Findlay Stars Again in Win Over Louisiana-Lafayette

Saturday, March 22

Fullerton, Calif.

4:30 PM PT

Michigan

Louisiana-Lafayette

20-8

Michigan

Louisiana

3/22/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

Site: Fullerton, Calf. (Anderson Family Field)
Score: #6 Michigan 7, #16 Louisiana Lafayette 2
Records: U-M (25-3), Lousiana Lafayette (20-8)
Next U-M Event: Friday, March 28 -- at Indiana (Bloomington, Ind.), 3 p.m.

Boxscore

FULLERTON, Calif. -- The No. 6-ranked University of Michigan softball used a balanced attack to knock off No. 16 Louisiana-Lafayette 7-2 in its final contest of the annual Judi Garman Classic on Saturday (March 22) at the Anderson Family Field. U-M tallied a pair of runs in first, third and fifth innings and added another in the sixth to claim its second lopsided win over the Ragin' Cajuns this season.

Senior second baseman Samantha Findlay(Lockport, Ill./East HS) highlighted the Wolverines' offensive efforts with a 3-for-4 showing at the plate and boasted her ninth home run of the season with the game-winning, two-run shot in the top of the third frame. Freshman first baseman Dorian Shaw(Burke, Va./Robinson SS) also tallied a two-run homer in the fifth frame, while sophomore third baseman Maggie Viefhaus(Eureka, Mo./Eureka HS) brought in Michigan's first two runs on a two-out double in the first.

Freshman ace Jordan Taylor(Valencia, Calif./Valencia HS) earned the victory -- improving her record to 13-1 -- after entering the game in relief with no outs in the third frame. Taylor struck out three and allowed four hits while pitching five shutout innings.

Findlay initiated the Wolverines' two-out rally in the first inning, singling through the left side to join senior leftfielder Alessandra Giampaolo(Pasadena, Calif./Polytechnic HS) -- who reached via a Cajun fielding error -- on base. Both scored when Viefhaus ripped her third double of the season to right centerfield.

Findlay's two-run blast in the third also came with two outs and ended her drought of six games without a home run. Her sister -- sophomore rightfielder Angela Findlay(Lockport, Ill./East HS) -- got aboard with a single through the left gap, and, Samantha, in the subsequent at-bat, hooked a towering shot over the fence in leftfield.

Shaw found the same spot beyond the leftfield fence in the fifth frame to record her sixth home run of the season and bring in two more runs, including Samantha Findlay, who led off the inning with a single through the left side. The Wolverines wrapped up its scoring in the following frame when Giampaolo raced home on a Cajun throwing error.

Louisiana Lafayette earned its runs -- one a piece -- in the first and third innings. Lana Bowers drove in both runs, launching a solo shot over the rightfield fence for the first tally and ripping a base-hit single up the middle for the second.

Michigan will open the Big Ten Conference portion of its 2008 slate with a pair of road games Friday and Saturday (March 28-29) against Indiana in Bloomington, Ind.

Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423