Michigan
5-1
Seton Hall
0-1
Wolverines Blank Seton Hall, Run-Rule Maine to Open Joan Joyce Classic
2/16/2024 4:19:00 PM | Softball
» Michigan opened the Joan Joyce Classic with wins over Seton Hall, 3-0, and Maine, 11-0 in five innings.
» Four Wolverine pitchers combined for 13 shutout innings; Lauren Derkowski earned the win against Seton Hall, while Erin Hoehn was the winning pitcher against Maine.
» U-M posted 16 hits on the day, including a season-high 10 against Maine; Ellie Sieler led Michigan with three hits, while three others posted two.
BOCA RATON, Fla. -- The University of Michigan softball team earned back-to-back shutouts, blanking Seton Hall 3-0 and Maine 11-0 in five innings, on its first day of action at the Joan Joyce Classic on Friday (Feb. 16) at FAU's Joan Joyce Field.
Four Wolverine pitchers contributed to the shutout wins. Junior RHP Lauren Derkowski earned the win against Seton Hall, scattering four hits and a walk while striking three over five innings. Freshmen right-handed pitcher Erin Hoehn collected the game-two victory over Maine with four strikeouts and just one hit and three walks allowed over four innings.
Michigan posted 16 hits on the day, including a season-high 10 against the Black Bears. Four Wolverines tallied a multi-hit performance. Freshman designated player Ella Stephenson went 2-for-3 with an RBI against Seton Hall, while junior outfielder Ellie Sieler, sophomore outfielder Indiana Langford and sophomore shortstop Avery Fantucci registered two hits and two RBI apiece against Maine. Sieler led U-M with three total hits on the day.
The Wolverines struck immediately in the shortened Maine contest, using a pair of two-run hits to plate four in the first inning. Sophomore third baseman Maddie Erickson drove a double off the right-field wall and, two batters later and with two outs, Fantucci looped a single into shallow right center to double the Michigan lead.
U-M recorded four straight hits to open the third inning, including RBI doubles from sophomore/freshman catcher Lilly Vallimont and Hoehn. It was Hoehn's first collegiate hit and RBI in just her second at-bat. Michigan loaded the bases and pushed across one more on a Langford groundout to second base.
Michigan took advantage of a Maine defensive miscue to push into run-rule territory with a four-spot in the fourth inning. After walking the bases loaded, U-M scored -- and extended the inning with two outs -- when the Black Bears' third baseman and shortstop nearly collided on a ball headed toward the 5-6 hole. Sieler and Langford followed with a two-run double and infield single, respectively, to wrap up the Wolverines' run production.
Graduate student RHP Hannah George retired the Black Bears in order, with one strikeout, to finish the game in the fifth.
The Wolverines broke through in the middle innings against Seton Hall, plating one in the fourth and two in the fifth to secure and extend their lead. Vallimont drove in the winning run for the second game in a row. After Michigan strung together three singles to load the bases in the fourth, she aired a deep fly ball well foul in left, allowing Stephenson, who keyed the rally with a looped single to shallow right, to tag and score on the sac fly.
Stephenson also contributed to Michigan's two-run fifth. U-M extended the inning on a two-out fielding error, and senior catcher Keke Tholl made the Pirates pay with an RBI triple off the left-center field wall -- her second career three-bagger -- then came home herself when Stephenson smacked a single through the 5-6 hole.
Senior RHP Jessica LeBeau closed out the final two innings, posting two strikeouts while allowing two hits and a walk to earn the save -- her first in maize and blue.
Michigan (5-1) will continue action at the Joan Joyce Classic with a pair of games Saturday (Feb. 17), taking on Louisville at 11:15 a.m. and host FAU at 3:30 p.m. at Joan Joyce Field. Both games will be streamed, the former by FloSoftball and the latter on the FAU athletics website.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Hoehn, Erin (2-0)
L: C. Fallon (0-2)
Base Running:
HBP: T. Smith 1
Batting:
2B: Sieler, Ellie 1 ; Erickson, Maddie 1 ; Vallimont, Lilly 1 ; Hoehn, Erin 1
RBI: Sieler, Ellie 2 ; Langford, Indiana 2 ; Erickson, Maddie 2 ; Vallimont, Lilly 1 ; Fantucci, Avery 2 ; Hoehn, Erin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Sieler, Ellie 1 ; Langford, Indiana 1 ; Erickson, Maddie 1 ; Conway, Jenissa 3 ; Vallimont, Lilly 2 ; Hoehn, Erin 1 ; Ramey, Madi 1 ; Ilacqua, Janelle 1
