Michigan Downs Illinois State, Falls to Host USF on 2024 Opening Day

Friday, February 9

Tampa, Fla.

10:00 AM

Michigan

1-0

Illinois State

0-3

Michigan

Illinois State

Lauren Derkowski (Michigan Photography)

Michigan Downs Illinois State, Falls to Host USF on 2024 Opening Day

2/9/2024 6:50:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2

By: Leah Howard

» Michigan split two games on opening day, beating Illinois State, 5-3, before falling to host USF, 1-0, at the USF-Rawlings Tournament.
» Ellie Sieler posted three hits against ISU, Keke Tholl tallied two hits, and five different Wolverines earned RBI.
» Lauren Derkowski struck out nine against the Redbirds, while Erin Hoehn tossed the perfect seventh inning to earn a save in her collegiate debut.

TAMPA, Fla. -- The University of Michigan softball team split a pair of opening-day games, rallying to beat Illinois, 5-3, in the season opener before narrowly falling to host USF, 1-0, on the first day of action at the USF-Rawlings Tournament on Friday (Feb. 9) at USF Softball Stadium.

Junior outfielder Ellie Sieler posted three hits in the ISU game, while senior catcher Keke Tholl tallied a pair of base knocks in the opener to headline the Wolverines' offensive effort. U-M tallied just two hits in the nightcap.

Junior RHP Lauren Derkowski (1-0) earned the ISU win from the circle, striking out nine while allowing three runs on six hits and one walk through six innings. Senior RHP Jessica LeBeau (0-1) was solid despite the game-two defeat, holding USF to one run and three hits while striking out four over 4.2 innings.

The Wolverines scored five runs in the last two innings to rally in the season opener against Illinois State, first overcoming a one-run deficit then surging again when the Redbirds evened the score in the sixth.

ISU broke the scoreless tie with a one-out solo homer in the fifth inning, but Michigan responded with a three-spot in its next turn at the plate. Sieler and Tholl recorded hits to put runners on the corners for freshman designated player Ella Stephenson, who drilled a game-tying single up the middle for her first collegiate hit and RBI. Sophomore third baseman Maddie Erickson looped another RBI single to shallow left, plating Tholl from second when the catcher couldn't hang onto the ball, and Stephenson crossed when the next pitch went wild.

After the Redbirds scored two on a two-out single in the sixth, Michigan took advantage of miscues to get them back in the top of the seventh. Sophomore outfielder Indiana Langford laid down a sacrifice bunt with junior shortstop Ella McVey on first base and reached on an errant throw that sailed into rightfield. McVey held briefly at third on the play then broke for home, scoring when the throw again missed well wide. Langford scored herself when Sieler deposited an RBI single into shallow right.

Freshman RHP Erin Hoehn entered to close out the game in the bottom half, setting down the Redbirds in order to earn her first collegiate save in her debut.

The Wolverines were doomed by a late tie-breaking run in the nightcap and unable to rally. After U-M thwarted a fourth-inning, two-runner threat with a three-pitch LeBeau punchout to strand both, the Bulls broke through an inning later when they banged a two-out RBI triple off the leftfield fence. Graduate student Hannah George entered the circle, left the runner stranded at third and held the Bulls off the board in the sixth.

Michigan's biggest threat came in the sixth, when sophomore second baseman Janelle Ilacqua beat out a leadoff infield single, Langford reached on a fielding error, and a sac bunt advanced both into scoring position -- but a groundout stranded both runners. The Wolverines also used an error to put a runner on with two outs in the seventh before a popout ended the contest.

The Wolverines (1-1) will continue action at the USF-Rawlings Tournament with two more games tomorrow (Saturday, Feb. 9), taking on Bethune-Cookman at 9 a.m. and No. 17 Florida at 2 p.m. at USF Softball Stadium.