Late Rallies Spur Michigan to Doubleheader Sweep of Iowa

Saturday, April 13

Ann Arbor, Mich.

1:00 PM

Michigan

27-14, 8-3

Iowa

16-16, 4-6

Iowa

Michigan

Ava Costales (Michigan Photography)

Late Rallies Spur Michigan to Doubleheader Sweep of Iowa

4/13/2024 8:43:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Photo Gallery

By: Leah Howard

» The Wolverines swept the Hawkeyes in a Saturday doubleheader, taking game one 8-6 and game two 9-8.
» Ava Costales and Ella Stephenson each recorded three RBI to propel an 8-6 victory in the opener, while Madi Ramey walked off Iowa with the first home run of her career in the nightcap.
» Hannah George earned the victory in the opener with a 6.1-inning relief appearance.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan softball team swept a doubleheader against Iowa on Saturday (April 13), using late-inning rallies to defeat the Hawkeyes 8-6 and 9-8 in eight innings at the Wilpon Complex, home of Alumni Field at Carol Hutchins Stadium.

Ava Costales and Ella Stephenson each knocked in three RBI to help secure a game one victory, while Madi Ramey sealed the sweep with a walk-off home run -- the first of her career -- in the eighth inning of game two. In the circle, Hannah George earned her first victory of the season after entering game one in the first inning -- recording 19 of the 21 total outs -- before being relieved by Erin Hoehn, who earned the save.

The Hawkeyes (16-17, 4-7 Big Ten) jumped out to a lead in the first game of the day, needing just one inning to take a 4-0 lead. A fifth run for Iowa came in the top of the fourth, while the Wolverines found their way onto the scoreboard in their half of the inning off a solo shot to the visiting bullpen by Costales.

The Maize and Blue (27-14, 8-3 Big Ten) started a comeback in the bottom of the fifth, when a bases-clearing double double off the bat of Stephenson brought home Jenissa Conway, Lexi Dellamonica and Maddie Erickson. The bid became reality when Costales found her second homer of the game to bring home Stephenson, while Erickson capped off a seven-run inning with an RBI single to flip the scoreline from 5-1 Iowa to 8-5 Michigan.

Though the Hawkeyes took back one last run in the top of the seventh, Ella McVey sealed a U-M victory with a double play to end the contest, putting the final score at 8-6.

The nightcap saw a quick exchange of runs between Iowa and Michigan, with the Hawkeyes taking an early 4-1 lead after back-to-back two-run innings. Keke Tholl brought home the Wolverines' first run of the contest with a double to the left-center wall, bringing home Indiana Langford.

Ellie Sieler cut the deficit to 8-3 in the bottom of the fifth, sending one well past the left-field wall for a two-run home run. In the sixth, a costly throwing error scored a pair of Wolverines and a bases-loaded walk of Vallimont added a third to bring the score to 8-6 headed to the seventh.

With the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the seventh, Langford singled to left-center over an outstretched Iowa shortstop and Erickson hit a sacrifice fly to deep center field, tying the game up at eight and sending the game to extras. Ramey was the hero of the day in the bottom of the eighth inning, hitting a solo shot to the deepest part of Carol Hutchins Stadium to seal a 9-8 victory.

The Wolverines finish out the weekend against the Hawkeyes on Sunday (Apr. 14), in a game scheduled to begin at noon. The contest will be streamed live on B1G+.