Motycka Goes The Distance For Victory Over Gophers

Saturday, April 24

Ann Arbor, Mich.

1:00 PM

Michigan

42-7, 13-1

Minnesota

28-19, 7-7

Michigan

Minnesota

4/24/2004 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The eighth-ranked University of Michigan softball team remained alone in first place in the Big Ten with a 6-1 victory in the second of a two-game series against Minnesota today (April 24) at Alumni Field. Iowa entered today's action 9-2 in Big Ten play. With the win today, the Wolverines (42-7, 13-1 Big Ten) kept their perfect home record this season intact at 12-0.

Junior Nicole Motycka (Sarasota, Fla./Cardinal Mooney HS) took the mound for the Wolverines, going the distance for her 16th win of the season. Motycka gave up just one run on five hits along with seven strikeouts without issuing a free pass.

From the plate, the Wolverines had trouble the first time through the order, with no one reaching base for the first three innings. The bats did warmed up, however, with Michigan putting together a pair of three-run rallies in the fourth and seventh innings.

The No. 2 through 5 hitters in the Wolverine order accounted for most of the offense, connecting for six of the seven Wolverine hits along with with four RBI and three runs scored. Minnesota actually put the first run of the game on the board in the bottom of the third when the Golden Gophers strung together three hits. That run snapped a string of 63 straight scoreless innings tossed by Wolverine pitchers at Alumni Field. 

Trailing at home for the first time this season, Michigan bounced right back in the top of the fourth. Meghan Doe (Tucson, Ariz./Sabino HS) got things started in the fourth, dropping a bloop single in left for the first Wolverine baserunner of the game. Motycka helped her own cause with a single up the middle before senior Jennifer Olds (North Palm Beach, Fla./Suncoast HS) earned a free pass to load the bases for senior Monica Schock (Rialto, Calif./Eisenhower HS). The catcher came through, roping a single to the gap in rightcenter to bring two home for the Wolverines for a 2-1 lead. Sophomore Grace Leutele (Sierra Vista, Ariz./Buena HS) followed up with a double to left to complete Michigan's rally for a 3-1 lead.

Both pitcher's settled in and regained control of the game untilthe Michigan bats came alive again in the top of the seventh. Minnesota helped the Wolverine cause, issuing three free passes including an intentional walk to pinch-hitter Jessica Merchant (Wayland, Mich./Wayland HS) to load the bases. The Maize and Blue put three more on the board via run-scoring singles from Doe and Olds and a fielding error from the Gophers for a 6-1 lead.

Motycka came on in the bottom of the inning to close it out for the Wolverines. The pitcher allowed just one Gopher hit without any runs crossing the plate for her 14th complete game of the season.

The Wolverines will complete their weekend homestand tomorrow (April 25) with an afternoon doubleheader against Wisconsin. Game one of the twinbill will take place at noon at Alumni Field.

N O T E S

Michigan has now outscored its opponents 62-6 while compiling the perfect 12-0 record at Alumni Field.

Meghan Doe went 2-4 today with a run scored and RBI. The centerfielder upped her team-leading total of multi-hit games to 17.

Grace Leutele continues to be one of hottest Michigan hitter after going 1-4 today with an RBI double. Leutele has hit safely in seven of her last nine games and has at least one RBI in five of her last eight.

Meghan Doe scored one run today to give her 112 for her career, which moves her into a tie for 10th on the Michigan career list.

Nicole Motycka's seven-strikeout performance today made her the seventh pitcher in Michigan history to surpass 300 career strikeouts.