The University of Michigan’s softball defeated South Dakota 2-1 in the opening round of the NCAA tournament’s regional play in Orlando, Florida, making the difference between Lexi Blair’s two-run singles in the fifth inning.
Alex Strako allowed 3 hits and 3 walks in 6⅔ innings and hit 3 in UM (37-16). Megan Bobien relieved Strako with two outs in the final round, gave up the walk and then defeated Emma Osmundson to end the match.
[ How Michigan earned a shot to make 2022 Women’s College World Series ]
Michigan will face regional host Central Florida (16th seed of the tournament) on Saturday at 11am, beating Villanova 6-0 on Friday.
UM defeated UCF 6-0 in an early season tournament on February 18th in Clearwater, Florida.
The regionals of these four teams are double elimination events this weekend. If Michigan wins Saturday, there are two opportunities to go on Sunday and win again to Super Regional. If you lose on Saturday, you will face a winning situation at 4 pm on Saturday.
The match was scoreless until the bottom of the fifth inning, when Annabel Widra hit the pitch and led the innings. Ella McBay then hit the bunt single and Christina Burkhart singled to the center and loaded onto the base. Blair’s single down the fieldline to the left won McBay and Burkhart after Fielder’s Choice cut down Widra at home.
Grace Granzer, Summit League Champion SDSU (40-12), played the UCF-Villanova loser in an elimination game on Saturday, acknowledging two earned runs in six hits and one walk. rice field.
At the top of the top of the sixth inning, Strako gave up on Siley Halberson a one-time solo home run, but struck out and grounded out to finish the frame.
Oakland drops openers in Northwestern
During Friday’s 2.5 innings, Oakland’s softball played against Northwestern University’s 9th seed in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Regional, hosted by Wildcats in Evanston, Illinois. However, after the Golden Grizzlies drew the match at the top of the top of the third inning, Northwestern scored at the bottom of each of the three, four and five innings.
OU will face Notre Dame, who lost 11 to 1 to McNeese State University in an elimination game at 3:30 pm on Friday. The winner of that game will face the loser of another Saturday 1 pm game between Northwestern University and McNeese State University at 6 pm on Saturday in another elimination game. If the OU wins both, the Golden Grizzlies will have to win twice on Sunday (4 pm and 8:30 pm) to advance to Super Regional.
The OU was reduced to four hits by Daniel Williams of Northwestern University. Daniel Williams also had eight strikeouts. Last weekend, OU’s Horizon League clinch winning star Madison Jones scored 1 to 3, and catcher Jen Krizka won 1 to 3 with Golden Grizzlies’ only RBI. Their other runs were scored by wild pitch by Williams.
For Wildcats, who was a big ten regular season champion before losing to Michigan in a conference tournament, Mavenelson did a lot of damage in two home runs (third and fifth) in four RBIs.
Contact Kirkland Crawford: kcrawford@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @HiKirkHere..
