Michigan Bats Struggle in Home-Opening Loss to Illinois

Friday, March 28

Ann Arbor, Mich.

3:00 PM

Michigan

16-8, 0-1

Illinois

20-5, 1-0

Illinois

Michigan

Michigan Bats Struggle in Home-Opening Loss to Illinois

3/28/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan softball team lost its Big Ten Conference and home opener this afternoon (Friday, March 28), dropping a 4-0 decision to Illinois at Alumni Field. While the Wolverine offense struggled with just five hits, freshman second baseman Tiffany Haas (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill HS) did provide a pair of safeties, including a double. Senior Marissa Young (Santa Ana, Calif./Mater Dei HS) gave up four runs on six hits for her first loss of the season (10-1).

The game began as a pitchers' duel, with both teams combining for three hits for the first three innings. Illinois scored first in the fourth inning, with the Wolverines giving up a one-out walk on a 3-2 count followed by an RBI double to centerfield that brought in the first run of the game. Young struck out the next hitter, and a pop foul to the third baseman helped Michigan out of the inning with no further damage.

After the Illini took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth, Michigan advanced a runner to second base for the first time following a one-out double off the bat of Monica Schock (Rialto, Calif./Eisenhower HS). However, she was stranded at second base when the next two Wolverines went down quietly.

Illinois broke the game open by scoring three runs in the sixth inning. The rally started with a one-out single followed by a bloop hit to rightfield, just out of reach of the diving Courtney Betley (Corona, Calif./Santa Ana Mater Dei HS). A two-out walk then loaded the bases, and a Erin Montgomery's double to left-center cleared the bases, putting the Illini up 4-0.

Michigan's best threat of the game came with two out in the in the bottom of the sixth on back-to-back walks by Schock and Young followed by an Illinois error on a ground ball by Jessica Merchant (Wayland, Mich./Wayland HS) to load the bases. The threat ended there when first baseman Jennifer Olds (Riviera Beach, Fla./Suncoast HS) went down swinging.

Michigan did not amount much of a threat, leading off the seventh inning with two consecutive outs. A two-out double by Haas kept the inning alive, however, that was all the Wolverines could provide as a Meghan Doe (Tucson, Ariz./Sabino HS) shot to leftfield fell into a Fighting Illini glove for the final out.

The Wolverines will play their second game of the two-game set against Illinois tomorrow (Saturday, March 29, 1 p.m.) at Alumni Field.

Q U O T E S

U-M Head Coach Carol Hutchins
On the game overall ... "Credit Illinois for coming up with the big hits in the clutch situations. However, I did not like the at-bats we had today. I think we were pressing up at the plate and thinking too much. The fact this was our home opener probably had something to do with it, but, fortunately, we have lost Big Ten openers in the past and we know there is still a lot of season left."

N O T E S

Monica Schock's double extended her Michigan season-best hitting streak to seven.

Michigan was shut out for the first time since falling to then-No. 16 South Carolina 3-0 on Feb. 23.

Contact: Rich Marion (734) 763-4423