Wolverines Shut Out Central Michigan in Home Opener

Wednesday, March 21

Ann Arbor, Mich.

4:00 PM

Michigan

23-6

Central Michigan

9-12

Central Michigan

Michigan

Tera Blanco

3/21/2018 7:41:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Leah Howard

» No. 17 Michigan used a five-run sixth inning to defeat Central Michigan, 5-0, in its 2018 home opener.
» Right-hander Tera Blanco earned the win with four strikeouts and allowed just two hits and one walk through 5.1 innings pitched.
» Blanco helped her own cause with an run-scoring single for the game's first run in the sixth.
» Madison Uden, Lou Allan and Faith Canfield also drove in runs in the sixth; Uden and Canfield posted two hits each.

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Wilpon Complex)
Scores: #17 Michigan 5, Central Michigan 0
Records: U-M (23-6), CMU (9-12)
Next U-M Event: Friday, March 23 -- at Iowa (Iowa City, Iowa), 5 p.m. CDT

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 17-ranked University of Michigan softball team used a five-run sixth inning to break open a scoreless contest and defeat in-state foe Central Michigan, 5-0, in the Wolverines' home opener on Wednesday (March 21) at the Wilpon Complex, home of Alumni Field. It was the Wolverines' 17th straight win and fifth straight shutout.

Michigan, which registered just three hits in the opening five frames, posted eight and batted around in the sixth inning -- including four doubles and four RBI hits. Junior second baseman Faith Canfield both led off the inning with a double to the left-center field wall and drove in the final run of the contest on a two-out run-scoring single to right field.

Senior right-handed pitcher Tera Blanco, who also earned the win with a stellar effort from the circle, used a run-scoring double to the center-field wall to help her own cause and push across the first and eventual game-winning run. Sophomore third baseman Madison Uden followed suit two batters later with a two-run double to center, while freshman designated player Lou Allan -- in her Alumni Field debut -- drove in another with a single to right-center on the next pitch.

In all, Michigan posted 11 hits -- its fourth game this season with double-digit hits -- while Canfield, Uden, junior center fielder Natalie Peters and sophomore outfielder Haley Hoogenraad all posted multiple base knocks.

Blanco (6-1) combined for the shutout win after four strikeouts and just two hits and one walk over 5.1 innings. She came out of the game after four innings of work, but re-entered with the bases loaded and two outs in the fifth and got a quick groundout to end the threat.

CMU also threatened in the sixth inning, thanks to a bunt single and intentional walk with one out, before Blanco dealt back-to-back strikeouts -- the latter on just three pitches -- to end the frame.

Michigan (23-6) will travel to Iowa City, Iowa, this weekend (March 23-25) to kick off Big Ten Conference play with a three-game series against Iowa.