Saturday, February 28
Columbus, Ga.
10:00 AM
Michigan
12-3
3
vs
1
Georgia Tech
13-2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Georgia Tech
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
2
2
Michigan
1
0
0
0
1
1
X
3
8
1
Motycka Takes No-Hitter Into 7th; Michigan Stings Tech
2/28/2004 12:00:00 AM | Softball
COLUMBUS, Ga. -- The seventh-ranked University of Michigan softball team finished pool play with a perfect 3-0 mark after earning a 3-1 win over Georgia Tech this morning (Saturday, Feb. 28) at the NFCA Leadoff Classic. Junior pitcher Nicole Motycka (Sarasota, Fla./Cardinal Mooney HS) was the story, putting together her second straight dominating start and taking a no-hit bid into the seventh inning. Jennifer Olds (North Palm Beach, Fla./Suncoast HS) provided the game-winner when connected for her third home run in as many games.
The Wolverines' victory clinches first place in Pool 1, which means the Maize and Blue will advance to the Gold Championship playoffs to face an undetermined team at either 4 or 6:30 p.m.. Following pool play, the 24-team tournament is broken down into three eight-team, single-elimination playoffs, with the six first-place finishers following pool play, along with two at-large selections, comprising the top bracket or the Gold Championship playoffs.
Michigan jumped out to a lead in the bottom of the first after a Georgia Tech error set up a run-scoring single off the bat of Jessica Merchant (Wayland, Mich./Wayland HS). Tiffany Haas (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill HS) led off with a walk and moved to third on a Meghan Doe (Tucson, Ariz./Sabino HS) sacrifice and Yellow Jacket throwing error before coming home on Merchant's single.
That unearned run was all the Wolverine offense could muster against previously unbeaten Georgia Tech starter Jessica Sallinger through the first four innings. The Wolverines did put runners on the corners with two outs in the third after a Monica Schock (Rialto, Calif./Eisenhower HS) single, but could not cash in. Schock was the only Wolverine with two hits in the game, giving her consecutive multi-hit games.
Olds finally added what appeared as though it would just be an insurance run in the fifth with her solo shot over the fence in centerfield. The reason it looked like that be nothing more than insurance was the performance Motycka was putting on. The junior walked one hitter in each of the first two innings with the Yellow Jackets actually putting a runner on third with less than two outs after a wild pitch and groundout. Motycka, however, came up with the big defensive play herself, gunning down that runner at the plate.
After issuing the leadoff walk in the second, Motycka seized complete control of the game, setting down the next 15 straight, including retiring the side in order in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings. During that four-inning stretch, Motycka struck out five and forced five groundouts. What would have been her first career no-hitter was broken up by Tara Knudsen with a leadoff single in the seventh. She eventually came around to score on Georgia Tech's second single with two outs, which brought the tying run to the plate. Motycka induced her final groundout of the game to secure the win.
Contact: Rich Marion (734) 763-4423
The Wolverines' victory clinches first place in Pool 1, which means the Maize and Blue will advance to the Gold Championship playoffs to face an undetermined team at either 4 or 6:30 p.m.. Following pool play, the 24-team tournament is broken down into three eight-team, single-elimination playoffs, with the six first-place finishers following pool play, along with two at-large selections, comprising the top bracket or the Gold Championship playoffs.
Michigan jumped out to a lead in the bottom of the first after a Georgia Tech error set up a run-scoring single off the bat of Jessica Merchant (Wayland, Mich./Wayland HS). Tiffany Haas (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill HS) led off with a walk and moved to third on a Meghan Doe (Tucson, Ariz./Sabino HS) sacrifice and Yellow Jacket throwing error before coming home on Merchant's single.
That unearned run was all the Wolverine offense could muster against previously unbeaten Georgia Tech starter Jessica Sallinger through the first four innings. The Wolverines did put runners on the corners with two outs in the third after a Monica Schock (Rialto, Calif./Eisenhower HS) single, but could not cash in. Schock was the only Wolverine with two hits in the game, giving her consecutive multi-hit games.
Olds finally added what appeared as though it would just be an insurance run in the fifth with her solo shot over the fence in centerfield. The reason it looked like that be nothing more than insurance was the performance Motycka was putting on. The junior walked one hitter in each of the first two innings with the Yellow Jackets actually putting a runner on third with less than two outs after a wild pitch and groundout. Motycka, however, came up with the big defensive play herself, gunning down that runner at the plate.
After issuing the leadoff walk in the second, Motycka seized complete control of the game, setting down the next 15 straight, including retiring the side in order in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings. During that four-inning stretch, Motycka struck out five and forced five groundouts. What would have been her first career no-hitter was broken up by Tara Knudsen with a leadoff single in the seventh. She eventually came around to score on Georgia Tech's second single with two outs, which brought the tying run to the plate. Motycka induced her final groundout of the game to secure the win.
Contact: Rich Marion (734) 763-4423
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Motycka, Nicole (6-2)
L: Sallinger (7-1)
Base Running:
RUNS: Knudsen 1
Batting:
2B: Motycka, Nicole 1 ; Teschler, Michelle 1
HR: Olds, Jennifer 1
RBI: Haas, Tiffany 1 ; Merchant, Jessica 1 ; Olds, Jennifer 1
SH: Worthy, Tiffany 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Haas, Tiffany 1 ; Olds, Jennifer 1 ; Betley, Courtney 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
CF
/ Softball
2B
/ SoftballSS
/ Softball
P/DP
/ Softball1B
/ SoftballC
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