Sophomore right-hander Megan Betsa had just dealt two balls to Georgia’s most prominent slugger — second baseman Alex Hugo. As Hugo stepped back into the box, a Bulldogs fan yelled, “Don’t be afraid!”
But if he knew what was coming, Georgia did have a reason to be afraid. Betsa went on to strike out both Hugo and shortstop Paige Wilson — good for her 300th of the year — before the Wolverines tallied four runs in the bottom of the same frame.
“I was just there to make a statement,” Betsa said. “(I wanted to) get three outs to get my team back in the dugout so we could score some runs.”
Michigan (21-2 Big Ten, 55-6 overall) captured a 10-3 victory in the first game of the Super Regionals, defeating the Bulldogs (14-9 SEC, 44-16 overall) on Thursday. The win places the Wolverines one win away from the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.
The four-run outburst started when junior second baseman Sierra Romero worked a full count and drew a walk against right-hander Chelsea Wilkinson. On the ensuing at-bat, sophomore left fielder Kelly Christner homered to dead center, giving Michigan a 2-0 lead.
After two walks and a single, the bases were loaded for freshman designated player Aidan Falk. Wilkinson walked the freshman as well, prompting the Bulldogs to send right-hander Brittany Gray to the circle in replacement of their typical ace.
“They wanted to take their ace out early since we got ahead,” Christner said. “So I’m guessing she’s going to start tomorrow, but a bunch of us got a good look at her. So I think we’ll go in (tomorrow) with that confidence knowing that we can hit her.”
The last run of the inning, which put the Wolverines up 4-0, came when sophomore shortstop Abby Ramirez was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. The final out was recorded when junior center fielder Sierra Lawrence grounded out to third.
There was no action on either side in the second. Betsa continued to deal in the second, allowing one walk but striking out three batters. Romero singled in the bottom of the frame, but the next three batters were retired.
The Bulldogs’ first run came in the third, when right fielder Sydni Emanuel hit a sac fly to left field and center fielder Niaja Griffin tagged up. Betsa recovered to force a line drive and strike out the next batter.
Falk sparked another four-run surge in the bottom of the third, singling to center before freshman pinch runner Nikki Wald took her place on the base path. Wald scored when Gray made an error trying to throw Ramirez out at first, putting Michigan ahead 5-1. Romero and Christner had the final three RBI of the inning, ending the frame with a 8-1 lead.
Betsa’s biggest setback came in the top of the fourth, when third baseman Anna Swafford sent a moonshot two-run homer over the centerfield wall. After Swafford’s blast, Betsa forced three straight outs to end the inning.
“We’re not going to get too high,” said Michigan coach Carol Hutchins. “I thought we got a little unfocused later in the game, and gave away some at-bats.”
The bottom half was much of the same for the Wolverines, as they scored two runs of their own to put themselves ahead 10-3. The run production came off the bats of Lawrence and freshman first baseman Tera Blanco. Michigan had some luck putting runs on the board, as junior pinch runner Olivia Richvalsky crossed home on a throwing error to first base.
Betsa held Georgia scoreless in the final three innings, solidifying her 10-strikeout performance. The crowd rose in a universal ovation as she faced the final batter. It was more of the same for the sophomore, but that didn’t mean the crowd would stop buzzing with excitement.
Because whether Betsa wants to think of it this way or not, she had once again lifted her team to an exceptional level, and one step closer to the promised land in Oklahoma City.