Saturday, March 26
Ann Arbor, MI
1 p.m. CT/2 p.m. ET
Northwestern
10-17, 1-1
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11
Michigan
23-3, 1-1
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5
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Northwestern
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Michigan
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11
5
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No. 2 Michigan Evens Series With Northwestern, 11-3 (5)
3/26/2016 2:58:00 PM | Softball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – One day after Northwestern climbed out of a big early hole to defeat No. 2 Michigan in the Big Ten opener, the Wildcats had no answer for an early Wolverines rally in an 11-3 (5) defeat Saturday at Alumni Field.
Northwestern (10-17, 1-1) and Michigan (23-3, 1-1) play the rubber game of this Big Ten-opening series at noon CT/1 p.m. ET tomorrow, Sunday, March 27.
Northwestern picked up where it left off in Friday's wild win with a pair of runs in the top of the first Saturday. With one out, Krista Williams drew a walk and stole second before Andrea Filler lined a two-strike Megan Betsa offering over the fence in left-field for a two-run home run and a 2-0 Northwestern lead.
The home run tied Filler with Amy Letourneau for the team lead with seven this season. Filler has 33 in her collegiate career and 25 as a Wildcat.
In the bottom of the first, Michigan plated five during a defensively adventurous inning that saw a two-run double lost in the sun in the outfield and a two-out error result in two more Wolverines runs coming across. With two outs and a runner at third, freshman Kaley Winegarner entered the circle in relief of starter Nicole Bond, successfully coaxing a pop-up to end the frame with NU trailing, 5-2.
In the top of the second, junior Alcy Bush got one of those runs back immediately with a solo shot to dead center field, her second of the season and of her career. Caylor Arnold followed with a walk and Brooke Marquez singled to center, but Betsa recovered with two strikeouts to stop the onslaught with the Wolverines still on top, 5-3.
Michigan unloaded in the bottom of the second, using a grand slam and a two-run home run to take an 11-3 lead. In the bottom of the third, the Wolverines got a 1-out baserunner before Alcy Bush started a nice 3-6 double play at first to end the frame with the score the same.
The Wildcats put together a rally in the top of the fourth after the double play, loading the bases on a Fran Strub walk, Marquez's second single of the game and a Rabin walk. Betsa got a strikeout to leave them loaded and keep Michigan on top by a run-rule margin.
Much as it did in the third, Northwestern got a double play to end a scoreless fourth. Strub tracked down a deep fly ball on the track in right field, then doubled up the runner at first, but the Wildcats were unable to rally in the fifth as they did on Friday. NU did get runners on in the form of a two-out Morgan Nelson walk and a Strub infield single, but Betsa once again did not allow the Wildcats to cash in.
Bond (0-2) took the loss in the start, going two-thirds of an inning and allowing five runs (three earned) on two hits and three walks. Winegarner went the rest of the way in the circle, tossing 3.1 innings and giving up six runs on three hits and two walks with a hit batter. She settled in after her rough second inning to keep Michigan scoreless in the third and fourth frames.
In addition to the Filler and Bush home runs, Marquez had a good day at the plate for Northwestern with a 2-for-2 performance.
Northwestern (10-17, 1-1) and Michigan (23-3, 1-1) play the rubber game of this Big Ten-opening series at noon CT/1 p.m. ET tomorrow, Sunday, March 27.
Northwestern picked up where it left off in Friday's wild win with a pair of runs in the top of the first Saturday. With one out, Krista Williams drew a walk and stole second before Andrea Filler lined a two-strike Megan Betsa offering over the fence in left-field for a two-run home run and a 2-0 Northwestern lead.
The home run tied Filler with Amy Letourneau for the team lead with seven this season. Filler has 33 in her collegiate career and 25 as a Wildcat.
In the bottom of the first, Michigan plated five during a defensively adventurous inning that saw a two-run double lost in the sun in the outfield and a two-out error result in two more Wolverines runs coming across. With two outs and a runner at third, freshman Kaley Winegarner entered the circle in relief of starter Nicole Bond, successfully coaxing a pop-up to end the frame with NU trailing, 5-2.
In the top of the second, junior Alcy Bush got one of those runs back immediately with a solo shot to dead center field, her second of the season and of her career. Caylor Arnold followed with a walk and Brooke Marquez singled to center, but Betsa recovered with two strikeouts to stop the onslaught with the Wolverines still on top, 5-3.
Michigan unloaded in the bottom of the second, using a grand slam and a two-run home run to take an 11-3 lead. In the bottom of the third, the Wolverines got a 1-out baserunner before Alcy Bush started a nice 3-6 double play at first to end the frame with the score the same.
The Wildcats put together a rally in the top of the fourth after the double play, loading the bases on a Fran Strub walk, Marquez's second single of the game and a Rabin walk. Betsa got a strikeout to leave them loaded and keep Michigan on top by a run-rule margin.
Much as it did in the third, Northwestern got a double play to end a scoreless fourth. Strub tracked down a deep fly ball on the track in right field, then doubled up the runner at first, but the Wildcats were unable to rally in the fifth as they did on Friday. NU did get runners on in the form of a two-out Morgan Nelson walk and a Strub infield single, but Betsa once again did not allow the Wildcats to cash in.
Bond (0-2) took the loss in the start, going two-thirds of an inning and allowing five runs (three earned) on two hits and three walks. Winegarner went the rest of the way in the circle, tossing 3.1 innings and giving up six runs on three hits and two walks with a hit batter. She settled in after her rough second inning to keep Michigan scoreless in the third and fourth frames.
In addition to the Filler and Bush home runs, Marquez had a good day at the plate for Northwestern with a 2-for-2 performance.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Betsa, Megan (10-2)
L: Bond, Nicole (0-2)
Batting:
HR: Filler, Andrea 1 ; Bush, Alcy 1
RBI: Filler, Andrea 2 ; Bush, Alcy 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Williams, Krista 1 ; Filler, Andrea 1 ; Bush, Alcy 1
SB: Williams, Krista 1
Batting:
2B: Blanco, Tera 1
HR: Blanco, Tera 1 ; Montemarano, Lindsey 1
RBI: Blanco, Tera 6 ; Vargas, Amanda 1 ; Montemarano, Lindsey 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Romero, Sierra 2 ; Christner, Kelly 2 ; Susalla, Kelsey 2 ; Blanco, Tera 2 ; Vargas, Amanda 1 ; Montemarano, Lindsey 2
SB: Christner, Kelly 1 ; Montemarano, Lindsey 1
HBP: Lawrence, Sierra 1 ; Blanco, Tera 1 ; Vargas, Amanda 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
2
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
2
AB
1
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
C
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballIF
/ Softball
P/1B
/ SoftballIF
/ Softball
IF/C
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P
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