Motycka Mows Down Billikens in Louisville Invitational

Friday, March 22

Louisville, Ky.

5:00 PM

Michigan

18-6

Saint Louis

12-9

Michigan

Saint Louis

Motycka Mows Down Billikens in Louisville Invitational

3/22/2002 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The 13th-ranked University of Michigan softball team rode a balanced offensive attack and a four-hit gem from freshman Nicole Motycka (Sarasota, Fla./Cardinal Mooney HS) to an 8-1 win today (Friday, March 22) in its first game of the Louisville Invitational at Ulmer Stadium.

Motycka upped her record to 8-2, and eight different Wolverines garnered at least one hit, with Stefanie Volpe (Plymouth, Mich./Plymouth-Salem HS) and Monica Schock (Rialto, Calif./Eisenhower HS) collecting two apiece in the middle of the lineup to pace the Michigan attack.

Saint Louis actually drew first blood in the contest as the Billikens plated an unearned run against Motcyka in the bottom of the third. An error by Volpe at third base put Saint Louis' leadoff runner on base, which was followed with a pair of infield singles sandwiched around a strikeout to load the bases with one out. The next hitter reached on a fielder's choice, but the Wolverines were unable to gun the Billiken runner at the plate and Saint Louis had a 1-0 lead with the bases still loaded and just one down. Volpe came back on the next play and forced Saint Louis' second potential run of the inning at the plate and then another forceout ensued as the Wolverines got out of the third with minimal damage.

The Michigan bats may have been a bit rusty following the two-week layoff as the Wolverines' only threat of the first three innings came in the second. A leadoff double by Schock and a sacrifice bunt from Melinda Moulden (LaCrescenta, Calif./Crescenta Valley HS) put Schock in scoring position with one out. However, a fly ball to centerfield by Courtney Betley (Corona, Calif./Corona HS) was not deep enough and Schock was thrown out at the plate.

It was not until there were two outs with nobody on in the fourth that Michigan was able to break loose. The onslaught started with a Volpe double and she scored immediately on a single from Schock to tie the game at one. That was only the beginning as Moulden walked and then Betley drilled a single up the middle, this time getting the RBI as Schock scored.

The big blow of the inning came next as infielder Angie Churchill (Mokena, Ill./Lincoln-Way HS), starting as the designated player, delivered a two-run double up the gap in left-center for her second and third RBI of the season. Churchill entered today's contest with just four plate appearances this season. Freshman shortstop Jessica Merchant (Wayland, Mich./Wayland HS) joined the hitting parade with her team-leading sixth double of the season to score Churchill and extend the Michigan lead to 5-1.

From that point Motycka settled in and took command of the game, allowing just one baserunner over her final four innings of work and finishing with seven strikeouts. Motycka had the drop ball working as well as she induced 12 groundouts from the Billikens.

Senior second baseman Kelsey Kollen (Cerritos, Calif./Santa Ana Mater Dei HS) added her first career home run in the fifth and Michigan scored twice more in the seventh on a Saint Louis error and an RBI single from Moulden to put the finishing touches on the 8-1 win.

Michigan faces Saint Louis again tomorrow (March 23, 2 p.m.) in its first of two games at the Louisville Invitational. The Wolverines close out tomorrow's action against the host Cardinals at 4 p.m.

N O T E S

Kelsey Kollen's first career home run came in her 721st career at-bat for the Wolverines.

Freshman Jessica Merchant now leads Michigan with six doubles this season, just ahead of Monica Schock and Kollen, who have five apiece.

This afternoon was just the second start of the season for Angie Churchill and her first at designated player. Churchill has started one game at third base this season.

Contact: Rich Marion (734) 763-4423