Sophomore Samantha Findlay’s two-run blast over the rightfield fence proved to be the difference in the Michigan softball team’s home opener against Bowling Green on Tuesday.
Senior catcher Becky Marx made it back-to-back bombs when she hit a solo shot on Michigan’s next at-bat, helping to secure a 3-0 victory.
But it wasn’t a day of instant offense for the 12th-ranked Wolverines. The two home runs came with two outs in the fifth inning and the score tied at zero.
One of the team’s mottos is “Win every inning.” But the team failed to do that in the early frames. Michigan batters connected for several hard-hit balls, but few turned into base hits.
Sophomore centerfielder Alessandra Giampaolo had a solid at-bat in the third, but came away empty-handed. After three nice cuts went foul, Giampaolo smacked what appeared to be a slicing single to left. But Falcons outfielder Emmy Ramsey was in good position and made the catch.
Senior Stephanie Bercaw was the victim of a good defensive play as well. In the second inning, Bercaw pounded the ball hard into the dirt, but Bowling Green pitcher Hayley Wiemer snatched it and threw to first for the out.
The Wolverines did manage to get three runners on base in the fourth, but they were left stranded after Bowling Green retired two straight Michigan batters.
“We’d like to see us hit better throughout the lineup,” Michigan coach Carol Hutchins said. “We need to hit for a better team average. All of these kids can hit better than we’ve seen this season.”
Michigan has relied on late-inning runs for several recent victories.
At the Louisville Classic last weekend, the Wolverines played four innings of scoreless baseball against Toledo before exploding for 10 runs in the fifth and sixth innings combined. Michigan also needed two runs in the sixth to defeat Middle Tennessee State, and a tally in the eighth took down Eastern Michigan in two of the team’s close wins.
In their last three games, the Wolverines are averaging better than three hits per inning in the final two frames.
“We’ve been letting a few innings go by before we have kicked in and engaged,” Hutchins said. “We’ve got to do a better job competing right from the get-go.”
A lack of early-inning production has caused Michigan to play some very close contests. Early in the season, that cost the Wolverines several wins. But timely hitting and clutch pitching down the stretch have led the defending national champions to five victories in the past week.
Hot Pitching: The pitching staff has been on fire as of late.
Junior pitcher Lorilyn Wilson has started in four of Michigan’s last six games, recording victories in each, including her third straight shutout against Bowling Green.
Wilson surrendered four hits to Falcons players in the first two innings, but she refocused and didn’t allow a base runner for the rest of the game. Wilson is currently riding a 25-and-one-third inning shutout streak.
“Lorilyn is doing what we need from her,” Hutchins said. “And we definitely welcome the one-two punch (of Wilson and top pitcher Jennie Ritter).”
Ritter has come on strong as well. In her last two outings, both wins, she posted totals of 17 and 14 strikeouts respectively, while giving up just six hits.
The pitching staff has conceded just two runs to opponents in the last five games – both of which came with one swing of the bat against Middle Tennessee State.
Movin’ On Up: With Tuesday’s win, Hutchins moved into a tie for eighth place on the all-time victories list of NCAA softball coaches with an impressive 958th win. Hutchins is the only coach from a northern school in the top eight, and one of just two from the Big Ten conference. She can take sole possession of the eighth spot with a win this Sunday against Minnesota.