Michigan
15-5
Troy State
12-12
Wolverines Post Pair of Shutouts to Complete Pool Play
3/13/2004 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Site: Tallahassee, Fla. (Messer Field)
Event: Florida State Seminole Classic
Scores: #11 Michigan 10, Troy State 0 (5 innings); #11 Michigan 6, Maryland 0
Records: U-M (15-5), Maryland (9-10)
Next U-M Game: Saturday, Mar. 13 -- vs. Florida A&M at Florida State Seminole Classic (Tallahassee, Fla.), 7 p.m.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- The University of Michigan softball team combined its usual dominant pitching with a potent offense as the Wolverines pounded out 24 hits in 12 innings and tossed a pair of shutouts with wins of 10-0 and 6-0 over Troy State and Maryland, respectively, on Saturday (March 13) to finish 4-0 in pool play at the Florida State Invitational. Michigan's 10-0 win over Troy State only went five innings due to the run rule, with Jessica Merchant (Wayland, Mich./Wayland HS) drilling what amounted to a walkoff grand slam for the final tally.
Michigan now moves onto the Gold Bracket single-elimination playoff as the No. 3 seed and faces No. 6 seed Florida A&M later this evening (7 p.m.).
Jennie Ritter (Dexter, Mich./Dexter HS) tossed her second straight shutout one day after tossing her first career no-hitter, going five innings and striking out seven in the win over Troy State. Lorilyn Wilson (Salem, Ore./Sprague HS) upped her record to 3-0 with her second career complete-game shutout, allowing just three hits and striking out 10 in the win over Maryland. Wilson has now tossed 20.2 consecutive without allowing an earned run to open her Wolverine career.
Offensively, Tiffany Haas (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill HS) did just what a leadoff hitter needs to do, reaching base seven times in eight at-bats in the two games while driving in four runs and scoring three.
Michigan was already leading 5-0 against Troy State in the fifth when two errors and a pair of singles pushed the lead to 6-0 and loaded the bases for Merchant, who quickly put an early end to this contest with her team-leading seventh home run of the season. Michigan's top three hitters -- Haas, Meghan Doe (Tucson, Ariz./Sabino HS) and Merchant -- combined to go 7-10 with six RBI and three runs scored in the win over Troy State.
The second game of the day went the distance, but the result was much the same. Jennifer Olds (North Palm Beach, Fla./Suncoast HS) provided the offensive fireworks, going 3-4 with three RBI. Michigan again grabbed an early lead thanks to the top of its order. Haas singled, stole second, moved to third on a sacrifice and scored on a two-out single from Olds. Michigan's two runs in the third came in a similar fashion as Michelle Teschler (Casco, Mich./Richmond HS) led off with a single and was followed by a walk to Haas, who drew a career-best three walks for the game. After a sacrifice, Olds delivered a one out, two-run single for the 3-0 lead.
Meanwhile, freshman pitcher Wilson was knocking on the door of Michigan's second no-hitter in as many days. The only three Terrapin baserunners to reach through the first five innings were via a walk, including two in the fifth, but Wilson pitched her way out of that jam. Maryland finally broke through with a leadoff single in the sixth but never really threatened.
Michigan added two runs in the fourth when Haas reversed her role as table setter and drove in a pair of runs with a single. Nicole Motycka (Sarasota, Fla./Cardinal Mooney HS), who went 4-6 at the plate in the two wins, added a run-scoring double in the seventh for the final 6-0 tally.
N O T E S
Tiffany Haas extended her personal season-best hit streak to six games, which is a current team best.
Michigan pitchers have allowed just nine hits, have struck out 29 hitters while issuing only four walks and have not allowed an earned run in 24 innings of work thus far at the FSU Invitational.
Jessica Merchant's grand slam is the first of her career and the first by a Wolverine this season.
Meghan Doe's two-hit game against Troy State is her team-leading seventh multi-hit game of the season.
Michigan's 14 hits against Troy State are a team season high. The Wolverines have pounded out 36 hits in their last three games (17 innings).
Contact: Rich Marion (734) 763-4423
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Ritter, Jennie (6-2)
L: Michelle Grinage (0-0)
Base Running:
SB: Stacy Dwyer 1 ; Kelley Seebeck 1
Batting:
2B: Haas, Tiffany 1
HR: Merchant, Jessica 1
RBI: Haas, Tiffany 2 ; Merchant, Jessica 4 ; Churchill, Angie 1 ; Holland, Lauren 1
SH: Merchant, Jessica 1 ; Betley, Courtney 1
SF: Holland, Lauren 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Haas, Tiffany 1 ; Doe, Meghan 1 ; Merchant, Jessica 1 ; Bercaw, Stephanie 1 ; Motycka, Nicole 2 ; Betley, Courtney 2 ; Churchill, Angie 1 ; Milian, Rebekah 1
SB: Churchill, Angie 1
