The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SportsMonday
February 22, 2016 — 3B

Wolverines open season with sweep of Canisius

Michigan posts 

first 4-0 start since 

2009 season

By NATHANIEL CLARK 

Daily Sports Writer

In each of the Michigan 

baseball team’s previous three 
seasons under coach Erik Bakich, 
the opening weekend was always 
one to forget.

The 2016 edition will be just 

the opposite. The 15th-ranked 
Wolverines won all four games 
in the series against Canisius, 
9-0 Friday, 6-2 and 3-0 Saturday 
and 9-3 Sunday. It’s the first time 
Michigan has started 4-0 since 
2009.

“The momentum that was 

created (this weekend) was a 
byproduct of our training, and 
the consistency of our efforts on 
a daily basis,” Bakich said.

The Wolverines put away 

Friday’s contest quickly, putting 
up four runs in the first inning. 

It all started when sophomore 

shortstop Jake Bivens hit a 
leadoff single to right field. 
Senior Matt Ramsay followed 
up with a single of his own to 
put runners on first and second 
base.

Two 
batters 
later, 
senior 

outfielder Cody Bruder singled 
with the bases loaded and one 
out to drive in two runs. Then 
fellow junior outfielder Johnny 
Slater hit his own RBI double 
to extend Michigan’s lead to 
three. Junior designated hitter 
Harrison 
Wenson 
added 
a 

sacrifice fly to center to put the 
Wolverines ahead, 4-0.

Michigan later accumulated 

a four-run sixth inning and a 
one-run eighth frame to round 
out Friday. Every batter for the 
Wolverines either notched an 
RBI or scored a run.

“To see (the offense) have 

success, get on base, run hard 
on the bases and create scoring 
opportunities 
was 
really 

exciting.” Bakich said. “Our 
team was very engaged and 
invested in one another. I liked 
the positivity, I liked the energy 
and I liked the execution.”

But it was junior left-handed 

pitcher 
Brett 

Adcock 
who 

was the star of 
Friday’s show. 
He 
pitched 

5.1 
scoreless 

innings, 
allowed three 
hits and struck 
out 
seven. 

Sophomore 
right-hander 
Jayce Vancena 
came on for 1.2 innings of 
scoreless relief and freshman 
right-hander Troy Miller pitched 
the final two innings.

“We got quality starts from 

all four guys who started (this 
weekend),” Bakich said. “We got 
quality relief pitching, too. I was 
very happy to see the way our 
pitching staff competed.”

The first game of Saturday’s 

doubleheader 
started 
out 

differently 
than 
Friday’s 

contest 
as 

Canisius 
scored 
an 

unearned run 
in the top of 
the first, but 
Michigan 
quickly dashed 
the 
Golden 

Griffins’ hopes.

With two outs in the bottom 

of the first, junior outfielder 
Carmen Benedetti hit a single to 
right field. Sophomore infielder 

Drew Lugbauer followed up 
with another single to put two 
runners on base.

“(Lugbauer) still made some 

of the loudest contact of anyone 
with deep drives to the warning 
track,” Bakich said. “Even though 
his statistics from this weekend 
are solid, they don’t show how 
well he really hit this weekend.”

Sophomore 
right-handed 

pitcher Ryan Nutof earned the 
win in Saturday’s first game. 
He pitched four innings, kept 
the Golden Griffins hitless and 
only surrendered one unearned 
run while striking out two. 
Sophomore right-hander Michael 
Hendrickson came on for three 
innings of relief, permitting only 
one run on three hits and earning 
a save in the process.

While 
Michigan 
scored 

just three runs in the second 

game of the doubleheader, four 
Wolverine 
pitchers 
ensured 

that the offense’s support was 
sufficient.

Senior left-hander Evan Hill 

started things off by pitching 
four scoreless frames, striking 
out one and allowing six hits. 
After that, freshman southpaw 
William 
Tribucher, 
junior 

right-hander Mac Lozer, and 
sophomore righty Bryan Pall 
combined 
for 
five 
shut-out 

innings of relief.

“When the pitching is as 

dominant as it was this weekend, 
it’s a huge pump-up for our 
offense.” Bruder said. “I have to 
give credit to (the pitchers).”

But Michigan’s offense came 

roaring back alive in the first two 
innings of Sunday’s game.

In the first frame, Bivens 

singled up the middle to lead 

off the inning and Ramsay 
immediately followed up with 
another single. A sacrifice fly 
by junior outfielder Carmen 
Benedetti put runners on first 
and third with one out.

