Michigan
Bethune-Cookman
Wolverines Rally Past Bethune-Cookman, Beat No. 17 Florida in Extras
2/10/2024 6:19:00 PM | Softball
» Michigan earned gritty wins over No. 17 Florida, 2-1 in 10 innings, and Bethune-Cookman, 3-2, on the second day at the USF-Rawlings Tournament.
» Lauren Derkowski allowed one run -- none earned -- on six hits and struck out four through 10 innings pitched against UF; Jessica LeBeau fanned eight of nine faced en route to the Bethune-Cookman win.
» Lexie Dellamonica scored the winning run against Florida on Jenissa Conway's RBI groundout in the 10th; Conway also belted a two-run homer against Bethune-Cookman.
TAMPA, Fla. -- The University of Michigan softball team gritted a 2-1, 10-inning decision against No. 17 Florida to highlight its second day of action at the USF-Rawlings Tournament on Saturday (Feb. 10) at USF Softball Stadium. The Wolverines also rallied past Bethune-Cookman 3-2 in their morning slate.
Michigan's win against Florida (2-1) was its first since the 2020 USF Tournament. The Wolverines twice took the lead in extra innings with a run apiece in the ninth and 10th innings. Freshman Lexi Dellamonica scored the winning run in the latter in her collegiate debut. She started the frame on second via the international tiebreaker, advanced on a sacrifice bunt and scored on freshman outfielder Jenissa Conway's unassisted groundout down the first-base line. It was Conway's third RBI of the day.
Florida also bunted to move its runner to third in the bottom half of the 10th, but sophomore shortstop Avery Fantucci threw her out at the plate on a grounder to earn the second out and remove the immediate scoring threat. The Gators lifted a deep ball to right-center field in the next at-bat, but Conway tracked it down on the warning track to close out the game.
Junior right-handed pitcher Lauren Derkowski (2-0) was spectacular en route to the complete-game win on her 21st birthday. She allowed one run -- none earned -- off six hits and three walks while striking out four Gator batters.
Derkowski got out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the eighth inning, earning a foulout and flyout on consecutive pitches before sophomore second baseman Indiana Langford made a lunging shoestring catch on a floater toward the 3-4 hole for the third out. Derkowski also used back-to-back strikeouts to strand the winning run on third base in the ninth inning. In all, the Gators stranded 11 runners in the game.
The Wolverines rallied from an early deficit in the morning slate after Bethune-Cookman used small ball to load the bases in the second, then push across a pair of runs with a bloop infield single and a walk.
Conway answered in the bottom of the inning, blasting a two-run shot deep over the right-center field fence for her collegiate hit -- and Michigan's first long ball of the 2024 season.
The score remained tied until the sixth inning when Langford looped a leadoff single to left field, stole second and advanced on a groundout before racing home on senior catcher Keke Tholl's sac fly to left. Langford scored two runs on the day.
Senior righty Jessica LeBeau (1-1) struck out the side -- all swinging -- to close out the game. LeBeau earned the win in relief, striking out eight of nine total batters faced over the final three innings. She was perfect but for a sixth-inning hit-by-pitch.
Michigan (3-1) will wrap up its opening weekend at the USF-Rawlings Tournament with a 9:30 a.m. slate against Oregon State on Sunday (Feb. 11) at USF Softball Stadium.
