11 Thursday, May 28, 2015 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com SPORTS Softball to battle Alabama Thursday By TYLER SCOTT Daily Sports Writer The Michigan softball team plays its first game in the Women’s Col- lege World Series at 7:00pm Thurs- day against Alabama, a rematch of a preseason two-game set where the Wolverines took both games. Michigan won both times before, but that was back in February, a long time ago. When the two teams last squared off in the Easton Bama Bash at Tuscaloosa, there was still snow on Alumni field. But the Wolverines did get a look at Crimson Tide pitcher Alexis Osorio in the second of those two games back in February, and she got a look at them. Osorio gave up two home runs in the third inning to give Michigan its second win over Alabama on the season, 4-1. Now, that game seems like just one win out of many, but at the time it was significant for the Wolverines. “I think it really started clicking when we were at Alabama,” said sophomore right-hander Megan Betsa. “We started realizing, ‘Hey, we’re a really good team. We have really good chemistry, and that’s something that (Michigan coach Carol Hutchins) preaches about from the very first meeting.” Since that realization, Michigan has swept the Big Ten Champion- ships and won every postseason game along the way to get to the WCWS. Alabama does not have the conference championships to boast, and they dropped the first game of their Super Regional series to No. 11 Oklahoma before punching their own ticket to the series. Osorio threw 241 pitches in last Saturday’s doubleheader against the Sooners. The Crimson Tide weren’t certain they’d have a spot reserved in Oklahoma City until the sixth inning of the forced game three when Infielder Marissa Run- yon hit a grand slam that allowed Alabama to take the lead for good. The Crimson Tide and the Wol- verines took different paths to their round one WCWS matchup, but Michigan isn’t going to underesti- mate its opponent. “(Alabama) is a great team,” said junior second baseman Sierra Rome- ro. “They’re a great hitting team and they have a great pitching staff as well. It’s going to be a good game, and we expect every game in the World Series to be a good game because it’s the top- eight teams in the nation now.” The Wolverines also have the added benefit of rest after wrapping up the Super Regionals in just two games before the weekend. Whether Osorio will be at all fatigued by her high pitch count remains to be seen, but with a 1.68 ERA and opposing bat- ting average of just .166. That’s why it might be helpful to look back to those early games after all. All of the four runs Osorio allowed against Michigan, includ- ing the two home runs, came in the third inning or earlier. After that, she allowed only one hit, and nothing else. Since the postsea- son, and really all year long, Hutchins and the Wolverines have underlined the importance of com- ing out “attacking” and being aggressive with every at bat to get on base. “We did well last time we saw Alabama’s pitching, but again that has no bearing on this time,” Hutchins said. “Because Oso- rio is a lot better. She’s a lot closer to the zone, she’s able to nibble the zone. I was impressed watching her. She was able to keep Oklahoma off balance and Oklahoma is a good hitting team. So I’m going to have to say that runs will be precious.” The Wolverines will be swinging their bats out of the gate like they always do. Forty-four of the 76 runs that Michigan has scored this post- season have crossed the plate during the first three innings of the game. Hutchins assumes run will be at premium cost. Osorio has the tal- ent to shut down any lineup in the country, but if she slips up early, the Wolverines could make her pay – just like in February – and it wouldn’t matter how well she pitch- es after that. Michigan takes down ’Dogs, on to World Series By TYLER SCOTT Daily Sports Wrter If anyone thought that just because Georgia had been beat- en soundly the day before that it would quietly accept defeat in Friday’s second game of the Super Regional, they were mistaken. “That Georgia team,” said Michigan coach Carol Hutchins. “They are fighters, they are scrappy. That’s a tough team to play and a tough team to beat.” The Michigan softball team had to battle back from an early deficit to survive the Bulldog’s best efforts, but clinched the the victory 7 - 6, and booked itself a trip to the Women’s College World Series. “My kids were fantastic. They’ve been fantastic all year,” Hutchins said. “I’m really proud of them. I said, ‘Don’t be proud because you won. Be proud of what you’ve worked so hard to accomplish.’” Just like Georgia right-hand- er Chelsea Wilkinson the night before, sophomore right-hander Megan Betsa was overwhelmed by early hitting, and her day was done before the first inning was over. In total, Betsa allowed two hits in two thirds of an inning pitched. Both of them were homers. Geor- gia first baseman Tina Iosefa put the Bulldogs up 3-0 with the sec- ond long ball of the inning, and that was the end for Betsa. At least for the time being. Michigan coach Carol Hutchins sent out senior left- hander Haylie Wagner to take over in the circle. All eyes were on her to give Michigan some time before the game got out of reach. It didn’t take long thanks to Kelsey Susalla. The junior right fielder put Michigan on the board with a solo shot of her own in the second inning. A third inning RBI single hit past first base by junior second baseman Sierra Romero scored another run for Michigan, and a comeback was in the works. With only one out, junior centerfielder Sierra Lawrence, the best Michi- gan baserunner and the tying run, was standing on third. Sophomore left fielder Kelly Christner smacked a 0-1 pitch into right field, where Georgia outfielder Sydni Emmanuel made a spectacular diving grab, but couldn’t get to her feet to make the throw in time. Lawrence tagged up and scored before any throw at all, and the Wolverines breathed a collective sigh of relief. Susalla was 3-for-3 at the plate on the day, and insured Michi- gan’s lead with a few additional runs. She knocked in an RBI dou- ble in the fifth inning, eventually coming around to score herself. “The coaches were drilling us to ‘see the back of the ball hit the back of the ball,” Susalla said. “So I was just looking for something low in the zone and looking to put a good swing on the ball.” After scoring one run to cut Michigan’s lead to two, Wag- ner struck out designated player Kaylee Puailoa to end the threat in the sixth. Georgia, after starting the game so full of vigor, was down to its last hope. After Wagner struck out Hugo – the power slugger that started it all for the Bulldogs – Michigan was on vic- tory’s doorstep. The crowd was still roaring for Wagner when, without warn- ing, senior third baseman Anna Swafford belted a two-run shot past the confines of the center- field wall. Wagner went out after seven hits and three runs through six innings pitched. Betsa came back in with the hopes to earn a com- plete inning on the day in a fash- ion opposite to how she started. Griffin popped up. The ball arced through the air, and came down inside the glove of Romero. After a day full of drama, Michi- gan had finished the job. With the final catch Romero ensured for her team that the dream of making it to the Women’s College World Series was now indeed a reality. AMANDA ALLEN/Daily Junior second baseman Sierra Romero was named unanimous first team All-American in Wednesday’s awards release. GEORGIA MICHIGAN 6 7 “We expect every game in the World Series to be good.”