Wolverines Beat Queens, NC State on Day One at The Raleigh Times

Friday, February 28

Raleigh, N.C.

1:00 PM

Michigan

9-6

Queens

3-6

Michigan

Queens

Lilly Vallimont (Michigan Photography)

Wolverines Beat Queens, NC State on Day One at The Raleigh Times

2/28/2025 9:44:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Leah Howard

» Michigan defeated Queens, 10-2, and host NC State, 5-3, to kick off its appearance at The Raleigh Times tournament.
» Lilly Vallimont posted four hits and three RBI on the day, while the top of the lineup combined for nine hits and 10 runs scored.
» Lauren Derkowski earned the complete-game win against NC State with three runs allowed on nine hits and no walks with eight strikeouts, while Erin Hoehn allowed just one hit through five innings against Queens.

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The University of Michigan softball team opened its spring break appearance at The Raleigh Times tournament with a pair of wins, taking advantage of small-ball play to defeat Queens, 10-2, and host North Carolina State, 5-3, on Friday (Feb. 28) at the Wolfpack's Dail Softball Stadium.

The top of the lineup for Michigan (10-6) – junior second baseman Indiana Langford and sophomore outfielders Jenissa Conway and Ella Stephenson – combined for nine hits and 10 runs scored, including all five in the nightcap against the Wolfpack. Junior/sophomore catcher Lilly Vallimont posted a team-best three RBIs as part of a 4-for-8 effort on the day.

Senior RHP Lauren Derkowski (4-3) earned a gritty win against NC State (12-7), allowing three runs on nine hits and no walks with eight strikeouts, including the last two batters of the game with the tying run at the plate.

Sophomore RHP Erin Hoehn (6-2) took a no-hitter into the fifth inning in the day's opener against Queens, finishing with two runs allowed on one hit – a two-run homer with two outs – and one walk and five strikeouts. Freshman RHP Kat Meyers threw the final two frames, adding two more strikeouts while allowing one hit.

Michigan broke through with two outs in the third against NC State. Stephenson sailed a double over the left fielder's head, advanced on a wild pitch and scored from second when Vallimont looped the 3-2 pitch down the line into shallow right.

The Wolverines scored three runs off a leadoff walk and four consecutive hits before the first out in the fifth. Stephenson punched an RBI single through the left side with runners on the corners, and Vallimont roped a double to the right-center gap before the Wolfpack went to the bullpen. Freshman designated player Lauren Putz drove in another run after the pitching change with an RBI single through the right side.

NC State registered runs in the fifth and sixth innings, scoring on a two-out single to left-center before knocking out solo homers on back-to-back pitches with one out in the latter frame.

Putz manufactured an insurance run in the top of the seventh, following Conway's check-swing leadoff single with a slow roller to short and just beating the throw to first as Conway rounded third to score from second.

The Wolfpack had the tying run at the plate after a one-out single in the seventh, but Derkowski closed out the game with back-to-back swinging strikeouts.

Michigan flirted with the run rule in its tournament opener against Queens (3-6) before reaching its eight-run lead in the top of the seventh. After a slow start, the Wolverines scored in each of the last four innings, using small ball to break through with a three-run fourth.

Vallimont and Putz both singled to lead off the fourth, the runners moved into scoring position with a double steal, and U-M plated runs on three straight infield balls – a fielder's choice and a pair of groundouts.

The Wolverines again led off the fifth with consecutive singles before Stephenson reached on a throwing error on her sac bunt attempt. She then scored from second on junior first baseman Madi Ramey's RBI single to center field. Michigan used a walk to load the bases after a Queens pitching change, and junior infielder Avery Fantucci drove in one on a hard-hit single to left-center.

Queens spoiled Hoehn's no-hit bid with a two-run homer in the fifth, following a two-out walk – just its second base runner of the game after a hit-by-pitch in the first – with a deep ball to center field that hit the top of the wall and bounced over.

Michigan got the runs back with a two-run homer of its own in the next half-inning. Langford led off with a triple down the left-field line – her first collegiate three-bagger – before Conway blasted a no-doubter over the center-field wall for her second home run of the season. The Wolverines added one more in the seventh when freshman outfielder Megan Beemer laced an RBI triple to center field.

Michigan will play two more games at The Raleigh Times tomorrow (Saturday, March 1), again taking on Queens at 9:30 a.m. and UNC Wilmington at noon at NC State's Dail Softball Stadium in Raleigh, N.C.