Wolverines Battle to One-Run Wins Against Ball State, Pittsburgh

Saturday, March 10

Boca Raton, Fla.

9:00 AM

Michigan

16-6

Ball State

15-8

Ball State

Michigan

Haley Hoogenraad

Wolverines Battle to One-Run Wins Against Ball State, Pittsburgh

3/10/2018 3:16:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Leah Howard

» No. 22 Michigan earned back-to-back 3-2 decisions against Ball State and Pittsburgh on the second day of action at the FAU "Parent's Weekend" Tournament. The wins extended U-M's streak to 11 in a row.
» LHP Meghan Beaubien earned both wins, striking out a career-best 16 against Ball State and retiring nine straight as the most effect reliever against Pitt.
» Haley Hoogenraad tallied two hits in each contest, including the first triple and home run of her career, while scoring two of three runs against the Panthers.

Site: Boca Raton, Fla. (FAU Softball Stadium)
Event: FAU "Parent's Weekend" Tournament (Day 2 of 3)
Scores: #22 Michigan 3, Ball State 2; #22 Michigan 3, Pittsburgh 2
Records: U-M (17-6), BSU (15-8), Pitt (13-8-1)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, March 11 -- vs. Florida A&M - FAU Tournament (Boca Raton, Fla.), 11:15 a.m.

BOCA RATON, Fla. -- The No. 22-ranked University of Michigan softball team gritted out a pair of one-run wins on the second day of action at the FAU "Parent's Weekend" Tournament, defeating Ball State and Pittsburgh by 3-2 scores Saturday morning (March 10) at FAU Softball Stadium.

Freshman LHP Meghan Beaubien (13-2) earned both victories from the circle. She boasted a collegiate-best 16 strikeouts against the Cardinals -- just the second double-digit strikeout effort of her career -- while allowing two runs on four hits and a walk. She was the most effective reliever in the second slate against Pittsburgh, entering with a one-run lead in the fifth inning and retiring every batter she faced, with two additional strikeouts.

Michigan combined for 20 hits on the day, including 11 in the Pitt slate, but struggled to push runs across and left 12 stranded on base. Sophomore outfielder Haley Hoogenraad went 4-for-6 on the day, posting a triple and a home run -- the first of her career -- while scoring two of U-M's three runs against the Panthers. Senior utility Aidan Falk also posted four hits, while sophomore third baseman Madison Uden tallied two hits and the winning RBI -- on a walk-off walk -- against Ball State.

The Wolverines, who never trailed on the day, built up a two-run lead against Ball State on junior centerfielder Natalie Peters' third-inning RBI single and junior catcher Katie Alexander's leadoff solo shot in the fifth -- her second home run this season -- before the Cardinals evened the score with a two-run homer in the top of the sixth.

Ball State used a hit-by-pitch to put its leadoff on in the top of the seventh, but Beaubien responded with a "strike 'em out, throw 'em out" double play and a punchout to end the inning.

The top of the order came through in the home half of the seventh, as junior second baseman Faith Canfield and Peters beat out infield singles and Falk was hit by a pitch to load the bases with two outs. Uden worked the count full -- taking a pitch off her hand but not getting the base -- before accepting ball four for the Wolverines' second walk-off win in as many weeks.

Michigan pounced on the Panthers in the first inning of the next game, stringing together four straight two-out singles to score the go-ahead run on freshman designated player Lou Allan's RBI single up the middle. Hoogenraad padded the U-M lead with a leadoff solo homer deep over the left-centerfield fence in the second.

Pitt cut the lead with a walk and an RBI double in the third, and both teams plated runs in the fourth to maintain Michigan's one-run advantage. Hoogenraad flied a leadoff triple -- also the first of her career -- down the rightfield line, while the Panthers responded with a run off a wild pitch in the dirt.

Beaubien entered in the fifth inning and retired nine consecutive Pitt batters to maintain the Wolverine lead. She struck out the first batter she faced and added another to close out the sixth frame. She made quick work in the bottom of the seventh, using a flyout, popout and groundout to end it.

Michigan (17-6) will face Florida A&M at 11:15 a.m. tomorrow (Sunday, March 11) in its FAU "Parent's Weekend" Tournament finale at the FAU Softball Stadium.