Wolverines Complete Sweep of Penn State on Senior Day

Sunday, April 28

Ann Arbor, Mich.

1:00 PM

Michigan

37-11, 19-1

Penn State

23-29, 6-14

Penn State

Michigan

Faith Canfield

Wolverines Complete Sweep of Penn State on Senior Day

4/28/2019 5:14:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Leah Howard

» Michigan used small ball and big hits to build its lead in a 7-2 decision and claim the series sweep against Penn State.
» Alex Storako struck out 10 and allowed just one run on three hits -- two on balls lost in the sun -- and two walks through six innings.
» Faith Canfield posted two hits, three runs and an RBI to finish the Wolverines' four-game week with a perfect 1.000 on-base percentage.

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Wilpon Complex)
Scores: #22 Michigan 7, Penn State 2
Records: U-M (37-11, 19-1 Big Ten), PSU (23-29, 6-14 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Friday, May 3 -- at Maryland (College Park, Md.), 6 p.m.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 22-ranked University of Michigan softball team earned its third straight Big Ten Conference series sweep, running its win streak eight games, with a 7-2 decision against Penn State on Sunday afternoon (April 28) in front of a capacity crowd of 2,490 at the Wilpon Complex, home of Alumni Field. The Wolverines wrapped the home portion of their regular season with a 15-0 record.

Freshman right-handed pitcher Alex Storako (13-6) was terrific for the second straight day, allowing just one run on three hits -- two on fly balls lost in the sun -- and two walks while striking 10 Nittany Lion batters through six innings. It was her third game this season with double-digit strikeouts and brought her weekend total to 19 over 11 innings pitched.

Michigan used a combination of small ball and big hits to build its lead through the first five frames. The Wolverine seniors all contributed on Senior Day, most notably senior second baseman Faith Canfield, who posted two hits, an RBI and three runs to complete a perfect 1.000 on-base percentage for U-M's four-game week. She has reached in 16 consecutive plate appearances.

Senior first baseman Alex Sobczak and senior center fielder Natalie Peters drove in the game's first runs on a first-inning sac fly and third-inning RBI double before the Wolverines broke it open with a four-spot in the fourth inning.

After Michigan successfully converted on a double steal, freshman Lou Allan smacked a line-drive solo home run to the railing just above the wall in right-center field -- her first home run of the season -- and, three batters later, freshman left fielder Lexie Blair posted her team-best 20th double of the season with a two-run rope to the left center gap.

The Wolverines added one more on a Canfield RBI single with the bases loaded in the fifth, but could not get another to reach the necessary run-rule margin when a subsequent groundout left three stranded.

Penn State narrowed the final margin with a run apiece in the sixth and seventh, using a triple -- its only non-sun-aided hit -- and a fielder's choice to plate the former and a bases-loaded single for the latter. Sophomore southpaw Meghan Beaubien, who entered to pitch in the seventh, handled the game's last two outs, catching a liner back to the circle before striking out the final Nittany Lion batter to leave the bases loaded.

Michigan (37-11, 19-1 Big Ten) will close out its regular season on the road next weekend with a three-game set against Maryland in College Park. The series kicks off with a 6 p.m. slate on Friday (May 3) at Maryland Softball Stadium. The teams will also face off at 1 p.m. on Saturday (May 4) and 2 p.m. on Sunday (May 5). The latter two game times were changed, and the contests will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network.