Wolverines Split Two at Iowa to Open Big Ten Play

Friday, March 23

Iowa City, Iowa

2:00 PM CT

Michigan

24-6, 1-0

Iowa

12-13, 0-1

Michigan

Iowa

Lou Allan

3/23/2018 7:55:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Leah Howard

» No. 17 Michigan split its first two Big Ten games, as they defeated Iowa, 4-1, before the Wolverines fell to the Hawkeyes, 4-3, in the nightcap.
» Michigan loaded the bases in the sixth and seventh innings of the second slate, to score twice on walks in the latter, before a pop-out ended the rally.
» Tera Blanco drove in the bulk of U-M's game-one runs on a three-run homer to left field in the third inning -- her fifth long ball of the season.

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Wilpon Complex)
Scores: #17 Michigan 4, Iowa 1; Iowa 4, #17 Michigan 3
Records: U-M (24-7; 1-1 B1G), UI (13-13; 1-1 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, March 25 -- at Iowa (Iowa City, Iowa), 11:30 a.m. CDT

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 17-ranked University of Michigan softball team split its first two games of the Big Ten Conference slate, as U-M defeated Iowa, 4-1, before it fell, 4-3, on Friday afternoon (March 23) at the Hawkeyes' Pearl Field. The nightcap loss halted the Wolverines' win streak at 18 games.

Michigan was not without hits in the twin bill but struggled to push them across, leaving the bases loaded in both the sixth and seventh innings in the second slate. Freshman designated player Lou Allan, who paced the Wolverines from the plate with four hits on the day, and sophomore third baseman Madison Uden drew back-to-back walks with the bases loaded to pull U-M within one before a pop-out ended the rally and the game.

The Wolverines fell behind early when Iowa registered a run-scoring triple and scored on a subsequent groundout in the second inning. Michigan cut the deficit in half on junior second baseman Faith Canfield's RBI double down the left-field line in the fifth, but the Hawkeyes responded with two more runs in the sixth inning, when they strung together a walk, single and two-run double, to make the comeback more difficult.

Senior right-handed pitcher/first baseman Tera Blanco (6-2) took the loss despite a solid outing. She allowed four runs, all earned, on four hits and two walks with five strikeouts.

Blanco was a major contributor to the Wolverines' win in game one, with a three-run home run in the third inning -- her fifth long ball of the season. Junior center fielder Natalie Peters used an RBI single to center to drive in the game's first run and, after working the count full in the next at-bat, Blanco broke it open with a no-doubt bomb deep over the left-field wall.

Freshman left-hander Meghan Beaubien (16-2) grew stronger from the circle as the game wore on, striking out seven Hawkeye batters -- six over the final three innings -- to allow one run on five hits and a walk. Iowa spoiled Beaubien's shutout bid with a two-out run-scoring single in the fifth inning. She responded with a four-pitch strikeout to end the frame.

Michigan (24-7) will wrap up its Iowa series on Sunday (March 25) with an 11:30 a.m. CDT slate against the Hawkeyes at Pearl Field in Iowa City, Iowa.