U-M Sacrifices Late Lead in NCAA Elimination Loss to Notre Dame

Sunday, May 20

Lexington, Ky.

Noon

Michigan

44-13

Notre Dame

34-22

Michigan

Notre Dame

U-M Sacrifices Late Lead in NCAA Elimination Loss to Notre Dame

5/20/2018 3:52:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Leah Howard

» No. 17 Michigan broke a scoreless tie with a run in the top of the sixth but allowed two runs in the home half to fall to Notre Dame, 2-1, in an NCAA Regional elimination game.
» Faith Canfield and Madison Uden combined for two hits and three walks; Lou Allan used a sac fly to push across U-M's run.
» LHP Meghan Beaubien struck out four while allowing two runs on six hits and no walks.

Site: Lexington, Ky. (John Cropp Stadium)
Event: NCAA Regional (Day 3 of 3)
Score: Notre Dame 2, #17 Michigan 1
Records: U-M (44-13), UND (34-22)
Next U-M Event: Season Completed

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- The No. 17-ranked University of Michigan softball team sacrificed a late lead in a 2-1 heartbreaker to Notre Dame in an NCAA Regional elimination game on Sunday afternoon (May 20) at Kentucky's John Cropp Stadium. The loss ended the Wolverines' 2018 campaign.

The Wolverines broke a scoreless tie in the top of the sixth inning, but Notre Dame took advantage of Michigan miscues to respond with two runs in the home half of the inning. U-M threatened against in the top of the seventh, putting two runners on, but the rally fell short.

Junior second baseman Faith Canfield and sophomore third baseman Madison Uden paced Michigan from the plate, reaching in five-of-six plate appearances with two hits and three walks between them. They set up the Wolverines' run in the sixth when Canfield drew a one-out walk, advanced to third when Uden roped a single through the right side and scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of freshman designated player Lou Allan.

Notre Dame evened the score with a sac fly of its own -- after leading off with a double and allowing the runner to advance on a fly ball to shallow left field that dropped in for a single. The Fighting Irish singled in the next at-bat to push across the go-ahead and game-winning run.

Senior right fielder Aidan Falk doubled to the left-field wall to lead off the seventh and, two batters later, sophomore Abby Skvarce drew a pinch-hit walk to flip the batting order, but the Wolverines could not advance the runners further. A foul out and strikeout made up the final two outs of the game.

Freshman left-handed pitcher Meghan Beaubien (33-6) was solid in defeat, striking out four while allowing two runs on six hits and no walks. She finished her rookie campaign tied with Kelly Holmes (1997) for the fourth most single-season wins in program history.

Michigan closed out the 2018 season with a 44-13 overall record, including an 18-3 Big Ten Conference mark en route to the program's 20th regular-season conference title.