Wolverines Plate Four in Seventh to Rally Past Illinois

Saturday, April 20

Champaign, Ill.

1:00 PM CT

Michigan

32-11, 14-1

Illinois

27-16, 6-8

Michigan

Illinois

Faith Canfield

Wolverines Plate Four in Seventh to Rally Past Illinois

4/20/2019 7:08:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

By: Leah Howard

» Michigan scored four runs with two outs in the top of the seventh inning to rally past Illinois, 9-8, and clinch the weekend series.
» Lou Allan and Faith Canfield drove in two runs apiece in back-to-back at-bats in the seventh.
» Meghan Beaubien struck out the side in the bottom of the seventh, leaving two Illini runners -- the tying and winning runs -- stranded on base.

Site: Champaign, Ill. (Eichelberger Field)
Scores: #22 Michigan 9, Illinois 8
Records: U-M (32-11, 14-1 Big Ten), Illinois (27-16, 6-8 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, April 21 -- at Illinois (Champaign, Ill.), 2 p.m. CDT

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The No. 22-ranked University of Michigan softball team plated four runs with two outs in the top of the seventh inning and stymied an attempted rally in the bottom half to complete a dramatic 9-8 comeback win against Illinois on Saturday afternoon (April 20) at the Fighting Illini's Eichelberger Field.

Sophomore pinch-hitter Lou Allan and senior second baseman Faith Canfield pushed across two runs apiece in back-to-back at-bats to play the heroes in the seventh inning. Allan fouled off six pitches -- and was down to the game's last strike -- before sending a looper into shallow right that Illinois' right fielder dove for and could not come up with. Two runs scored to pull U-M within one, and it turned over to Canfield, who drilled the second pitch she saw hard down the right-field line for a two-run double. Sophomore shortstop Natalia Rodriguez, who reentered to run for Allan, scored the go-ahead run from first base without a throw.

Michigan took the lead -- its first since the third inning -- into the home half off the seventh but had to work to fight off an Illinois rally. After a first-out strikeout, the Illini threatened with two singles through the infield before sophomore left-hander Meghan Beaubien answered with back-to-back strikeouts to close out the game and leave the tying and winning runs stranded on base.

The Wolverines led 2-0 after the first inning -- on RBI singles from senior first baseman Alex Sobczak and junior third baseman Madison Uden -- but Illinois scored six runs over the third and fourth frames to take a 6-2 lead and pull away.

Michigan rallied in the fifth and sixth, scoring three runs to pull within one at 6-5, but the Fighting Illini answered with two more of their own in the bottom of the sixth and lead, 8-5, entering the final frame.

Uden and senior center fielder Natalie Peters posted three hits apiece and combined for three RBI to headline the Wolverine offense, while Canfield posted two hits and two RBI -- none bigger than the game-winning runs in the seventh.

Beaubien (20-4) earned the win in relief, allowing two runs -- one earned -- on four hits and a walk through the final two innings. She posted three strikeouts, all with the game on the line in the seventh inning.

Michigan (32-11, 14-1 Big Ten) will wrap up its weekend series Sunday (April 21) with a 2 p.m. CDT slate against Illinois at Eichelberger Field. The game will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network.