Danis, Wilson Key U-M Victories at Demarini Invite

Saturday, February 10

Houston, Texas

11:00 AM CT

Michigan

3-0

Texas-Arlington

1-2

Michigan

Texas-Arlington

2/10/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Site: Houston, Texas (Cougar Sotball Stadium)
Event: Wilson Demarini Invitational
Scores: #11 Michigan 7, Texas-Arlington 4; #11 Michigan 2, Houston 1
Records: U-M (4-0), UTA (1-2), Houston (1-2)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, Feb. 11 -- at Houston at Wilson Demarini Invitational (Houston, Texas), 12:30 p.m. CST

Boxscores: Game 1 | Game 2

HOUSTON, Texas -- The No. 11-ranked University of Michigan softball team continued to roll through competition at the Wilson Demarini Invitational, using hot bats to defeat Texas-Arlington 7-4, and rallying past Houston 2-1 in extra innings on Saturday (Feb. 10) at Cougar Stadium.

Junior Angie Danis (Manchester, Mo./Parkway West HS) hammered a pair of home runs -- the second and third of her career -- against Texas-Arlington, while senior Rebekah Milian (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc HS) went 3-for-4 against the host Cougars, securing Michigan's victory with the game-winning RBI in the bottom of the eighth. Junior Teddi Ewing (Olathe, Kan./East HS) added punch at the plate, going 3-for-5 on the afternoon with an RBI in each contest.

Freshman Nikki Nemitz (St. Clair Shores, Mich./Regina HS) and senior Lorilyn Wilson (Salem, Ore./Sprague HS) pitched back-to-back complete games as each improved their season records to 2-0. Nemitz rung up five strikeouts in game one, while Wilson fanned 13 through eight innings against Houston, falling just one short of her career-best strikeout mark.

In similar fashion to yesterday's slate against UTA, the Michigan bats struck quickly, scoring three in the opening frame on back-to-back RBI hits from junior Alessandra Giampaolo (Pasadena, Calif./Polytechnic HS) and Danis. Giampaolo drove in a pair of runs on a hard single through the left side, while Danis registered her second double of the weekend -- a drive to leftfield -- to score Giampaolo.

In her next at-bat, Danis put the Wolverines ahead for good with the game-winning, two-run shot to left center. After walking in the fifth and scoring on a Ewing single, the Wolverine designated player connected again in the seventh with a long ball to right center, completing a career-best effort with three hits, three runs and four RBI.

In the second game, Houston struck first when Laura Durham, with two outs in the third, hit a solo shot over the left field fence to give the Cougars an early 1-0 advantage. The home run was Wilson's lone blemish in the midst of five strikeouts.

Michigan evened the score in the bottom of the fifth when freshman Roya St. Clair (Livonia, Mich./Stevenson HS) took first base on a fielder's choice and sophomore Allison Kidman (Tarpon Springs, Fla./Countryside HS) moved her to second with a single to third base. Ewing singled in the next at-bat, sending a hit up middle to score St. Clair and tally her second RBI of the day.

The score remained deadlocked through regulation to force extra innings, and Wilson quickly found herself in a jam in the top of the eighth with one out and the bases loaded after a wild pitch and a pair of walks. The Wolverine ace, however, struck out back-to-back Cougar batters on seven pitches to end the threat.

The Michigan offense, in turn, ended the game in the bottom of the inning. Freshman Molly Bausher (Las Vegas, Nev./Spring Valley HS) was placed on second base and quickly advanced to third after a sacrifice bunt from fellow freshman Maggie Viefhaus (Eureka, Mo./Eureka HS). Milian, in the subsequent at-bat, reached on a fielder's choice to shortstop as Bausher beat out the throw to home.

The Wolverines will wrap up play at the Wilson Demarini Invitational with a second meeting against the host Houston Cougars on Sunday (Feb. 11) at 12:30 p.m. CST.

N O T E S

With five hits through four games this season, junior Angie Danis had already matched her hit total from 2006. Of her five hits, Danis boasts two home runs and two doubles.

With her 13-strikeout performance against Houston, senior pitcher Lorilyn Wilson brought her career strikeout total to 422 and moved into the sixth position among Michigan's all-time strikeout leaders. She needs 24 to reach the fifth spot, currently held by All-American Vicki Morrow (446, 1984-87).

Senior catcher Tiffany Worthy extended her hitting streak to eight games with a fifth-inning single against Texas-Arlington but went 0-for-1 in the subsequent game vs. Houston. The eight-game stretch represented the longest hitting streak of Worthy's career, during which she she recorded 10 hits, five runs and eight RBI.

Sophomore Teddi Ewing has recorded at least one hit in each game this season and, adding the final game from the 2006 campaign, carries a five-game hitting streak. Over the stretch, she has tallied seven hits and three RBI.

Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423