Northwestern Falls In Series Finale At No. 20 Michigan, 4-0

4/2/2017 3:26:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Northwestern prevented the big rally that No. 20 Michigan has become accustomed to Sunday in the series finale at Alumni Field, but the Wolverines scored single runs in four different innings to take a 4-0 decision over the Wildcats.

Northwestern now is 13-19 on the year, 1-5 in the B1G while Michigan improves to 26-7-1, 6-0 B1G. Michigan now has not allowed a run in its last seven-straight games.

Northwestern returns home for five Big Ten games this week, beginning with a 2 p.m. CT doubleheader Wednesday, April 5, against Illinois before Maryland comes to town for a weekend set at Sharon J. Drysdale Field.

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Sabrina Rabin singled to start the game in the top of the first and Anna Petersen ripped her second double of the series with one out in the second, but it was Michigan that opened the scoring in the bottom of the second.

The Wolverines put a runner on third with two outs against NU starter Morgan Newport, who thought she had a called strike three to end the inning, but it was called a ball. Two pitches later, the ball was pushed back through the middle for an RBI single and a 1-0 Michigan edge. Newport fanned the next batter looking to end the inning.

The Wolverines added a second run on a third-inning two-out single to make it a 2-0 game. In the bottom of the fourth, the leadoff Wolverine singled and Kaley Winegarner took over in the circle for Newport. An error eventually led to an unearned run, but the #B1GCats also caught a break in the frame. With two outs a runner at first left early, negating a home run swing on the pitch and keeping it a 3-0 game instead of a five-run deficit for NU.

While Michigan ace Megan Betsa kept NU off the base paths following the second inning, the Wolverines continued to eke out single run rallies. U-M got a fourth run with a sacrifice fly in the fifth frame, leading to Nicole Bond taking over for Winegarner with two out and two on in the frame. Bond got a pop out to Marissa Panko in shallow left-center to strand both of her inherited runners, again limited Michigan's rally to a single tally.

In the top of the sixth, Alcy Bush earned her way aboard for NU the hard way, taking a Betsa pitch off the arm to start the inning. Abbey Boyd entered to run for Bush before two-straight fielder's choice grounders erased the lead Wildcats runner, resulting in Rabin standing at first with two outs. Rabin stole second and Marissa Panko drew a walk, but again no runs resulted from the chance.

Bond pitched a stellar sixth to keep Michigan off the board for the first time since the first inning, then Petersen drew a one-out walk in the seventh. Eva Stees replaced her at first, moving to second when Krista Williams grounded out. She would still be there when the game ended.

Newport (5-4) took the loss, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits and no walks with a strikeout. Winegarner went 1.2 frames, giving up a run on one hit and two walks with two Ks. Bond worked 1.1 innings, allowing nothing but a hit batter and fanning one.