Junior rightfielder Angela Findlay has hit 11 home runs in her Michigan career, and she’ll probably hit many more before she graduates.

But she may never hit another one quite like her third-inning bomb in the first game of the Wolverines’ doubleheader against Purdue on Saturday.

The Boilermakers had narrowed Michigan’s lead to one in the top half of the inning, and with her teammates screaming, “Get one back!” from the dugout, Findlay did just that. She turned on Purdue pitcher Suzie Rzegocki’s first offering of the inning, sending a low line drive screaming toward center field.

Alumni Field’s six-and-a-half-foot-tall outfield fences may be the shortest of any Big Ten softball stadium, and Findlay’s drive barely cleared the padding on the rightfield side of the 222-foot sign — before dropping into a large, gray Rubbermaid garbage can.

Michigan coach Carol Hutchins, who’s spent over 30 years in collegiate softball, said she’s never seen a home run land in a garbage can.

“I asked for three points,” Hutchins said. “That was a three-point shot.”

The Alumni Field crowd, which had erupted as soon as Findlay’s bat connected with the pitch, broke out in raucous applause when they saw it land in the can. A few minutes later, a young fan walked over to the can and peered down apprehensively before reaching in and retrieving the bright yellow prize.

Findlay, who was unaware of the ball’s final destination until she returned to the dugout, said she couldn’t put another homer in the can even if she had 100 tries.

The 10th-ranked Wolverines would go on to win the game 3-1 and sweep the series with a 4-3 nine-inning win in game two.

Rain, wind and sun: A forecast of rain on Sunday prompted Hutchins and Purdue coach Kim Maher to change their Saturday/Sunday series into a Saturday doubleheader. The decision, which was finalized shortly before Saturday’s 2:00 p.m. start, was made not only to protect against a rainout, but also to protect the players’ safety.

“We’ve put our kids in some really poor conditions over the years, and why do it if you don’t have to?” Hutchins said.

Saturday afternoon was sunny and clear, but weather was still an issue. Even with the aid of sunglasses and visors, outfielders on both teams struggled against bright sunlight all day. And swirling winds kept the large American flag beyond the centerfield fence taut and pointed straight towards right field.

Leading off the top of the third inning in game two, Purdue’s Liane Horiuchi belted a Jordan Taylor pitch to deep right field. Findlay seemed to have a read on it until the last second, but she slowed to avoid a collision with the right-field fence. The ball bounced up against the fence and back towards the infield.

By the time Findlay relayed it back to the infield, Horiuchi was standing on third base with a triple. She would eventually score as the Boilermakers (3-3 Big Ten, 18-12 overall) tied the game at two.

“I thought the sun was a factor a couple times,” Hutchins said. “I think the one on Angela kept blowing, but Angela needed to sprint to the fence and I didn’t totally see it.”

Early-spring softball in the Big Ten may be at nature’s mercy, but the elements cut both ways.

An inning later, Michigan sophomore first baseman Dorian Shaw hit a ball high in the air to left field. Once the winds took hold, the routine pop up play became an adventure for Purdue left fielder Molly Garst. She tracked the ball towards centerfield but couldn't make a play as it fell beyond her outstretched glove.

Shaw, running hard out of the batter’s box, motored into second with a double. One batter later, she would score on an error for Michigan’s third run of the game.

“Regardless, we both had to play in the same conditions,” Hutchins said.

Notes: Michigan is 32-2 against Purdue all-time. ... In eight plate appearances during the series, junior catcher Roya St. Clair reached base seven times. ... Nikki Nemitz recorded 32 outs during the series, with 19 coming via strikeout.