Michigan
Florida State
Senior Day Sweep: Wolverines Top No. 2 Florida State
5/8/2004 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Alumni Field)
Scores: #7 Michigan 2, #2 Florida State 0; #7 Michigan 1, #2 Florida State 0
Records: U-M (50-9), FSU (53-8)
Next U-M Event: Thursday, May 13 -- vs. No. 8 Seed in Big Ten Tournament (Alumni Field), 7:30 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The eighth-ranked University of Michigan softball team took a pair of tightly contested victories from No. 2-ranked Florida State to conclude the regular season, winning 2-1 and 1-0 today (Saturday, May 8) at Alumni Field. A season-high crowd of 1,311 watched the Wolverine seniors go out in style in their final regular-season appearances in front of the Michigan faithful.
Sophomore Jennie Ritter (Dexter, Mich./Dexter HS) earned her 22nd win of the season in game one, pitching all seven innings for her 18th complete game of the season and giving up one run on four hits with six strikeouts. Junior Nicole Motycka (Sarasota, Fla./Cardinal Mooney HS) pitched game two and also went the seven-inning distance for her ninth complete-game shutout of the season. She pitched a gem for her 20th win of the season, allowing just three hits and handing out 10 strikeouts.
With any offense at a premium against two of the nation's premier pitching staffs, Michigan senior Angie Churchill (Mokena, Ill./Lincoln-Way HS) put together a good line for both games, going 3-for-5 on the evening with the only RBI of game two. Also highlighting the Michigan offense was fellow senior Meghan Doe (Tucson, Ariz./Sabino HS), who drew a game-winning RBI walk in the bottom of the seventh in game one.
In game one, the Wolverines were held scoreless for the first six innings of play. Florida State managed one run off Ritter in the top of the fourth as a result of a leadoff triple, which Michigan rightfielder Courtney Betley (Corona, Calif./Santa Ana Mater Dei HS) lost in the sun, and an RBI on a fielder's choice. Michigan was unable to put anything together throughout the first six innings, connecting for just two hits.
Heading into the bottom of the seventh, the Wolverines were down to their last hope. Trailing by one, Michigan came away with the win thanks to two Seminole errors and opportunistic Michigan offense. After two reached base on two errors to lead off the inning, a sacrifice from Churchill moved runners to second and third before a fielder's choice from Betley brought a run home to tie the game 1-1. With runners on second and third, back-to-back walks of Tiffany Haas (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill HS) and Doe forced in the winning run for a 2-1 Wolverine victory.
The second game also saw little offense with a single run deciding the victors. Michigan put across the game's only run in the bottom of the second on a walk and two hits. Churchill got the RBI, singling up the middle with runners on second and third and nobody out.
Motycka stayed strong throughout the rest of the contest, holding the Seminoles to just two hits after the second inning and setting down 15 straight FSU hitters at one point.
The Wolverines host the Big Ten Tournament on Thursday through Saturday (May 13-15) at Alumni Field. The tournament will begin at 5 p.m. Thursday and will feature the top eight teams from the conference. As the No. 1 seed, Michigan will face off against the No. 8 seed in the second game Thursday, scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
N O T E S
• Michigan's victory tonight ups its record to 50-9 this season, which is the Wolverines' seventh 50-win season in its last 10 campaigns and first since 2002.
• Nicole Motycka's win in game two gave her the second 20-win season of her career. She is only the fouth pitcher to accomplish that double.
• Today's crowd of 1,311 is the third-largest in the history of the program and second-largest for a regular-season game.
• Today's sweep marked the first time FSU had been swept in its last 58 doubleheaders, dating back to the 2000 season.
