In a season of offensive ups and downs, one thing has stayed relatively reliable — the Michigan softball team’s defense. So, it came as no surprise when junior right-hander Lauren Derkowski retired the side to close out the Wolverines’ final game of the weekend against Illinois.
This past weekend, Michigan showed some consistency in the Cardinal Classic. After the Wolverines’ close 4-3 win against South Dakota (15-17 overall), followed by a decisive 12-4 loss against Louisville (18-9) on Saturday, Michigan bounced back to earn a 4-2 win against Dartmouth (3-7) and a 4-1 victory over against the Illini (11-12) on Sunday.
Bolstered by their defensive performances, the Wolverines ended the weekend on a high with a 3-1 overall finish in the Classic. But it took some time to get the ball rolling.
Against the Coyotes, Michigan’s pitching lineup recorded six strikeouts and just three earned runs while its defense did what it could to keep South Dakota at bay. But with the Coyotes up 3-0 at the top of the seventh inning, it was clear that the Wolverines’ offense needed a spark.
Sophomore third baseman Maddie Erickson was the next contender at the plate, and she lit a match. With the bases loaded, Erickson launched a single to left field that allowed freshman right fielder Ella Stephenson to score. One pitch later, senior catcher Keke Tholl’s single drove in two additional runs. And so, set at a tie game, all it took was one final single from freshman first baseman Lilly Vallimont to boost Michigan to a walk-off win against the Coyotes.
“We were challenged in different ways,” Michigan coach Bonnie Tholl said. “When we initially came out the first game on Saturday, we fell behind. We fought until the very last out, and I believe that our belief that we could get things done and fight to the very last out is the reason that we won.”
Heart can go a long way, but their defensive consistency has kept the Wolverines afloat this season — and these games were no different.
In their second game of the Classic, they faced the Cardinals for the second time this season. In the first matchup, Michigan walked away with a slim 2-0 loss. But this time, things took a much different turn.
Against Louisville, the Wolverines’ steady defense was nowhere to be found.
In stark contrast to the prior game against South Dakota, in which Michigan surrendered just three earned runs, its defense crumbled against the Cardinals. The Wolverines allowed 12 earned run — six against freshman pitcher Erin Hoehn, five against junior right-hander Emerson Aiken and one against graduate right-hander player Hannah George — to force a mercy rule.
So, when their offense began to exhibit season-long inconsistencies, their defense wasn’t there to help shoulder the weight — and it cost them.
“I just don’t think we were playing Michigan softball,” Erickson said. “I think we were really in our heads and trying to make some crazy things happen instead of just playing how we know how to play and getting the easy outs.”
And so, though Michigan managed to tally four runs, it ultimately fell to Louisville in the absence of its consistent defense, 12-4.
Although Saturday didn’t end how they had planned, the Wolverines approached Sunday with a clean slate.
Still scoreless in the second inning against the Big Green, a single and a pair of wild pitches advanced Dartmouth’s runner to third base, leaving the Big Green thinking they had an opportunity to score. What they didn’t expect were three consecutive strikeouts from Derkowski that ended their chances of a run. Back at the plate at the bottom of the second inning, doubles from freshman center fielder Jenissa Conway and Hoehn culminated in two runs and an early lead for Michigan.
In the subsequent innings, there was only one earned run against Derkowski as she totaled a season-high 10 strikeouts. A homer from Erickson extended the Wolverines’ lead to 4-1 as the Big Green’s offense struggled against Michigan’s field presence. With only one error, the Wolverines’ defense aided in keeping Dartmouth at bay, resulting in a 4-2 win.
And Michigan wasn’t quite done yet. With one more game against Illinois, the defense had to remain consistent to help earn the final win.
Up 3-1 in the fifth inning, an error allowed the Illini to load the bases, and all eyes turned to Derkowski to prevent them from capitalizing and making a comeback. Consistent as ever, she followed through. A strikeout followed by a put-out from Erickson left Illinois without a run — a play the Illini ultimately couldn’t come back from. And so, after a quick run scored by sophomore second baseman Indiana Langford, two strikeouts and a groundout for Illinois left the Wolverines with the 4-1 win.
Amid season-long offensive inconsistencies, Michigan’s defense has weathered the storm and remained a reliable strength for the team, helping it to three wins this weekend. Yet, it cannot be the only thing the Wolverines rely on, as when their defense stumbled, the whole team fell with it. As conference play approaches, Michigan’s offense will need to look to its defense to learn one thing — consistency.