2B - April 21, 2014 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Betsa shows resolve Travis Maezes went 3-for-4 and drove home the first two runs Sunday as the Wolverines won another weekend series. Wolverines take two Freshman pitches complete game, earns win in series finale Sunday By JUSTIN MEYER Daily Sports Writer in the top of the fifth inning Sunday, Michigan softball pitcher Megan Betsa headed back to the circle after her pitch sailed just outside the strike zone. The count was now full, but there seemed little reason to be fazed - the freshman righty had already struck out the first two batters and had carried the fifth-ranked Wolverines all day to that point. Minnesota's Sam Macken sent the next pitch 30 feet into the stands in right field, tying up the game at one apiece. Macken's hit was exactly the type of thing that would've rattled Betsa earlier in the season, but the freshman battled back this time in a 7-2 victory. It wasn't easy, either. Betsa, who tossed 10 strikeouts in five innings and had a no hitter going before the Macken homer, surrendered another home run to begin the sixth. The 12th-ranked Gophers continued to make solid contact, driving another pitch to the warning track before sophomore left fielder Sierra Lawrence picked it BY THE NUMBERS Megan Betsa 463 Strikeoutsasa high schoolsenior,good for Player of the Year honors. By BRAD WHIPPLE Daily Sports Writer After splitting its first two games of the weekend against Purdue, the_ Michigan PURDUE 6 baseball MICHIGAN 7 team triumphed PURDUE 6 Sunday for MICHIGAN 2 the series win. PURDUE 3 Saturday MICHIGAN 13 in West Lafayette, the Wolverines' bats froze and their shaky defense was exploited, but they came into the final game of the series firing on all cylinders to claim another Big Ten weekend. , Michigan (8-7 Big Ten, 18-21-1 overall) jumped out to a six-run lead in the first three innings Sunday and never looked back. The Wolverines rallied behind a seven-inning outing from senior left-hander Logan McAnallen, who allowed just four hits and struck out three. "Winning a series on the road is a tough thing to do," said Michigan coach Erik Bakich. "At the same time, we expect to win every series that we play, whether it's at home or on the road." Despite the loss the night before, Michigan let the memory of defeat slip its mind and came out swinging with confidence in the 17-hit game, its second- highest of the season. In the first inning, the Wolverines' first eight batters had quality at-bats and never faced a two-strike count. Sophomore shortstop Travis Maezes led off with a double to left field, and Michigan then batted around. "The first inning couldn't have gone any better," Bakich said. "We needed to come out and deliver a pretty good punch right from the start." Twice in the Wolverines' last six games, Michigan has forced the starting pitcher out of the game in the first inning. Purdue right-hander Brett Haan threw just 26 pitches and gave up three runs before being pulled - Hann was replaced before the ninth batter. "We didn't want to wait around and feel the game out," Maezes said. "We wanted to be the aggressor and get the bats going early." The Wolverines continued to be dominant, scoring twice in the second inning off hot, top-of-the- order batting, and adding another tally in the third, forcing the Boilermakers (4-8, 9-26) to reach even deeper into their bullpen - in the sixth inning, they made three changes on the mound. According to Bakich, McAnallen wasn't pitching as sharply as he could've in the first three innings - he walked two of the first five batters - but he improved late in the game. He didn't allow Purdue's first run until the sixth inning, but that didn't faze him as he pounded the zone for two more innings. "He was able to just squash any momentum they had," Bakich said. "We played solid defense behind him and put ourselves in a position for our offense to relax and continue to extend the lead." The Wolverines remained relentless at the plate in the seventh inning to score five more runs while batting through the order for the second time. Though it took three Michigan pitchers to provide relief after McAnallen, the Wolverines' explosive offense throughout the game provided a thick enough cushion to pull ahead of .500 in the conference. "We're going to need to continue at a very high and consistent level," Bakich said. "We're also going to need some help with some other teams scuffling." Whathappened Friday: Looking to continue their Big Ten momentum after taking two of three in Champaign, the Wolverines made a strong entrance into Friday's series opener, but it took 12 innings, their longest of the season, to pull off a 7-6 win over Purdue. Tied at six in the 12th, freshman designated hitter Carmen Benedetti doubled down the right-field line to score the go-ahead run. What happened Saturday: The Boilermakers' bats bullied the Michigan defense and exploited two errors en route to a 6-2 decision, ending the Wolverines' three-game conference win streak. out of the air, but Betsa grew Through five innings Betsa more comfortable throughout shut down the Gophers with the inning. more authority than either "It was a bad pitch and I took Driesenga or junior lefty Haylie the credit for that," Betsa said. Wagner managed in the series' "I threw it right over the plate, first two games. Batters fanned and she did what she's supposed at pitch after pitch, and Betsa's to do with it. That was on me, mix of stuff from the mound and I've got to come back and kept every Gopher off balance. give my team a chance. My "That change-up is dirty," defense worked behind me, and said Michigan