Michigan
Georgia
Giampaolo, Leutele Lead Michigan to Sweep of Georgia
2/27/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Site: Athens, Ga. (UGA Softball Complex)
Scores: #5 Michigan 9, #13 Georgia 2; #5 Michigan 4, #13 Georgia 2
Records: U-M (6-3), Georgia (11-4)
Next U-M Event: Tuesday, Feb. 28 -- vs. Troy (Auburn, Ala.), 4 p.m. CST
ATHENS, Ga. -- Senior Tiffany Haas (North Tustin, Calif/Foothill) hit a go-ahead, two-run double in game one and senior Grace Leutele (Sierra Vista, Ariz./Buena) used the long ball in game two to give the fifth-ranked University of Michigan softball team a doubleheader sweep over the 13th-ranked Georgia Bulldogs, 9-2 and 4-2, Monday (Feb. 27) at the UGA Softball Complex.
Haas erased a 2-1 Georgia lead in the top of the fifth with a two-run double, sparking a four-run inning and giving the Wolverines a 5-2 lead. Leutele kept up the momentum in game two with a two-out, three-run homer in the first inning to stake U-M to a 3-0 lead.
Senior Jennie Ritter (Dexter, Mich./Dexter) overcame a first at-bat home run from Georgia leadoff hitter Kellie Middleton to strike out 11 in game one and improve to 3-1 on the season. Ritter came into the second game in relief in the sixth, striking out three batters and earning her first save since the 2004 season. Freshman Stacy Delaney (Freeland, Mich./Freeland) pitched the Wolverines to victory in game two in just her second collegiate start, giving up a pair of runs in the first inning but settling down to finish with a career-best eight strikeouts and improve to 2-0 on the season.
Sophomore Alessandra Giampaolo (Pasadena, Calif./Polytechnic) was a masterful 6-for-7 from the plate with three runs scored, a double a walk and one RBI. Senior Stephanie Bercaw (Wooster, Ohio/Hillsdale) finished 3-for-6 with a double and one run batted in, while Haas added three hits, including the 240th of her career. Sophomore Samantha Findlay (Lockport, Ill./Lockport East) broke a seven game home run drought -- the third longest of her career -- with a three-run shot in game one, while freshman Teddi Ewing (Olathe, Kan./Olathe East) also went long with her first collegiate home run.
With Michigan trailing 2-1 in the top of the fifth in the opener, Haas ripped a game-winning double to left-center, scoring freshman Allison Kidman (Clearwater, Fla./Countryside) from second and junior Rebekah Milian (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc) from first to give the Wolverines a 3-2 lead. Giampaolo, who went 4-for-4 in the opener, singled in a run two batters later and eventually scored on a errant throw from the Georgia third baseman to help U-M gain a 5-2 advantage.
Findlay put the game out of reach in the sixth with a towering three-run shot to left, putting Michigan up 8-2. Bercaw added a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to the cause, scoring Giampaolo for the second time in the game and making it 9-2.
After giving up a leadoff homer, Ritter knuckled down to strike out the side in the first inning and allowed just one more run, in the third. Ritter earned her 70th career win and passed the 800-strikeout mark in her career while picking up her second win over a ranked team this season, adding to her season-opening 10-2 win over No. 21 DePaul.
Michigan continued its offensive surge early in the nightcap as Leutele smashed a two-out three-run homer to give the Wolverines an early 3-0 lead in the first inning. Georgia responded with a long ball of its own when Megan McAllister sent a two-out shot over the leftfield fence to make it 3-2. Ewing added a leadoff home run in the top of the second inning, sending her first collegiate long ball over the rightfield fence to put Michigan further ahead, 4-2.
Coming off her first collegiate win on Friday, Delaney made the second start of her collegiate career, getting off to a rocky start by allowing a two-out single and a two-run home run in back-to-back at-bats the first inning. Delaney responded by striking out eight of the next 13 batters, giving up only one hit and ceding the circle to Ritter in the seventh. Ritter struck out three of the final six batters to earn the save and tally 14 strikeouts in the doubleheader.
Michigan continues its Spring Break swing with a pair of games Tuesday (Feb. 28) in Auburn, Ala., taking on Troy University at 4 p.m. and facing current No. 17 Auburn at 7 p.m.
N O T E S
Senior Jennie Ritter hit a pair of major milestones on Monday, earning her 70th career victory and passing the 800-strikeout mark. Ritter is two wins shy of tying for fourth on Michigan's all-time wins list at 72 and is currently second on the all-time strikeouts list.
Freshman Teddi Ewing hit the first home run of her collegiate career Monday in game one vs. Georgia. Ewing is the first freshman to homer for the Wolverines this season.
Freshman Stacy Delaney recorded a career-best eight strikeouts in game two vs. Georgia, giving up just three hits and two runs.
Sophomore Samantha Findlay moved into a tie for fourth place on Michigan's all-time home runs list with the 22nd long ball of her career.
Senior Tiffany Haas moved into a tie for seventh on U-M's all-time hits list with the 240th base hit of her collegiate career.
Senior Jennie Ritter recorded her first save since the 2004 season.
Contact: Richard Retyi (734) 763-4423
