Wolverines Fall to Stanford, No. 9 LSU on First Day at LSU Invitational

Friday, February 22

Baton Rouge, LA.

2:30 PM CT

Michigan

4-6

Stanford

9-2

Michigan

Stanford

Meghan Beaubien

Wolverines Fall to Stanford, No. 9 LSU on First Day at LSU Invitational

2/22/2019 11:55:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Leah Howard

» Michigan dropped its opening games at the LSU Invitational, falling to Stanford, 7-1, and No. 9 LSU, 2-0, at Tiger Park in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
» The Wolverines struggled from the plate, posting six hits on the day -- three from Lexie Blair in the opener against Stanford.
» LHP Meghan Beaubien was solid in the nightcap defeat against LSU, striking out three while allowing two runs off four hits and three walks.

Site: Baton Rouge, La. (Tiger Park)
Event: LSU Invitational (Day 1 of 3)
Scores: Stanford 7, Michigan 1; #9 LSU 2, Michigan 0
Records: U-M (4-7), Stanford (9-2), LSU (11-3)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Feb. 23 -- vs. Memphis - LSU Invitational (Baton Rouge, La.), noon CST

BATON ROUGE, La. -- The University of Michigan softball team dropped its opening two games of the LSU Invitational, falling to Stanford, 7-1, and No. 9 LSU, 2-0, on Friday (Feb. 22) at Tiger Park.

The Wolverines struggled from the plate in both contests with six total hits on the day -- three from freshman outfielder Lexie Blair, who went 3-for-3 with a run scored in the opener against Stanford. Senior first baseman Alex Sobczak registered Michigan's lone hit in the nightcap against host LSU.

Michigan hung with the ninth-ranked Tigers thanks to sophomore left-handed pitcher Meghan Beaubien (1-3), who allowed two runs on four hits and three walks but got stronger as the game wore on, retiring six straight LSU batters in the fifth and sixth frames. She posted three strikeouts -- two of which came in the last two innings.

LSU scored its runs one apiece in the first and third innings and took advantage of free bases in both instances. After drawing a one-out walk in the opening frame, the Tigers used a double down the left-field line to score the baserunner from first for the game-winning tally. In the third, the Tigers reached on a bunt single before a throwing error advanced the runner to scoring position and then capitalized when a single into left field scored her from second base.

The Wolverines took the initial lead in the earlier contest against Stanford, pushing across the game's first run on junior outfielder Haley Hoogenraad's sac fly to left field, but the Cardinal evened the score in the home half of the inning and broke it open with six runs in the bottom of the sixth. Stanford pushed across the go-ahead run off a hard-hit ball to third base then took advantage of free bases -- three hit-by-pitches and three wild pitches -- to add insurance.

Freshman RHP Alex Storako (3-4) took the loss from the circle but was the most effective of the three Wolverine pitchers who appeared in the game, striking out five while allowing two runs on three hits and two walks through 5.1 innings.

Michigan (4-7) will resume play at the LSU Invitational with a pair of games Saturday (Feb. 23), taking on Memphis at noon CST and Cal State Northridge at 2:30 p.m. CST at Tiger Park in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.