Michigan Splits Pair on Opening Day of 2002 Season

Friday, February 15

Poway, Calif.

10:30 AM PT

Michigan

1-0

Loyola Marymount

5-7

Loyola Marymount

Michigan

2/15/2002 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Rich Marion

Site: Poway, Calif. (Sportsplex USA)
Event: Campbell/Cartier Classic (Day 1)
Results: #11 Michigan 7, Loyola Marymount 1; #19 Pacific 7, #11 Michigan 1
Records: U-M (1-1)
Next U-M Games: Saturday, Feb. 16 -- vs. Cal-Santa Barbara (1 p.m. PST), vs. Utah State (3:30 p.m. PST) at Campbell/Cartier Classic (Poway, Calif.)

POWAY, Calif. -- The No. 11-ranked University of Michigan softball team opened up its 2002 season this afternoon (Friday, Feb. 15) at the Campbell/Cartier Classic and split its first two games of the round robin tournament, defeating Loyola Marymount 7-1 before dropping a 7-1 decision to 19th-ranked Pacific.

Michigan's win over Loyola Marymount was paced by freshman pitcher Nicole Motycka (Sarasota, Fla./Cardinal Mooney HS), who went the distance, allowing five hits and just one earned run in her first collegiate start. Michigan's offense was led by sophomore outfielder Courtney Betley (Corona, Calif./Santa Ana Mater Dei HS), who went 2-3 with a pair of RBI as the designated hitter.

The Wolverine defense hit a snag in the second game of the day as two Michigan errors led to five unearned runs by Pacific and sent junior Marissa Young (Santa Ana, Calif./Mater Dei HS) down to defeat. One bright spot for the Wolverines was a home run off the bat of freshman shortstop Jessica Merchant (Wayland, Mich./Wayland HS), who also had doubled in the win over Loyola Marymount.

Michigan jumped out of the gate quickly in 2002, scoring a pair of runs in its first plate appearance of the season. Three straight one-out singles from Meghan Doe (Tucson, Ariz./Sabino HS), Stefanie Volpe (Plymouth, Mich./Plymouth-Salem HS) and Monica Schock (Rialto, Calif./Rialto HS) and a Lion error led to two Michigan runs. The Wolverines added another run in the bottom of the second after two hits and a walk loaded the bases for Volpe, who added to her Michigan career-record walk total, driving in the third Wolverine run of the game.

Loyola Marymount slashed the Michigan deficit in half in the top of the fourth, but the Maize and Blue put the game away with a four-run fifth. Another Volpe walk started the offensive fireworks that included a steal of home by Volpe, a two-run single by Betley and an RBI double off the bat of Merchant. Motycka allowed just two hits over her final three innings to secure the win.

While the Wolverines capitalized on a couple of key errors by Loyola Marymount, it was Pacific that made the Wolverines pay for their mistakes. Michigan trailed just 2-1 heading into the bottom of the sixth after a Merchant dinger cut the deficit in half in the top half of the inning.

However, back-to-back Michigan miscues with one out fell in between three Pacific hits and led to five Tiger runs -- all unearned -- in the sixth. Although Young struck out nine, the sophomore righthander allowed 10 hits over six innings in the loss. Offensively, Michigan could only muster a Kelsey Kollen (Cerritos, Calif./Santa Ana Mater Dei HS) single in addition to Merchant's round-tripper through seven innings.

The Maize and Blue continues round-robin action at the Campbell/Cartier Classic tomorrow with two more games. Michigan faces Cal-Santa Barbara at 1 p.m. PST before meeting Utah State at 3:30 PST in its final game of the day.

N O T E S

• Meghan Doe filled in the No. 2 spot in the Michigan order and delivered a pair of hits and one run scored in the win over Loyola Marymount.

• Freshman Jessica Merchant's home run and double were the only two extra base hits of the day for the Wolverines.

• In addition to Merchant and Nicole Motycka, freshman Michelle Teschler (Casco, Mich./Richmond HS) also made her collegiate debut, as a pinch runner vs. Loyola Marymount.