Michigan Opens Season With Two Wins at Demarini Invite

Friday, February 9

Houston, Texas

11:00 AM CT

Michigan

1-0

Texas-Arlington

0-1

Texas-Arlington

Michigan

Michigan Opens Season With Two Wins at Demarini Invite

2/9/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Leah Howard

HOUSTON, Texas -- The No. 11-ranked University of Michigan softball team opened its 2007 season with a pair of wins at the Wilson Demarini Invitational, shutting out Texas-Arlington 8-0 in five innings, and defeating Mississippi 3-1 on Friday (Feb. 9) at Cougar Stadium.

Michigan cruised past Texas-Arlington with eight runs in five innings and rallied to defeat Ole Miss with a three-run seventh inning. Senior Tiffany Worthy (Yorba Linda, Calif./Luterhan HS) led the Wolverines at the plate, going 4-for-7 with four runs batted in, including a three-run home run against Texas-Arlington. Junior Samantha Findlay (Lockport, Ill./East HS) also boasted a three-run home run in the first game and added three runs scored, while junior Alessandra Giampaolo (Pasadena, Calif./Poltechnic HS) picked up a hit in each contest -- the latter being a seven-inning, game-winning triple against Ole Miss.

Senior pitcher Lorilyn Wilson (Salem, Ore./Sprague HS) posted the 23rd shutout of her career in her 31st complete game, striking out 10 batters and allowing one hit -- to the first batter she faced -- against UTA. Freshman pitcher Nikki Nemitz (St. Clair Shores, Mich./Regina HS) made her collegiate debut against Ole Miss, allowing five hits and striking out eight through six innings of work. Entering in relief against Ole Miss, Wilson retired three consecutive batters -- striking out two -- to earn her fourth career save.

In its season opener against Texas-Arlington, Michigan scored in every inning of the abbreviated game with three runs in the first and fourth; one run apiece in the second and third innings. Worthy and Findlay, both of whom carried five-game hitting streaks into the 2007 season, accounted for the bulk of Michigan's scoring with a pair of three-run shots early and late in the contest. Freshman Maggie Viefhaus (Eureka, Mo./Eureka HS) went 2-for-3 in her collegiate debut, adding a solo home run in the second inning.

Worthy wasted little time before resuming her torrid pace from the previous spring and gave the Wolverines the only advantage they would need with a three-run shot to leftfield in the first, scoring senior Rebekah Milian (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc HS) and Findlay. It was Worthy's fourth home run in five games, dating back to last year's postseason.

Viefhaus blasted a second-inning solo home run down the right field line to extend Michigan's lead. She became the fourth freshman since 2000 to homer in her first collegiate game. With the bases loaded in the third, sophomore Teddi Ewing (Olathe, Kan./East HS) then drove in the Wolverines' fifth run of the day with a hard single to centerfield.

Findlay registered the Wolverines' third home run of the game in the fourth inning, sending a three-shot drive over the centerfield fence to send Milian and Viefhaus home. Meanwhile, Wilson grew stronger as the game progressed, retiring each batter she faced after UTA's leadoff batter, fanning five of the last six to register her first one-hit performance since April 2, 2006.

The second game against Ole Miss proved largely a defensive effort, highlighted by five scoreless innings. The Rebels struck first and scored their only run of the game on Lisa Concho's solo shot to leftfield in the third inning. They carried the one-run advantage into the final frame.

With two outs and two runners on base after an Ole Miss error at top of the seventh, Worthy knotted up the team score with a single through the left side, driving home junior pinch runner Michelle Weatherdon (Marquette, Mich./Marquette HS) from second base. In the subsequent at-bat, Giampaolo blasted her fourth career triple, scoring Findlay and Worthy, to give Michigan the final 3-1 lead. Wilson entered the game in relief during the bottom of the inning and quickly retired three straight Rebel batters.

Michigan continues action in the Wilson Demarini Invitational on Saturday (Feb. 10), facing Texas-Arlington at 11 a.m., and host Houston at 4 p.m.

N O T E S

• Senior Tiffany Worthy's home run against Texas-Arlington was her fourth in the last five games, dating back to the 2006 season. It was also her fifth in the last 12 games. With eight total collegiate home runs to her credit, she has hit half of her career home runs in the last five games.

• After hitting .162 in the first 28 games of the 2006 season, Worthy ended the year hitting .324 in the final 16 games. With today's output, she has hit .350 over the last 18 games with 5 home runs and 14 RBI.

• With two-hit performances against both UTA and Ole Miss, Worthy boasted her first multi-hit game in 47 games, dating back to May 4, 2005.

• Junior Angie Danis hit the third double of her collegiate career against Texas-Arlington. Three of her last seven hits have been doubles.

• Freshman Maggie Viefhaus became the fourth U-M rookie since 2000 to hit a home run in her first collegiate game, joining Jessica Merchant (2002-05) and current Wolverines Alessanda Giampaolo and Samantha Findlay. Giampaolo and Findlay both homered vs. No. 17 Baylor -- another Texas school -- on Feb. 12, 2005, in the first game of the Louisville Slugger Desert Classic. Giampaolo had a two-run shot in the first inning in her very first collegiate at-bat, while Findlay hit a solo home run in the 7th in her fourth plate appearance, finishing the game 1-3 with a walk.

• Against UTA, senior pitcher Lorilyn Wilson registered her second double-digit strikeout game in her last four starts. She boasted 13 against Central Michigan on April 18, 2006. Wilson is also 4-0 in season debuts during her career, with three shutouts and double-digit strikeouts in each effort. She had 10 Ks in her first freshman start (winning 5-0), 12 Ks in her first sophomore start (winning 1-0), 10 Ks in her first junior start (winning 5-0) and 10 Ks in her first senior start (winning 8-0). She allowed eight hits combined in those contests over 25.2 innings. The 42 strikeouts and eight hits allowed totals produce an average of 1.6 stikeouts per inning and 0.31 hits per inning allowed.

• With her three-run shot against Texas-Arlington, junior Samantha Findlay took sole possession of second place among Michigan's all-time home run leaders. She began the season tied with Grace Leutele (2003-06) at 30.

• Freshman catcher Roya St. Clair is the first freshman to earn a start at catcher since teammate Tiffany Worthy started against Lousiville on March 21, 2004.

• Wilson's last save was her final game of the 2006 season -- against Eastern Michigan on May 3 -- when she came in for the final 2.0 innings and struck out three batters en route to a 4-2 win.