Wolverines Fall to Miami in Rain-Soaked Midweek Matchup

Wednesday, March 23

Ann Arbor, Mich.

2:30 PM

Michigan

18-7

Miami (Ohio)

11-10

Miami (Ohio)

Michigan

Sierra Kersten (Michigan Photography)

Wolverines Fall to Miami in Rain-Soaked Midweek Matchup

3/23/2022 7:35:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

By: Leah Howard

» No. 19 Michigan dropped its first home game of the season, falling to Miami (Ohio), 7-3, at Alumni Field; it also snapped a six-game Michigan win streak.
» Michigan allowed a season-high 11 hits; RHP Alex Storako suffered her first loss after giving up four runs on four hits and a walk through one inning pitched.
» Sierra Kersten hit a solo homer in the fifth, while Kristina Burkhardt extended her hit streak to 13 with two hits, including a first-inning double.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 19-ranked University of Michigan softball team couldn't shake off a slow start in a 7-3 defeat against Miami (Ohio) on Wednesday afternoon (March 23) in front of 861 fans at the Wilpon Complex, home of Alumni Field. It was the Wolverines' first loss at home this season and it snapped U-M's six-game winning streak.

The game featured a two-hour, four-minute delay for rain and lightning with no outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, and Michigan returned from the delay with its biggest threat of the game. Freshman shortstop Ella McVey led off with a double down the left-field line and scored on senior catcher Hannah Carson's bases-loaded RBI single to left. But U-M could not add any more as a strikeout and pop-out ended the game.

Both teams scored in the first inning -- on a RedHawk RBI single and a Wolverine bases-loaded fielder's choice -- but the rest of the game was all Miami, which put up three runs apiece in the second and fifth frames. Miami out-hit Michigan, 11-6 -- the most hits allowed by the Wolverines this season.

Sophomore second baseman Sierra Kersten knocked out a solo homer in the fifth inning -- her fifth long ball of the season -- and scored in the first to highlight the Michigan offense. Graduate student outfielder Kristina Burkhardt also tallied her nation-leading 15th double in the first inning, to extend her hit streak to 13 games.

Senior RHP Alex Storako (13-1) suffered her first loss of the season, allowing four runs on four hits and a walk through one inning. Freshman RHP Lauren Derkowski and graduate student LHP Meghan Beaubien pitched three innings apiece, with Beaubien striking out three and allowing no runs and two hits.

Michigan (18-7) will kick off Big Ten Conference play with a three-game set against Nebraska this weekend at Alumni Field. The series kicks off with a 6:30 p.m. slate on Friday (March 25) live on FS1. Tickets are available at MGoBlue.com/tickets.