No. 2 Wolverines Pull Away From RedHawks, 6-0

Saturday, May 21

Ann Arbor, Mich.

12:00 PM

Miami University

Michigan

No. 2 Wolverines Pull Away From RedHawks, 6-0

5/21/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball

May 21, 2016

Box Score

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - The Miami softball team kept the nation's top offense off the board for the first three innings, but No. 2 Michigan eventually broke through to top the RedHawks, 6-0, in the Ann Arbor Regional on Saturday.

Saturday afternoon's result sends Miami (35-22) into the elimination bracket and snaps its eight-game winning streak.

Pitching carefully to a potent Michigan lineup, Amber Logemann worked out of a little bit of trouble in the first two innings. She worked around a pair of one-out walks to put up a zero in the first inning and then put up another scoreless frame after a two-out free pass in the second. The Wolverines put up another scoring threat in the third as a hit batter with one out and a stolen base a batter later put a runner in scoring position, but Logemann induced a groundout to keep the game tied.

On the other side, UM's Megan Betsa struck out three batters while retiring the first seven MU hitters she faced to start the game. Rylee Whispel drilled a single into the right center field gap to record the first hit for either side. Pinch runner Tanya Busby was advanced to scoring position on a sacrifice bunt, but Betsa induced a foul out behind the plate to end the RedHawks' first scoring threat and leave it 0-0 after three full innings.

The Wolverines got a fourth inning rally started with a Kelly Christner bunt single for their first hit of the day. A sacrifice bunt moved her to second, then the bases were loaded up on a hit batter and a walk to set the table for the top of the order. Sierra Lawrence hit a hard ground ball that took a high hop over the infielders and into left field for a two-run single that made it 2-0. After an intentional walk loaded the bases, Logemann limited the damage with a fielder's choice to Eryn McCarver, who gunned out the lead runner at the plate, and her first strikeout of the day to keep the RedHawks within two.

After trading 1-2-3 innings in the fifth, Michigan added to its lead in the sixth. Lindsay Montemarano doubled on the first pitch she saw and Abby Ramirez walked on four pitches to start things up. After a fielder's choice forced out the lead runner at third, Sierra Romero pulled a two-strike pitch into left for a run-scoring single to make it 3-0. After a walk loaded the bases, Logemann struck out the next batter and got ahead of Aidan Falk 0-2 before she pulled a two-run single through the right side, ending Logemann's afternoon and making it 5-0. Christner then greeted Kelsey Fredericks with an RBI double to cap the scoring in the frame, leaving MU ahead 6-0 after five and a half.

The bottom of the order greeted new UM pitcher Sara Driesenga harshly as Whispel opened with a single for her second hit of the day and Kat Lee promptly doubled down the right field line to put together a scoring threat for MU. However, Driesenga recovered to get three-straight groundball outs, none of which moved the runners up, to keep the Red and White off the board. She then tossed a scoreless seventh to close the game out.

Logemann fell to 24-13 on the season after surrendering six runs on five hits in 5.2 innings. She struck out two batters and walked eight. Despite the rough line, the senior battled her way through the first five innings only allowing two runs to the nation's highest scoring team. Betsa struck out six batters and allowed just a hit in five shutout innings while Driesenga retired the final six batters she faced after allowing two hits to start her relief appearance.

The RedHawks will face either Notre Dame or Valparaiso in an elimination game later in the day at approximately 5 p.m., depending on how long the elimination game between the Crusaders and Fighting Irish.