Michigan Defeats UCLA to Repeat as B1G Tournament Champion

Saturday, May 10

West Lafayette, Ind.

4:00 PM

Michigan

38-19

UCLA

49-10

Mich

UCLA

(Michigan Photography)

Michigan Defeats UCLA to Repeat as B1G Tournament Champion

5/10/2025 5:55:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

By: Leah Howard

» Michigan scored two runs in the sixth inning to break up a pitchers' duel and earn a 2-0 win over No. 9 UCLA in the Big Ten Tournament championship game.
» Tournament MOP Lauren Derkowski allowed no runs on three hits and one walk over five innings and teamed with Erin Hoehn to earn its second shutout over a top-10 team in three days.
» Jenissa Conway and Ella Stephenson drove in U-M's runs in the sixth.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- The University of Michigan softball team captured its second straight Big Ten Conference Tournament title with a hard-fought 2-0 win over No. 9 UCLA on Saturday afternoon (May 10) at Purdue's Bittinger Stadium. With the tournament win -- 12th in program history -- the Wolverines also secured the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Michigan came out on top of a championship pitchers' duel. Senior right-handed pitcher Lauren Derkowski, who was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, holding UCLA to three hits and two walks with a pair of strikeouts through five innings. She combined with sophomore RHP Erin Hoehn for their second shutout over a top-10 team in three days; Hoehn closed out the game with six straight outs over the final two innings en route to her second save in as many days. Hoehn was also named to the All-Tournament Team.

Michigan used three hits and an error to break through in the top of the sixth inning. Junior second baseman Indiana Langford punched a one-out single to left field, advanced to second when the ball bounced off the Bruin left fielder's glove and scored when sophomore center fielder Jenissa Conway roped a double over the center fielder's head. Conway herself advanced to third on a groundout and scored on sophomore right fielder Ella Stephenson's floater up the middle. Langford and Conway were also on the All-Tournament Team.

UCLA drew a leadoff walk in the sixth after Michigan took the lead. Hoehn entered with no outs and set down the next three, headlined by a diving stop from junior third baseman Maddie Erickson, who threw to first from her knees for the second out. Hoehn went 1-2-3 in the seventh, ending the game with another 5-3 groundout.

Opportunities were scarce in the early innings. Both teams posted one hit apiece and combined for just seven total baserunners through the fourth. UCLA used two free passes -- a leadoff walk and dropped liner in center field -- to put up the biggest early threat with one out in the fourth. UCLA threatened again in the fifth, putting two runners in scoring position with a leadoff single and a one-out bunt single. Erickson caught a popped bunt, and Michigan got out of the jam with a flyout to right field.

The NCAA Tournament bracket and regional sites will be announced Sunday (May 11) at 7 p.m. on ESPN2. It will be the Wolverines' 29th appearance in 30 years. U-M has reached the Women's College World Series 12 times and won the 2005 national championship.