Wolverines Split Games at ACC/Big Ten Challenge

Friday, February 15

Chapel Hill, N.C.

1:30 PM

Michigan

4-2

Louisville

3-4

Louisville

Michigan

Lexie Blair

2/15/2019 8:01:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Leah Howard

» No. 17 Michigan split its first home ACC/Big Ten Challenge games, defeating Louisville, 6-0, before sacrificing an early lead in an 8-3 loss to host North Carolina.
» Lexie Blair paced the Wolverines from the plate with two hits in each contest, including a two-run home run against Carolina -- the first long ball of her career.
» LHP Meghan Beaubien took both decisions from the circle, including an eight-strikeout one-hit shutout against the Cardinals.

Site: Chapel Hill, N.C. (Anderson Stadium)
Event: ACC/Big Ten Challenge (Day 1 of 3)
Scores: #17 Michigan 6, Louisville 0; North Carolina 8, #17 Michigan 3
Records: U-M (4-3), UL (3-4), UNC (3-2)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Feb. 16 -- vs. Louisville - ACC/Big Ten Challenge (Chapel Hill, N.C.), 12:30 p.m.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- The No. 17-ranked University of Michigan softball team split its opening two games of the annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge, defeating Louisville, 6-0, before falling to host North Carolina, 8-3, on Friday afternoon (Feb. 15) at the Tar Heels' Anderson Stadium.

Michigan built a sizable lead through the early innings against Louisville with two runs in the first and three in the second. Junior right fielder Haley Hoogenraad drove in the first and game-winning tallies in the opening frame on a scorched double down the right-field line and to the wall. Senior catcher Katie Alexander also doubled to push across a run in the second, following back-to-back RBI from a pair of freshmen in Blair >and designated player Morgan Overaitis on a single and sacrifice fly, respectively, with her own two-bagger to left.

After quiet turns at the plate in the third and fourth innings, senior center fielder Natalie Peters used an RBI single up the middle to tack on one more run in the fifth.

Sophomore left-handed pitcher Meghan Beaubien (1-2) lost her no-hit bid on a two-out bunt single -- that was dropped at first base -- in the sixth but retired the next four Cardinal batters in order, including two swinging strikeouts in the seventh. She finished with eight strikeouts in the game and allowed just three total baserunners en route to her first shutout of the season.

The Wolverines also earned the initial lead against UNC, with Alexander scoring on a passed ball in the second, and tied the game with a Blair two-run homer off the scoreboard in the top of the fifth -- the first of the Wolverine rookie's career -- but could not recover after the Tar Heels put up five in the home half of the fifth.

Carolina tallied back-to-back hits to open the fifth before retaking the lead on a groundout. After two hit batters loaded the bases, still with just one out, the Tar Heels' Kiersten Licea knocked out a grand slam to center field to break the game open.

Michigan (4-2) will continue ACC/Big Ten Challenge action Saturday (Feb. 16) with a 12:30 p.m. slate against Louisville at Anderson Stadium.