Michigan
39-7
Central Michigan
21-12
Ritter, Wilson Hurl Shutouts in Sweep of Central Michigan
4/20/2004 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Alumni Field)
Scores: #9 Michigan 4, Central Michigan 0; #9 Michigan 3, Central Michigan 0
Records: U-M (40-7), CMU (21-13)
Next U-M Game: Friday, Apr. 23 -- vs. Minnesota (Alumni Field), 6:00 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The ninth-ranked University of Michigan softball team recorded two shutout victories (4-0, 3-0) in a twinight doubleheader today (Tuesday, April 20) against Central Michigan at Alumni Field. With the two wins the Wolverines reached and surpassed the 1,000 mark for victories in the history of the program and continued an amazing one-month run, winning for the 23rd time in their last 24 games.
Jennie Ritter (Dexter, Mich./Dexter HS) took the mound for game one, going the distance for the 4-0 victory. Ritter shut down the opposition for her 17th victory and her seventh complete-game shutout of the season. The sophomore gave up just three hits while handing out 11 strikeouts. Lorilyn Wilson (Salem, Ore./Sprague HS) pitched game two, throwing her first complete game of the season to bring her record to 8-0. The freshman allowed just four hits and one walk against eight strikeouts in the 3-0 victory.
On the offensive end, the Wolverines connected for nine hits on their way to the 4-0 win. Michigan executed well offensively and took advantage of CMU miscues in both wins. The Wolverines converted sacrifices in each of the three innings they scored in game one and followed through with key hits to bring home runs.
Senior Meghan Doe (Tucson, Ariz./Sabino HS) came through in both games, going 4-for-8 on the day with one run scored. Senior Courtney Betley (Corona, Calif./Santa Ana Mater Dei) had a quality game one, connecting at the plate for 2-for-2 with two RBI. Sophomore Grace Leutele (Sierra Vista, Ariz./Buena HS) also shined in game one, going 2-for-3 with one RBI and one run scored.
Betley drove in the first run of the game in the bottom of the second when she looped a single to right with one out to score Leutele from third. Tiffany Haas (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill HS) helped the cause in the fourth when she singled up the middle with two out to score Angie Churchill (Mokena, Ill./Lincoln-Way HS) for a 2-0 advantage over the Chippewas.
The Wolverines capped off the scoring in the bottom of the fifth with a small two-run rally. With one out and runners on first and third, Leutele drilled an RBI single to give Michigan a 3-0 lead. Betley finished off the inning with a fake-bunt single up the middle to score Jennifer Olds (North Palm Beach, Fla./Suncoast HS) and take the 4-0 advantage. Ritter closed the deal for the Wolverines, striking out the side in the top of the sixth before allowing just one hit in the seventh to finish the contest.
Game two was a pitchers' duel as well, with the two teams latched in a scoreless tie for four and a half innings. Junior Lauren Holland (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc HS) had a good game with the bat, going 2-for-3 as the starting catcher for the Wolverines.
The contest was in a deadlock until the bottom of the fifth when Olds had an RBI opportunity with the bases loaded and one out. The first baseman singled up the middle to put Michigan's first run across the plate before Leutele belted a sacrifice into foul territory to make it 2-0.
The Wolverines added one more in the bottom of the sixth thanks to a sacrifice fly to right by Schock before Wilson closed out the contest in the top of the seventh by retiring the side in order.
Michigan will continue its homestand Friday (April 23) when it faces off against Minnesota for the first of a two-game series. The first pitch will take place at 6 p.m. at Alumni Field. Michigan and Minnesota conclude their two-game set on Saturday (April 24, 1 p.m.).
N O T E S
The Michigan softball program reached the 1,000-win plateau this evening with its 4-0 game one victory. U-M is 1,001-438-4 (.695) in 27 seasons.
Tonight's doubleheader sweep gives Michigan its 10th straight season with at least 40 wins.
The Wolverines are now 10-0 at home this season and have won via shutout in nine of those 10 games. Michigan is outscoring its opponents 54-5 at home, and all five runs came in the 9-5 win over Bowling Green on March 24.
Tonight's two shutouts give the Maize and Blue pitching staff 23 shutouts on the season, which is one shy of matching the school record (24) that was set by the 1996 staff.
Jennie Ritter's 11 strikeouts in the game-one win give her 191 for the season, which lists as the third-best single-season total in Michigan history. Marissa Young struck out 319 and 259 in 2002 and '03, respectively.
Tiffany Haas went 0-3 in the second game of the doubleheader to snap her Michigan season-best hit streak at 12 games.
Meghan Doe went 4-8 with a run scored on the doubleheader to extend her hit streak to six games.
Contact: Rich Marion (734) 763-4423
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Ritter, Jennie (17-4)
L: PUCHALSKI (14-6)
Base Running:
SB: SOBECK 1
Batting:
RBI: Haas, Tiffany 1 ; Leutele, Grace 1 ; Betley, Courtney 2
SH: Schock, Monica 1 ; Churchill, Angie 1 ; Betley, Courtney 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Motycka, Nicole 1 ; Olds, Jennifer 1 ; Leutele, Grace 1 ; Bercaw, Stephanie 1
SB: Haas, Tiffany 1 ; Doe, Meghan 1 ; Olds, Jennifer 1 ; Betley, Courtney 1
CS: Milian, Rebekah 1
