegiate long ball.
» Haley Ferguson earned the win in relief, while U-M's three new pitchers saw innings, combining for seven strikeouts and just two hits and four walks allowed.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan softball team kicked off its 2025 home slate with a 12-4, six-inning win over in-state foe Western Michigan on Tuesday evening (March 25) at the Wilpon Complex, home of Carol Hutchins Stadium and Alumni Field.
Michigan (25-8) twice rallied — from a three-run deficit in the first and a one-run hole in the third — before surging ahead with nine unanswered runs to end the game early via run rule.
Freshman first baseman Lauren Putz continued her standout debut season, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored and three RBI. Her two-run homer in the third gave Michigan its first lead of the game. Graduate student Ryleigh Carricaburu capped the night with a leadoff solo home run in the sixth, the first of her collegiate career, to seal the walk-off victory. The Wolverines racked up a season-high 15 hits, with six players posting multi-hit games.
All three of Michigan's freshman pitchers saw action in the circle and held WMU to just two hits — both home runs — while combining for seven strikeouts. Haley Ferguson (2-1) earned the win in relief, tossing four innings and allowing one run on one hit and two walks with two strikeouts.
Both teams came out swinging in the first inning. Western Michigan (8-20) struck first, putting two runners in scoring position with no outs and scoring three on a groundout and two-run homer to right. Michigan answered quickly. After two runners reached, Putz smashed a double to left-center to drive in a pair. The Wolverines added a third run on a groundout and wild pitch.
WMU briefly reclaimed the lead in the third with a solo home run, but the Wolverines responded again in the bottom half. Ella Stephenson led off with a double and scored when Putz crushed her team-leading 11th home run of the season into the right-field grandstand.
Michigan kept the momentum rolling, loading the bases with no outs in both the fourth and fifth innings. The Wolverines plated four runs in the fourth on a walk and back-to-back RBI singles from Ellie Sieler and Maddie Erickson, both of whom tallied two hits in the game. U-M added two more in the fifth with back-to-back bases-loaded walks after a WMU pitching change.
Carricaburu, who entered the game as a defensive sub in the fifth, wasted no time in the sixth. She jumped on the first pitch and launched a deep shot over the right-center wall to trigger the run-rule finish. It marked Michigan's fifth run-rule win of the season and made Carricaburu the ninth different Wolverine to homer this year.
Michigan returns to action this weekend with a three-game home series against in-state rival Michigan State at Hutchins Stadium. The series begins Friday (March 28) at 5 p.m., continues Saturday (March 29) at 2 p.m., and wraps up Sunday (March 30) at 1 p.m. All games will stream live on B1G+, and tickets are available through the U-M Ticket Office.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Ferguson, Haley (2-1)
L: Kaylee Salyer (0-4)
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Batting:
HR: Jordan Smith 1 ; Tristen Head 1
RBI: Jordan Smith 2 ; Tristen Head 2
SH: Rylee O'Brien 1 ; Caitlin Tighe 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Payton Kelly 1 ; Riley Dittmar 1 ; Jordan Smith 1 ; Tristen Head 1
SB: Payton Kelly 1
HBP: Payton Kelly 1
Batting:
2B: Stephenson, Ella 1 ; Putz, Lauren 1
HR: Putz, Lauren 1 ; Carricaburu, Ryleigh 1
RBI: Fantucci, Avery 1 ; Putz, Lauren 3 ; Dircks, Andee 1 ; Beemer, Megan 2 ; Sieler, Ellie 2 ; Erickson, Maddie 1 ; Carricaburu, Ryleigh 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Langford, Indiana 1 ; Ilacqua, Janelle 1 ; Conway, Jenissa 2 ; Stephenson, Ella 2 ; Putz, Lauren 2 ; Beemer, Megan 1 ; Carricaburu, Ryleigh 1 ; McVey, Ella 1 ; Thorington, Cece 1
