Notes and Quotes: #1 Michigan 5, #12 UCLA 2
6/7/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
N O T E S
• Michigan is now 18-5 against ranked teams this season.
• Samantha Findlay's run-scoring double in the seventh was her team-leading 13th RBI during NCAA Tournament action.
Ritter improved to 14-3 against ranked teams this season with the 5-2 victory. (AP Photo)
• Jennie Ritter has 413 strikeouts on the season, which moves her into 25th on the NCAA's all-time single-season list.
• Samantha Findlay's walk in the fifth inning, and Alessandra Giampaolo's in the seventh, were the first two yielded by UCLA pitcher Angelica Selden during the WCWS.
• Stephanie Bercaw and Samantha Findlay are in a four-way tie for the WCWS lead in hits (six).
• Jennie Ritter tied Nicole Motycka for fifth place on the U-M career wins (66) list.
• Jennie Ritter extended her U-M single-season wins record with her 37th on the season. The old record was held by another player who wore No. 15 -- Sara Griffin, who had 35 wins in 1996 and '98.
• Jennie Ritter is now tied for second in the country in wins (37) with Sarah Pauly (Texas A&M-Corpus Cristi) this season. The NCAA leader is Tennessee's Monica Abbott (50).
• Alessandra Giampaolo leads the Wolverines in runs scored (11) during the NCAA Tournament.
• Michigan improves to 2-4 when trailing after four innings.
• The Wolverines improve to 3-8-1 all-time against UCLA.
Q U O T E S
Michigan Coach Carol Hutchins
Opening statement ... "I thought it was a great game and I'd expect nothing less from those two teams. Really, Michigan and UCLA -- it's two great teams. I often think that when two great teams play, they are bound to split. So tomorrow's going to be really exciting."
On Becky Marx ... "I have often said she was a gift from God. We lost our catcher last season and another catcher on our roster was coming off back surgery. Sometimes everything just works out, and she's done a great job behind the plate. She also provides a little pop from the eight spot in our order and makes things happen."
U-M Junior Pitcher Jennie Ritter
On collecting herself after UCLA's home run ... "We take it one pitch at a time. The home run was hit and you have to move on like any other hit. We needed to score runs, and I knew [my teammates] were going to score runs, so I just forgot about it."
U-M Senior Shortstop Jessica Merchant
On the fifth inning rally ... "Grace (Leutele) led off that inning and did a great job. She made something happen and put the ball in play. We just needed to be patient and we finally got our sticks going. Becky (Marx) came up huge getting us on the board. UCLA is a great team with a great pitcher, but we finally came through with some hits in that inning."
On her best moment as a Wolverine ... "Putting this uniform on is the best moment of my career, not only this weekend. Being on this team has been the greatest experience of my life."
U-M Junior Catcher Becky Marx
On her home run ... "Maybe for some it was out of the blue, but I knew I was capable of it. [I had] a bunch of walks and a hit by pitch (during the WCWS), so I never lost faith in myself. I saw (Jennie) Ritter pitching her heart out out there, and I just wanted to do something to let our seniors put the uniform on for one more day."
On producing in her first year at Michigan ... "It's the reason I came here, it's the reason I transferred, it's the reason I went through all that. Yeah, I wasn't here last year, but it doesn't matter. Neither were Sam (Findlay) and Allie (Giampaolo), or any of the freshmen, but they're performing. It doesn't matter how long you've been here, it's just that you come to play."
