Sunday, March 27
Ann Arbor, MI
Noon CT/1 p.m. ET
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Photo by: Stephen J. Carrera
No. 2 Michigan Takes Series Over Northwestern, 11-3 (6)
3/27/2016 2:11:00 PM | Softball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Northwestern spotted No. 2 Michigan five runs in the first two innings Sunday in the rubber game of their Big Ten-opening series at Alumni Field before battling back but eventually dropping a 11-3 (6) decision to the Wolverines.
Northwestern (10-18, 1-2) now returns to Evanston after taking a game off Michigan (24-3, 2-1) -- the No. 1 team in the NCAA RPI -- to open a four-weekend homestand starting April 1-3 against No. 22 Minnesota. Season passes are available NOW!
As it did in each of the first two games of this season, Michigan put a crooked number on the board in the bottom of the first on Sunday. The leadoff batter was hit by a pitch, then a Northwestern error put another aboard before the Wolverines notched a two-run double. Wildcats' starter Kenzie Ellis was able to limit the damage from there to make U-M's lead 2-0 going into the second, but in that frame Michigan took advantage of a second Northwestern error with a home run to extend its cushion to 5-0.
The Wildcats, as they did all series long, did not go quietly into the Ann Arbor afternoon. In the top of the third, Fran Strub led off with a walk and Sabrina Rabin singled behind her. Two outs later, Sammy Nettling lifted a fly ball into left field where Kelly Christener camped under it for Michigan with her glove extended straight into the air to shield against the sun, but the ball clanked off the heel and fell to the ground for a two-run error.
Michigan and Northwestern traded solo home runs in the next two half-innings, with Lindsey Montemarano making the score 6-2 in the bottom of the third before junior Alcy Bush smashed one off the scoreboard in left to being the top of the fourth. The home run was Bush's third of the season and her second of the series after she also hit a solo shot Saturday -- her 21st birthday.
After Ellis kept Michigan scoreless for the first time in the game in the fourth by stranding a runner at second with her fourth strikeout of the game, the Wolverines inserted Megan Betsa into the circle in relief. Betsa allowed a one-out walk to Filler, but nothing else in the frame.
Ellis continued dealing with a 1-2-3 bottom of the fifth, then Northwestern rallied in the sixth. With two outs, pinch hitter Anna Petersen drew a walk and gave way to pinch runner Abbey Boyd. Strub then stepped up and ripped her second double of the game to push Boyd to third, but the Wolverines were able to retire the speedy Rabin on an infield grounder to keep NU from scoring.
Michigan added a solo home run in the sixth before the next two batters notched a single and a double, leading to Nicole Bond entering the circle in relief of Ellis. The Wolverines then pushed across the final two runs they needed to end the game early.
Ellis (3-3) battled her way through 5-plus innings, giving up nine runs (eight earned) on nine hits and a walk with five strikeouts. Bond threw two-thirds of an inning, giving up two runs on two hits and a walk.
Strub led Northwestern at the plate with a 2-for-2 day including a walk, doubling twice in the contest out of the nine hole.
Northwestern (10-18, 1-2) now returns to Evanston after taking a game off Michigan (24-3, 2-1) -- the No. 1 team in the NCAA RPI -- to open a four-weekend homestand starting April 1-3 against No. 22 Minnesota. Season passes are available NOW!
As it did in each of the first two games of this season, Michigan put a crooked number on the board in the bottom of the first on Sunday. The leadoff batter was hit by a pitch, then a Northwestern error put another aboard before the Wolverines notched a two-run double. Wildcats' starter Kenzie Ellis was able to limit the damage from there to make U-M's lead 2-0 going into the second, but in that frame Michigan took advantage of a second Northwestern error with a home run to extend its cushion to 5-0.
The Wildcats, as they did all series long, did not go quietly into the Ann Arbor afternoon. In the top of the third, Fran Strub led off with a walk and Sabrina Rabin singled behind her. Two outs later, Sammy Nettling lifted a fly ball into left field where Kelly Christener camped under it for Michigan with her glove extended straight into the air to shield against the sun, but the ball clanked off the heel and fell to the ground for a two-run error.
Michigan and Northwestern traded solo home runs in the next two half-innings, with Lindsey Montemarano making the score 6-2 in the bottom of the third before junior Alcy Bush smashed one off the scoreboard in left to being the top of the fourth. The home run was Bush's third of the season and her second of the series after she also hit a solo shot Saturday -- her 21st birthday.
After Ellis kept Michigan scoreless for the first time in the game in the fourth by stranding a runner at second with her fourth strikeout of the game, the Wolverines inserted Megan Betsa into the circle in relief. Betsa allowed a one-out walk to Filler, but nothing else in the frame.
Ellis continued dealing with a 1-2-3 bottom of the fifth, then Northwestern rallied in the sixth. With two outs, pinch hitter Anna Petersen drew a walk and gave way to pinch runner Abbey Boyd. Strub then stepped up and ripped her second double of the game to push Boyd to third, but the Wolverines were able to retire the speedy Rabin on an infield grounder to keep NU from scoring.
Michigan added a solo home run in the sixth before the next two batters notched a single and a double, leading to Nicole Bond entering the circle in relief of Ellis. The Wolverines then pushed across the final two runs they needed to end the game early.
Ellis (3-3) battled her way through 5-plus innings, giving up nine runs (eight earned) on nine hits and a walk with five strikeouts. Bond threw two-thirds of an inning, giving up two runs on two hits and a walk.
Strub led Northwestern at the plate with a 2-for-2 day including a walk, doubling twice in the contest out of the nine hole.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Driesenga, Sara (12-0)
L: Ellis, Kenzie (3-3)
S: Betsa, Megan (3)
Batting:
2B: Strub, Fran 2
HR: Bush, Alcy 1
RBI: Bush, Alcy 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Rabin, Sabrina 1 ; Bush, Alcy 1 ; Strub, Fran 1
Batting:
2B: Lawrence, Sierra 1 ; Susalla, Kelsey 1 ; Blanco, Tera 1 ; Ramirez, Abby 1
HR: Christner, Kelly 1 ; Montemarano, Lindsey 2
RBI: Lawrence, Sierra 2 ; Romero, Sierra 1 ; Christner, Kelly 3 ; Susalla, Kelsey 2 ; Blanco, Tera 1 ; Montemarano, Lindsey 2
SH: Christner, Kelly 1 ; Ramirez, Abby 1
SF: Romero, Sierra 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Lawrence, Sierra 3 ; Romero, Sierra 1 ; Christner, Kelly 2 ; Montemarano, Lindsey 2 ; Falk, Aidan 1 ; Sbonek, Mary 1 ; Ramirez, Abby 1
SB: Lawrence, Sierra 1
HBP: Lawrence, Sierra 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
2
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
P
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballOF
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