Michigan
19-6
Saint Louis
9-19
Wilson Tosses One-Hitter; Michigan Blanks Saint Louis
3/20/2004 12:00:00 AM | Softball
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The 12th-ranked Michigan softball team won its second straight game at the Louisville Invitational this afternoon (Saturday, March 20) with a 3-0 shutout over Saint Louis at Ulmer Stadium. Freshman pitcher Lorilyn Wilson (Salem, Ore./Sprague HS) tossed a one-hitter and struck out a career-best 12 while going the distance and upping her record to 4-0. The freshman hurler, who has not not allowed an earned run as a Wolverine, ran her streak of consecutive innings without allowing an earned run to 27.2.
Offensively, the Wolverines managed just two hits themselves in a game that was halted for 36 minutes due to lightning. One of those hits, however, was Grace Leutele's (Sierra Vista, Ariz./Buena HS) first home run of the season on a two-run shot over the wall in the leftfield in the second inning.
Michigan managed what amounted to an insurance run in the third when Tiffany Haas (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill HS) reached on an error to lead off the inning, stole second and eventually scored on a wild pitch. The only other Wolverine hit was a single from Courtney Betley (Corona, Calif./Santa Ana Mater Dei HS) with two outs in the third, but Jennifer Olds (North Palm Beach, Fla./Suncoast HS) was gunned down trying to score for the inning's final out.
The Wolverines could not manage another hit the remainder of the game, but the story was Wilson, who allowed the only Billiken baserunners in the top of the fourth on a leadoff walk and a two-out single. Wilson's only wild pitch of the game put runners on second and third with two outs, but her eighth strikeout of the game ended the threat.
Wilson was dominant throughout, striking out the side in both the second and third frames. Following the two-out single in the fourth, Wilson set down the final 10 hitters in order to earn her third complete-game shutout in four career starts.
The Wolverines conclude today's action at the Louisville Invitational against Eastern Kentucky in a game that began at 5 p.m.
N O T E S
Grace Leutele is the first Wolverine other than Jessica Merchant (Wayland, Mich./Wayland HS) or Jennifer Olds to hit a home run this season.
The Michigan pitching staff has now tossed 10 shutouts this season and has allowed one or fewer runs in 14 of the last 15 games.
Nicole Motycka (Sarasota, Fla./Cardinal Mooney HS) went 0-2 to snap her season-best six-game hit streak.
Contact: Rich Marion (734) 763-4423
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Wilson, Lorilyn (4-0)
L: Higgins (0-1)
Batting:
HR: Leutele, Grace 1
RBI: Leutele, Grace 2
SH: Motycka, Nicole 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Haas, Tiffany 1 ; Olds, Jennifer 1 ; Leutele, Grace 1
SB: Haas, Tiffany 1 ; Olds, Jennifer 1