coach Carol I mixed speeds and kept them Hutchins. "But she still likes off balance." to bounce it in, or she tries too Betsa was highly touted hard with some of her pitches." in high school, finishing her Betsa said the change-up is career as one of the top pitchers something that has never really in Georgia softball history. She worked for her before coming to threw 463 strikeouts in 235 Michigan, but she now has both innings her senior season in a rise-ball and drop-ball version addition to winning the state she is confident throwing. championship and earning "I throw one, and if it's not Gatorade Player of the Year working, I have another one to honors. The accomplishments go to," she said. "When I would set high expectations for her bounce a few in the dirt, and freshman campaign with they just weren't working, I the Wolverines. would go.to the other one and it At first, though, wasshe wasn't would get them swinging." meeting those In expectations. addition to It has been "She the physical a long and She just needs tools she has often trying added, Betsa freshman to throw it at has also season for h m e a developed Betsa. In the them, because some of the first game of they swing and swagger that her collegiate Hutchins career, Betsa they mis" stresses. No walked a batter " * longer does and hit another every pitch with the bases seem to affect loaded, exiting her emotional the game after failing to get an state, and her rhythm in the out. It took her some time to circle is looking more natural regain the confidence that made every game. her a highly coveted recruit. That's a scary prospect for Frequent walks and shaky opposing hitters, because Betsa confidence on the mound might be the hardest-throwing continued to plague Betsa for pitcher in Michigan's star- months before physical and studded rotation. mental adjustments helped her "She just needs to throw at regain elite form in the circle. them, because they swing and The culmination of that miss," Hutchins said. "She was transformation was Sunday's better today." win over Minnesota. The win gave Betsa the "I had adjustments that I marquee victory of her had to make in the fall that still collegiate career to this point. weren'tperfect,"Betsasaidofher But perhaps more early season struggles. "Things importantly, it gave the are different in practice than Wolverines another piece for they are in the game - that was the postseason. the problem for me. It shouldn't The speed on her pitch be that way. Minnesota's a great and ability to keep hitters team, and I think a few weeks off balance make a confident ago I wouldn't even have been and poised Betsa a powerful put in the circle because of my addition to an already deep confidence issues." rotation come May. 11 Strikeouts Sunday afternoon, helping Michigan tootle the Gohers. ON SOFTBALL From Page lB- opponent. It takes one momentum swing - one home run, one W E O Nb ases-clearingdoubl ior even one out at home - to shift W L LEL Ethegame. A The blowouts of the previous five weekends didn't cement Michigan as an invincible team undoubtedly on its way to the Women's College World Series. Neither did a 2-l series win over the Gophers. But any suspicions that the Wolverines won't know how to respond after playing cushy Big Ten schedule are 9 inaccurate. They're not going to roll their ground and ot let their opponent touch their plate. av From Page lB I~ j side. With a runner in scoring position, the Gophers replaced starting pitcher Sara ? S~t Moulton with left-bander Nikki Anderson. Romero was next up, but this time, Minnesota intentionally walked her. The home crowd stood up and booed as Romero made her way to first. The walk fired up Blanchard, who had @JIMMJBHN.CBMalready registered a hit in the ____________________________________ third inning. "It's just a situation where they're throwing around FREAKYiFAsT. somebody to get to you," Blanchard said. "Of course you DLLI~ EEIT take that personally, and I'm pretty determined to go up there and get a hit." Blanchard stepped up to bat with the bases loaded sod hit a long double to dead center, Michigan coach Carol Hutchins has helped Megan Betsa develop mentally and is helping her reach her full pot allowing three to score. The Blanchard a sta as freshman first Christner was su pinch run. "(The hit) was pretty awe- some, espe- cially since it was such a close game," Blanchard said. "One swing of the bat was able to change the mood in the air. It was a great Betsa gave up in the sixth whe ter she saw hit the left field lin adjusted, like ea and the next retired in order. e Wolverines "I thought (Betsa) did crowd gave respond," Hutchins said. "She nding ovation came outalittle tentativesagainst baseman Kelly (Minnesota's Tyler Walker) and ibstituted in to then she got it done, and those are the things that are going to happen. You're never going to be flawless, "I'm pretty things are not always going to determined to go your way." The Gophers go up there and got their last chance at get a hit." redemption in the top of the seventhinning. But Betsa kept feeling." her composure and ended the her second hit game quickly, allowing only one n the first bat- batter to reach. a homer down "This series was way better ie. She quickly for us than winning huge over rlier that night, Michigan State or Indiana," three hitters Hutchins said. "It made us a better team, it made us com- pete, it made us stay focused and intense and showed us that we can lose a game and be OK." BY THE NUMBERS Michigan softball 3 Gameshby which Michigan leads second-slace Nebraska in the BigTen. Z Outfield assiststfor Lyndsay Doyle on theseason,includingone Saturday.