Michigan
17-8, 1-1
Illinois
20-6, 1-1
Young Leads Wolverine Offensive Attack in Rout of Illini
3/29/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan softball team bounced back one day after being shut out in its home opener with an offensive explosion that included a season-best 18 hits and four home runs en route to a 12-4 win over Illinois this afternoon (Saturday, March 29) at Alumni Field.
Michigan ace Marissa Young (Santa Ana, Calif./Mater Dei HS), who took her first loss of the season yesterday in the circle, started at first base today and paced the Wolverine offensive attack, going 4-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Every Wolverine starter delivered at least one hit, which was more than enough support for sophomore hurler Nicole Motycka (Sarasota, Fla./Cardinal Mooney HS), who allowed just one run on five hits over five innings to improve her season mark to 6-5.
Illinois starter Amanda Fortune picked up where she left off in shutting out the Wolverines yesterday and retired the side in order in the first, but the Michigan bats exploded in the second, scoring four runs on the strength of three long balls. Junior catcher Monica Schock (Rialto, Calif./Eisenhower HS) led off the inning with a line drive over the rightfield fence before Young added a one-out solo shot of her own for a 2-0 Michigan lead. Illinois immediately went to Sherri Taylor in the bullpen, but she did not fare much better, issuing a walk and two-run home run to Wolverine pitcher Motycka for a 4-0 Wolverine lead.
Motycka did give up a run in the second after hitting the inning's first batter and surrendering a double to left-center to put runners on second and third with nobody out. She settled down to retire the next three hitters, but the Fighting Illini did manage a sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to three (4-1).
The Wolverines, however, put the game out of reach by scoring in each of the next three innings, starting with one run in the third. Young came up with the key hit, drilling a two-out double up the gap in right-center to score Melinda Moulden (LaCrescenta, Calif./Crescenta Valley HS) from second, but Schock was gunned down at the plate trying to score from first.
Michigan went back to its power game to plate a pair in the fourth. With two outs and nobody on, Michigan's No. 9 hitter, Courtney Betley (Corona, Calif./Santa Ana Mater Dei HS), connected for one of her season-best three hits with a single up the middle. Leadoff hitter Tiffany Haas (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill HS) then sent a shot deep over the fence in leftfield to push the Wolverine lead to 7-1 heading into the bottom of the fourth.
The Wolverines add another in the fifth after a walk to Schock and single by Lisa Mack (Saline, Mich./Saline HS) set up Young with another RBI situation and the senior delivered with a single to rightfield. Michigan nearly added more in the fifth, but Mack was gunned down at the plate trying to score from second on a single drilled up the middle off the bat of Jessica Merchant (Wayland, Mich./Wayland HS).
With a comfortable 8-1 lead through five complete, Michigan head coach Carol Hutchins went to her bullpen, giving freshman hurler Jennie Ritter (Dexter, Mich./Dexter HS) her first-ever Big Ten action. Ritter was roughed up for a two-out, three-run home run by Katie O'Connell, which cut the deficit to four (8-4).
The Michigan offense answered in the top of the seventh, hammering out six hits in the frame and scoring four more runs after two outs. With two down and runners on second and third, Betley finished off her big day with a two-run single up the middle, which was followed by two more singles, from Haas and pinch hitter Lauren Holland (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc HS), to load the bases. Moulden then delivered a two-run single that finished off the Michigan rally and gave the Wolverines a 12-4 lead. Ritter allowed just a one baserunner in the seventh to close out the victory.
The Wolverines close out a four-game weekend homestand tomorrow (Sunday, March 30, noon) with a doubleheader vs. Northwestern, ranked 22nd in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25, at Alumni Field.
Q U O T E S
Michigan Head Coach Carol Hutchins
On the game overall ... "I felt our intensity was much better today than it was yesterday. We needed to just go out there and play. We had an excellent intensity level from the beginning and I thought it showed in the way we started the game because we came out strong and took an early lead. Anytime you get on top in softball it makes a difference because sometimes the other team will press a little bit. Once we got that lead, our hitters were in a much better rhythm at the plate."
On the pitching ... "I did not think out pitching was necessarily as good as it could be today, and I think our pitchers would tell you that themselves. However, Motycka did get stronger as the game went on and her command improved."
N O T E S
Michigan's four home runs, 12 runs scored and 18 hits are all season bests.
Marissa Young's four-hit day is a career best for the senior captain. Young's home run is her team-leading fifth of the season.
Monica Schock's home run in the second inning extended her current hit streak to a Michigan season-best eight games.
Melinda Moulden's two RBI marked her team-best fifth multiple-RBI game of the season.
Contact: Rich Marion (734) 763-4423
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Motycka, Nicole (6-5)
L: Jackelyn Diekemper (4-1)
Batting:
2B: Young, Marissa 1
HR: Haas, Tiffany 1 ; Schock, Monica 1 ; Young, Marissa 1 ; Motycka, Nicole 1
RBI: Haas, Tiffany 2 ; Moulden, Melinda 2 ; Schock, Monica 1 ; Young, Marissa 3 ; Motycka, Nicole 2 ; Betley, Courtney 2
SH: Doe, Meghan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Haas, Tiffany 2 ; Moulden, Melinda 1 ; Schock, Monica 1 ; Teschler, Michelle 1 ; Young, Marissa 2 ; Merchant, Jessica 2 ; Motycka, Nicole 1 ; Betley, Courtney 2
CS: Doe, Meghan 1 ; Betley, Courtney 1
Batting:
2B: Erin Montgomery 1
HR: Katie O'Connell 1
RBI: Katie O'Connell 4
SF: Katie O'Connell 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Janna Sartini 2 ; Katie Bradley 1 ; Katie O'Connell 1
CS: Rachelle Coriddi 1
HBP: Janna Sartini 1
