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
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