Haas, Ritter Power Michigan Past Oregon State Into Final

Saturday, May 22

Ann Arbor, Mich.

9:30 PM

Michigan

53-10

Oregon State

42-27

Michigan

Oregon State

Haas, Ritter Power Michigan Past Oregon State Into Final

5/22/2004 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Alumni Field)
Event: NCAA Regional Championship
Score: #6 Michigan 3, #20 Oregon State 2
Records: U-M (53-10), OSU (42-27)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, May 23 -- vs. Oregon State at NCAA Regional Championship (Alumni Field), 4:20 p.m.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The sixth-ranked University of Michigan softball team pulled out a close 3-2 victory over Oregon State to move on to the championship game of the 2004 NCAA Regional 6 Tournament Saturday (May 22) at Alumni Field. The Wolverines (53-10) trailed by two through the first four innings before Tiffany Haas (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill HS) drilled a clutch three-run homer with two out to put the Wolverines ahead for good.

Junior Nicole Motycka (Sarasota, Fla./Cardinal Mooney HS) started the contest for the Maize and Blue, giving up two runs on three hits through 2.1 innings. After Motycka struggled in the third, head coach Carol Hutchins brought on sophomore Jennie Ritter (Dexter, Mich./Dexter HS) in relief. Ritter held the Beavers scoreless for the remainder of the game, going 4.2 innings and striking out nine, to allow Michigan to ride to victory.

OSU posted the first score of the game in the bottom of the second when Adrienne Alo drove a two-run shot over the fence in leftfield to give the Beavers a 2-0 lead. When it looked as though momentum would not shift in favor of the Maize and Blue, senior Monica Schock (Rialto, Calif./Eisenhower HS) hit a double to rightfield to lead off the fifth inning.

Hope still looked lost as the next two batters were retired in order, but senior Courtney Betley (Corona, Calif./Santa Ana Mater Dei HS) breathed new life when she blooped a single to shallow centerfield to put runners on first and third with two out. It was Haas who then came through in the clutch, belting her fifth round-tripper over the fence in leftfield to give Michigan a 3-2 lead.

Ritter then held the Beavers to just one hit, striking out five of the remaining 10 hitters in the remaining three innings to allow the Wolverines to advance to the tournament final.

Michigan will play the winner of the losers bracket, which will be determined by a noon game tomorrow (May 23) at Alumni Field. Whichever team comes out of the losers bracket will have to defeat the Wolverines twice in order to claim the Region 6 championship.

Contact: Rich Marion (734) 763-4423