Two unforced mistakes by 

Canisius turned into two runs for 
the Wolverines. A balk allowed 
Bivens to score and a throwing 
error two batters later allowed 
Ramsay to score after stealing 
third base.

Slater opened up the second 

inning by singling to right field. 
Wenson then launched a home 
run to left field on the next at-bat 
to put Michigan up, 4-0. The 
Wolverines scored one more 
time in the inning to extend the 
lead to five.

An RBI single by Bruder and 

a sacrifice fly from Wenson in 
the fifth created even more 
separation for the Wolverines. 
Bruder again singled in the 
eighth to drive in a run and 
give Michigan a 9-3 advantage. 
Bruder finished Sunday with 
three hits in five at-bats, one run 
scored and two RBI.

“I got to give credit to the 

people in front of me for setting 
the table,” Bruder said. “Coach 
Bakich always had a good game 
plan for us going in.”

Perhaps 
the 
lone 
blemish 

from the weekend was the fact 
that the Wolverines’ defense 
committed four errors Sunday, 
which turned into three runs for 
the Golden Griffins. Yet Bakich 
believed the performance was an 
anomaly in an otherwise strong 
series for the defense. Michigan 
committed two errors in the 
other three contests.

“For the first three games, the 

defense was elite,” Bakich said. 
“We had some issues (Sunday). 
I don’t think our defense is 
outstanding, but it’s very good.”

While there are still plenty 

of 
challenges 
ahead 
during 

conference 
play, 
the 
sweep 

of Canisius was certainly a 
momentum-booster 
for 
the 

Wolverines.

SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily

Cody Bruder capped a strong opening weekend for the Michigan baseball team by going 3-for-5 with a run scored and two RBI on Sunday against Canisius.

“Our team was 
very engaged 
and invested in 
one another.”

‘M’ cruises in 
weekend wins

By TYLER COADY 

Daily Sports Writer

Only one run separated the 

Michigan softball team and No. 
13 Florida State heading into the 
seventh inning Friday night. The 
Seminoles scored a run in the 
bottom of the sixth inning to cut 
Michigan’s lead to one.

Then, the top of the second-

ranked Wolverines’ lineup came 
up to bat.

After senior centerfielder Sierra 

Lawrence reached first base on an 
error, the stage was set for senior 
second basemen Sierra Romero to 
make her mark.

Despite 
being 
hitless 
in 

three at-bats, Romero quickly 
put those struggles to bed as 
she launched a home run over 
the right-field fence, giving the 
Wolverines a 5-2 lead.

Michigan 
scored 
another 

insurance run in the inning, 
giving fifth-year right hander Sara 
Driesenga all the help she needed 
to close out the game and give the 
Wolverines (8-1) a 6-2 victory over 
the Seminoles.

“We expect things to be 

close,” said Michigan coach Carol 
Hutchins. “It was a tight game, but 
we kept swinging away.”

That set the tone for the 

Wolverines’ 
4-0 
weekend 
in 

which two wins came against 
Florida State.

After Friday night’s explosive 

finish, the Wolverines regrouped 
for a Saturday matchup against 
Virginia Tech, a team they beat 3-1 
last weekend.

Saturday’s matinee, in stark 

contrast to the night before, 
was smooth sailing as junior 
right-hander 
Megan 
Betsa 

and sophomore right-hander 
Tera Blanco stifled the Hokies’ 
hitters at every turn to ensure 
a 6-1 win. The pair combined 
to record nine strikeouts while 
only allowing one hit.

With the pitching staff locked 

in, Michigan’s hitters soon also 
found themselves in rhythm in the 

bottom of the third inning.

Romero hit another two-run 

home run, with Lawrence crossing 
the plate first again. Then, hits 
started pouring in as Blanco 
singled, sophomore catcher Aidan 
Falk ripped a hit into center field, 
and freshman infielder Faith 
Canfield notched an RBI. The big 
inning propelled the Wolverines 
to a victory.

“(Lawrence) getting on base 

is critical for our offense,” 
Hutchins said. “When she is 
doing her part of leadoff hitter, it 
really helps our offense.”

Saturday night brought another 

date with Florida State as the 
host Seminoles looked to even 
their series with Michigan. But 
the Wolverines weren’t fazed, 
continuing to hit the ball well in 
the third inning.

