Michigan Capitalizes on Indiana Errors to Claim Victory

Friday, April 7

Ann Arbor, Mich.

4:00 PM

Michigan

23-9, 3-0

Indiana

18-14-1, 3-2

Indiana

Michigan

Michigan Capitalizes on Indiana Errors to Claim Victory

4/7/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The 12th-ranked University of Michigan softball team slipped past Big Ten Conference contender Indiana in a tightly contested, 4-2 ballgame Friday (April 7) at Alumni Field. The Wolverines move to 23-9 and 3-0 in the Big Ten while extending their win streak to 10, and the Hoosiers drop to 18-14-1 and suffer their second loss in the conference with a 3-2 record.

Michigan senior hurler Jennie Ritter (Dexter, Mich./Dexter) got the win for the Maize and Blue, picking up her 12th win of the season and striking out 11 Hoosiers. Senior Grace Leutele (Sierra Vista, Ariz./Buena) was 1-for-2 on the day with a solo home run, giving her sole possession of second place on U-M's all-time home runs list with 29 long balls in her career. Sophomore Samantha Findlay (Lockport, Ill./Lockport East), senior Stephanie Bercaw (Wooster, Ohio/Hillsdale) and freshman Teddi Ewing (Olathe, Kan./Olathe East) each added a hit apiece to help propel the Wolverine offense.

Michigan was the first to jump on the board in the bottom of the second when Leutele laced a solo shot over the centerfield fence to put the Maize and Blue up 1-0. After the Hoosiers collected two outs, junior Rebekah Milian (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc) reached first base on an error and advanced to second after Ewing singled to third base. Senior Tiffany Haas (North Tustin, Calif/Foothill) then nailed a drive to Hoosier third baseman Jennilee Huddleston and an error by Huddleston allowed Milian and Ewing to score, giving Michigan a 3-0 lead.

Hoosier pitcher Mariangee Bogado tried to hold off the Michigan bats in the next inning but hits by both Findlay and Leutele to put two on with one out. Bercaw knocked one to leftfield, scoring Findlay and making it a 4-0 ballgame.

Indiana came close to putting runs on the board in the fourth when Bogado singled to rightfield and Huddleston ripped a ball that had home run written all over it until sophomore Alessandra Giampaolo (Pasadena, Calif./Polytechnic) raced back to make the catch at the fence, as Bogado advanced to second. Bogado reached third base on a passed ball, but Ritter and the Michigan defense recorded the final out to preserve the team's four-run lead.

In the fifth, Indiana's Rachel Terry doubled down the rightfield line to set the table for Sarah Padove, who nailed a two-out home run over the leftfield fence to make it a 4-2 ballgame.

The Hoosiers tried to catch up to U-M in the sixth inning as Bogado singled up the middle and Ritter walked a batter with one out to put two on. A Hoosier groundout rung up the second out of the inning, but Ritter plunked the next batter to load the bases. Indiana designated player Anna Olson hit a sharp grounder to Ewing, who fielded it cleanly and threw to first for the third and final out of the sixth. Ritter was able to close the door in the seventh with a popout, a flyout and a strikeout.

U-M returns to the field Saturday (April 8) to take on the Hoosiers. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. at Alumni Field.

Q U O T E S

Michigan Head Coach Carol Hutchins
On the win against Indiana ... "We escaped today. We were focused coming in, but they came at us. Momentum went their way and time just ran out. They were impressive."

On Jennie Ritter and Teddi Ewing ... "Jennie started well and persevered for the win, while Teddi made a good defensive play with the bases loaded in the sixth. We needed Teddi to make that play, and it wasn't a routine grounder. She did well to end the inning."

Contact: Richard Retyi (734) 763-4423