Michigan Slugs Way Past MSU Behind Putz's Four RBI

Friday, May 1

East Lansing, Mich.

5:00 PM

Michigan

31-19, 9-13

Michigan State

17-32, 3-18

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Michigan	0	0	3	1	1	0	1	6	11	0
Michigan State	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	10	0

Lauren Putz (Michigan Photography)

5/1/2026 7:53:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

By: Leah Howard

» Michigan earned a 6-1 win in the series opener at Michigan State.
» Lauren Putz posted three extra-base hits, including two homers, and four RBI; Jenissa Conway also tallied three hits.
» Erin Hoehn earned the win from the circle, striking out five while allowing just one run on 10 hits and two walks; MSU stranded 11 baserunners.

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- The University of Michigan softball team used its power to roll to a 6-1 decision in the series opener at rival Michigan State on Friday evening (May 1) at Secchia Stadium.

Sophomore right fielder Lauren Putz went 3-for-3 with two home runs and four RBI to lead the Wolverine offense, while junior center fielder Jenissa Conway also posted three hits and drove in a run, and redshirt junior catcher Lilly Vallimont knocked out a solo homer.

With her performance, Putz moved to third place among Michigan's all-time single-season leaders in both home runs and RBI. She upped her home run tally to 21, just two shy of Sierra Romero's 2013 mark of 23, and with 74 RBI needs six more to reach Romero (83, 2015).

Junior right-handed pitcher Erin Hoehn (8-5) earned the complete-game victory, allowing just one run -- on a third-inning sacrifice fly -- on 10 hits and two walks with five strikeouts. Hoehn got out of bases-loaded jams in both the fourth and fifth innings and left 11 Spartan baserunners stranded on base.

Both teams scored in the third inning. Michigan (31-19, 9-13 Big Ten) used a leadoff hit-by-pitch and bunt single to put two on for Putz, who knocked out a three-run shot to right-center. The Spartans (17-32, 3-18 Big Ten) answered with a sacrifice fly to center in the bottom half before Hoehn fanned the next batter to end the frame.

Michigan got the run back immediately when Vallimont crushed a leadoff no-doubter in the fourth, sending it into the Red Cedar River beyond the left-field wall for her eighth homer this season. Putz followed suit in the fifth, blasting a solo homer to left-center for her second of the game and 21st of the season.

Putz picked up her third extra-base hit with a seventh-inning double and scored when Conway ripped a single up the middle two batters later.

The Wolverines will face Michigan State again at 5 p.m. on Saturday (May 2) at Secchia Stadium. The game will be streamed live on B1G+.