Falk, continuing her strong 

weekend play, got the big inning 
going 
with 
a 
single. 
Junior 

shortstop Abby Ramirez followed 
Falk’s single with a hit, and 
sophomore 
infielder 
Amanda 

Vargas tallied up a single of her 
own as the runs started to pile 
up. By the end of the half-inning, 
Michigan built up a 6-0 lead to take 
all of Florida State’s momentum. 
Driesenga and Betsa dealt with 
the Seminoles’ lineup with ease as 
the Wolverines won, 10-3.

Sunday morning dealt the 

Wolverines a familiar opponent 
in Virginia Tech. From the start, it 
was not close.

A Lawrence hit, a Ramirez 

triple, a Romero single and a RBI 
line drive from Sobczak got the 
Wolverines off to a roaring start. 
The entire lineup came up to bat in 
the inning.

Driesenga put an exclamation 

point on her fine weekend, 
tossing six innings of nearly 
flawless softball, racking up three 
strikeouts and only giving up one 
earned run.

Freshman right-hander Leah 

Crockett made her collegiate debut 
in the seventh inning and closed 
out a 9-1 win for the Wolverines.

SOFTBALL

Michigan upsets Tar Heels

Wolverines rally 
past No. 2 North 
Carolina at home

By PAIGE VOEFFRAY 

Daily Sports Writer

The No. 8 Michigan women’s 

tennis team knew it was going 
to be tough to beat No. 2 North 
Carolina 
(10-2), and 
they 
were 

excited 
and ready from the first serve. 
In the end, it was Michigan’s 
dynamic bond that gave them 
the 5-2 victory.

The 
doubles 
teams 
were 

active at the net, knowing they 
needed to control the points if 
they wanted to win. Every point 
was a battle, but eventually the 
Wolverines (6-2) put enough 
points 
away 
to 
clinch 
the 

doubles point.

With the No. 1 doubles team 

of freshman Brienne Minor 
and sophomore Mira Ruder-
Hook only one point away 
from beating the Tar Heels’ 
No. 1 doubles team, which is 
ranked No. 1 in the nation, 
Minor produced a big serve that 
immediately put North Carolina 
on 
defense. 

Both players 
charged 
the 

net, 
giving 

them an easy 
volley to end 
the match.

With 

Ruder-Hook 
and Minor winning, 6-4, the 
Wolverines needed only one 
more team to take the doubles 
point.

The No. 3 doubles team, made 

up of junior Sara Remynse and 
freshman Teona Velehorschi, 
officially secured the doubles 

point 
after 
winning 
the 

tiebreaker, 7-4.

For 
the 
bottom 
of 
the 

lineup, the momentum from 
the doubles carried into their 
singles 
matches. 
Sophomore 

Alex Najarian took advantage 
of her fresh legs at No. 5 singles 
and came out fired up.

She was two games away from 

winning 
the 

match 
and 

it 
was 
clear 

to 
anyone 
in 

earshot that she 
was ready to 
end it. Screams 
of 
“Go 
Blue” 

or 
“Come 

On” 
echoed 
throughout 
the 

Varsity Tennis Center. Najarian 
dominated her opponent and was 
the first to finish with a score of 
6-3, 6-4.

“It’s hard to play people when 

they’re not being as loud to try and 
get yourself to be loud,” Najarian 

said, “But having the energy of my 
teammates helps a lot.”

With a comeback win from 

junior Sara Remynse, Michigan 
only needed one more win to 
take the whole match. It was a 
race between freshman Kate 
Fahey and Ruder-Hook to seal 
the win first. The honor was left 
to the freshman.

Fahey was at match point as 

she ran toward the net. She left 
the ball to land out and locked 
in the Wolverines’ win on a Tar 
Heel unforced error. While her 
teammates rushed to celebrate 
the upset, North Carolina’s 
Jessie Aney threw her racket in 
the air in defeat.

“Just for the bottom of our 

lineup to come through today 
was huge,” said Michigan coach 
Ronni Bernstein. “This is a team 
win for sure. Everybody stepped 
up today, and that’s what it is. 
It’s going to take a team, it’s not 
going to take a couple kids.”

SAMANTHA STOLOFF/Daily

Freshman Kate Fahey scored the point that clinched the Wolverines’ 5-2 victory over No. 2 North Carolina at the Varsity Tennis Center on Saturday.

“This is a team 
win for sure.”

UNC
MICHIGAN 

2
5

