Wolverines Run Rule Maryland, Sneak by Florida Atlantic

Saturday, February 7

Boca Raton, Fla.

1:00 PM

Michigan

4-0

Maryland

0-4

Maryland

Michigan

Wolverines Run Rule Maryland, Sneak by Florida Atlantic

2/7/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Site: Boca Raton, Fla. (FAU Softball Stadium)
Event: Kick-Off Classic
Scores: #8 Michigan 8, Maryland 0 (5 inn.); #8 Michigan 6, Florida Atlantic 2
Records: U-M (4-0), UMD (0-4), FAU (1-1)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, Feb. 8 -- vs. Massachusetts at Kick-Off Classic (Boca Raton, Fla.), 9 a.m.

Boxscores: Game 1 | Game 2

BOCA RATON, Fla. -- After dominant pitching performances highlighted opening day, the No. 8-ranked University of Michigan softball team found its bats on day two, using big innings to roll to a pair of wins at the Kick-Off Classic on Saturday (Feb. 7) at the FAU Softball Stadium. The Wolverines rolled to an 8-0, five-inning shutout against Maryland before knocking off host Florida Atlantic, 6-2, in the nightcap.

Freshman designated player Amanda Chidester(Allen Park, Mich./Cabrini HS), who made a quick impression with a 5-for-7 effort in yesterday's contests, stole the show in Michigan's first game of the day, going 2-for-3 against the Terrapins with a triple and four RBI. Freshman leftfielder Bree Evans(Bloomington, Calif./Rialto HS) boasted three RBI on the day, hitting 2-for-3 in the day's opening slate, while junior catcher Roya St. Clair(Livonia, Mich./Stevenson HS) and sophomore first baseman Dorian Shaw(Burke, Va./Robinson SS) also turned in multi-hit and multi-RBI performances.

Sophomore pitcher Jordan Taylor(Valencia, Calif./Valencia HS) posted her second complete-game shutout in as many appearances, striking out 11 batters and allowing two hits -- back-to-back singles in the top of the fourth -- against Maryland. Junior pitcher Nikki Nemitz(St. Clair Shores, Mich./Regina HS) earned the victory in the evening game, allowing six hits and striking out four through three innings of work. Entering in relief in the bottom of the fourth against the Owls, Taylor retired the remaining 12 batters in order, ringing up seven, to close out the contest.

The Wolverines pushed runners across the plate in three innings against the Terps, scoring five in the bottom of the fifth to claim their first run-rule victory of the season. Evans started and ended the dominant inning of work, kicking it off with a leadoff walk before driving in the Michigan's eighth tally with a single up the middle. The Wolverine rookie scored her team's first run of the inning after consecutive wild pitches moved her into scoring position. She trotted home -- along with junior centerfielder Molly Bausher(Las Vegas, Nev./Spring Valley HS), who also reached on a base on balls -- when Chidester drove a single up the middle. Another wild pitch resulted in a Terp pitching change but to little effect as Michigan used a walk and back-to-back base hits, including a two-RBI double to right center field by St. Clair, extending U-M's advantage before Evans brought a quick end to the contest three batters later with her hit up the middle.

As Taylor recorded three straight 1-2-3 innings -- with six strikeouts -- to open the contest, Michigan established a quick lead with a two-run bottom of the first. Evans and Bausher registered back-to-back singles down the leftfield line to lead off the frame and, after advancing on junior rightfielder Angela Findlay's (Lockport, Ill./East HS) sacrifice bunt, scored on Chidester's triple to rightfield. The Wolverines added another run in the fourth on junior third baseman Maggie Viefhaus' (Eureka, Mo./Eureka HS) leadoff homer over the fence in right center field. The solo shot was Michigan's first home run of the season.

The Wolverines gave up the early lead against host Florida Atlantic in the nightcap after the Owls used three hits and a pair of U-M fielding errors to push a pair of runs -- one unearned -- across the plate.

Michigan chipped away at the deficit with a run scored in the subsequent inning. Nemitz led off the frame with a walk before being replaced on base by freshman second baseman Stephanie Kirkpatrick(Plainfield, Ill./Central HS). The U-M rookie advanced on a ground out and a base hit from senior shortstop Teddi Ewing(Olathe, Kan./East HS) before coming home on her classmate Evans' one-out sacrifice fly to centerfield.

A four-run effort in the fourth inning put the Wolverines ahead for good. In a continuing theme of the day, Findlay led off the frame with a walk and, after advancing to third base after back-to-back sac bunts, came home when Shaw ripped a single up the middle. Nemitz belted an RBI double to right centerfield in the next at bat , eliciting an FAU pitching change, before Evans singled to shortstop three batters later to bring in the inning's remaining runs -- unearned after the Owls' shortstop missed on the throw to home plate.

Shaw rounded out the Wolverines' scoring on the day with a leadoff solo homer to centerfield in the top of the sixth inning. The home run was the first of the season for Shaw and the 12th of her career after listing second among Michigan's leaders in the category during her rookie campaign.

With her team holding the four-run cushion, Taylor struck out five of the final six batters she faced, including the last two to wrap up the comeback win -- Michigan's second of the season.

Michigan will wrap up play at the Kick-Off Classic tomorrow morning (Sunday, Feb. 8) with a 9 a.m. game against Massachusetts at the FAU Softball Stadium.

Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423