Marx, Findlay Provide Firepower in Sweep of Minnesota

Sunday, April 2

Ann Arbor, Mich.

Noon

Michigan

19-9, 1-0

Minnesota

11-17, 0-3

Minnesota

Michigan

Marx, Findlay Provide Firepower in Sweep of Minnesota

4/2/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Alumni Field)
Scores: #12 Michigan 8, Minnesota 0 (6 innings); #12 Michigan 8, Minnesota 0 (5 innings)
Records: U-M (20-9, 2-0 Big Ten), Minnesota (11-18, 0-4 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Tuesday, April 4 -- DH at Western Michigan (Kalamazoo, Mich.), 3 p.m.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Hot bats and near-perfect pitching helped the 12th-ranked University of Michigan softball team run-rule Minnesota with back-to-back 8-0 results in a Sunday doubleheader (April 2) at Alumni Field. Sophomore Samantha Findlay (Lockport, Ill./Lockport East) tied a single-game school record with eight runs batted in in the second contest, while Wolverine starters senior Jennie Ritter (Dexter, Mich./Dexter) and junior Lorilyn Wilson (Salem, Ore./Sprague) gave up four hits combined and pitching 11 scoreless innings, striking out 21 batters.

Findlay had an RBI double in the first inning, a three-run homer in the second and a grand slam in the fourth to account for all of Michigan's RBI in the 8-0, five-inning second game. Senior Becky Marx (St. Joseph, Mich./Lakeshore) hammered a two-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the sixth inning in the 8-0 game one win, giving her four RBI in Michigan's first Big Ten game of the season.

Ritter (10-4) struck out 12 in six innings in the first game, allowing three hits, while Wilson (8-4) extended her scoreless streak to 29.1 innings with a nine-strikeout, one-hit performance. The pair of shutout victories give the Wolverines four shutouts in a row and extends U-M's win streak to a season-best seven games. Michigan improved to 21-9 on the season with a perfect 2-0 mark in conference, while Minnesota fell to 11-18 and 0-4.

Senior Tiffany Haas (North Tustin, Calif/Foothill) went 4-for-6 in the doubleheader including a pair of doubles and five runs scored, while sophomore Alessandra Giampaolo (Pasadena, Calif./Polytechnic) and freshman Teddi Ewing (Olathe, Kan./Olathe East) were 2-for-4 with Giampaolo driving in a pair of runs and Ewing adding a double.

The Wolverines bats came alive early in the day when Haas doubled down the rightfield line to lead off game one, followed by a Giampaolo single to put runners on the corners. Marx was hit by a pitch two batters later, and senior Grace Leutele (Sierra Vista, Ariz./Buena) drew her team-leading 10th bean ball to bring home the first run of the game. Giampaolo scampered home on a wild pitch to make it 2-0 before the end of the inning.

Giampaolo added an RBI in the second, driving in junior Rebekah Milian (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc), and another in the fourth, sending Ewing home to make it 4-0. Marx added a two-run single in the fourth to the tally, making it 6-0 and giving Ritter plenty of breathing room. Marx's two-run shot in the sixth proved the backbreaker, giving Michigan the 8-0 run-rule victory.

Michigan scored four runs through three innings in game two, with Findlay doubling Giampaolo home in the first and adding a three-run homer in the third, scoring Haas and Giampaolo, who singled and walked to get on. Findlay's crowd pleaser came in the fourth when, with one out and the bases loaded, she took a pitch deep to centerfield for her first grand slam of the season, giving her eight RBI in the game.

Michigan will travel to Western Michigan for a midweek doubleheader on Tuesday (April 4) with the first game set for a 3 p.m. start.

Contact: Richard Retyi (734) 763-4423