Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Thursday, April 14, 2016 — 7

Wolverines blank Michigan State

By AVI SHOLKOFF

Daily Sports Writer

EAST LANSING — It took five 

innings, but the No. 2 Michigan 
softball team finally found its 
trademark 
offense.

After 

four frames, 
the Wolverines’ offense looked 
lost against Michigan State (2-8 
Big Ten, 20-20 overall). Michigan 
reached base just two times — 
once on an error and once on a 
single — and failed to get a runner 
in scoring position. It seemed 
uncharacteristic of a team sitting 
at the top of nearly every offensive 
category in the Big Ten.

Once the fifth inning began, 

the Wolverines (8-2, 30-4) took a 
lead they would never relinquish, 
defeating the Spartans, 3-0, on 
Wednesday at Secchia Stadium.

Junior Lindsay Montemarano 

started the offensive surge by 
lining the first pitch up the middle. 
Michigan’s 
next 
two 
batters 

reached base on singles. After a fly 
out, the Wolverines had the bases 
loaded with only one out.

Abby Ramirez then stepped 

to the plate and hit a ground ball 
up the middle. Spartan shortstop 
Jacquie Reiser made an impressive 
diving play, stopping the ball in 
the infield. But Montemarano still 
scored, giving Michigan its first 
run. Later in the inning, through a 
fielding error and a wild pitch, the 
Wolverines scored twice more to 
give them insurance runs.

While the offense struggled 

early in the game, junior right-
hander Megan Betsa stymied 
Michigan 
State’s 
hitters. 
She 

struck out 13 batters in seven 
innings for her fifth shutout of 
the season and walked just three. 
Betsa maintained control over the 
Spartan lineup and it took until 
the sixth inning for Michigan 
State to put two runners on base. 
Each of Betsa’s strikeouts came 

from swings and misses and she 
frequently got two strikes on 
hitters.

After struggling in her last 

start against Nebraska on Sunday, 
Michigan coach Carol Hutchins 
took Betsa out of the game in the 
first inning. She later returned to 
the game in the third inning as a 
replacement for fifth-year senior 
Sara Driesenga and earned the 
win. In relief, she allowed only one 
baserunner.

“I found my rhythm and they 

didn’t get any hits (Sunday at 
Nebraska),” Betsa said. “I think I 
found my groove the second half 
of that last game, I felt good. My 
spin was really good today, it was 
moving, and I felt confident in the 
circle.”

Michigan, 
which 
constantly 

scores first and often sees runners 
reach base in the first inning, did 
something its offense had not done 

since its game against Washington 
on February 27 — The Wolverines 
went down in order.

Betsa, 
though, 
remain 

undeterred despite her hitters’ 
early troubles.

“(I wanted to) spin the ball 

through the zone and put zeroes 
on the board,” Betsa said.

Michigan attained a necessary 

Big Ten win, but it still showed 
some of the mistakes on the 
basepaths 
that 
it 
did 
last 

weekend. In the second inning, 
Montemarano hit a line drive to 
the first baseman who gloved it 
and immediately tagged first base 
to double off senior outfielder 
Mary Sbonek. It could explain why 
Michigan coach Carol Hutchins 
chose to hold up Montemarano 
at third on the fly ball in the fifth 
inning, taking a more conservative 
approach.

The Wolverines were pleased 

with Betsa’s effort, regardless 
of their offensive struggles. In 
Wednesday’s game, though, but 
Michigan maintained its lead, its 
players weren’t entirely satisfied 
with its offensive output.

“We’re always confident in each 

other, that’s one of the great things 
about this team,” Montemarano 
said. “We have the mindset that 
it’s OK if you don’t get it done, my 
teammates behind me are gonna 
get it done. I think we really had 
confidence that Megan could get it 
done, but we’re never comfortable 
with one run, two runs, 10 runs, 20 
runs, we’re always going up there 
looking to get more runs.”

The Wolverines didn’t score 

15 runs as they did against South 
Carolina early this year. They 
didn’t even mount the eight they 
tabbed 
against 
Nebraska 
last 

weekend. 

But they did just enough to win. 

Hutchins brings fire 
to Michigan huddle

By BETELHEM ASHAME 

Daily Sports Writer

EAST LANSING — After four 

innings of back-and-forth play, 
the score sat deadlocked at 0-0, 
and the No. 2 Michigan softball 
team found itself in unfamiliar 
territory.

Accustomed to scoring early 

and 
often, 
the 
Wolverines’ 

bats had fallen cold against the 
Spartans. Inning after inning 
passed, and Michigan simply 
couldn’t put runs on the board.

Watching her team struggle 

to make solid contact and string 
hits together, Michigan coach 
Carol Hutchins needed to rally 
the troops.

Hutchins regularly huddles up 

with the team between innings. 
She opens the conversation in 
the center of the huddle and then 
walks out, leaving the players 
to finish it before they take the 
field or enter the dugout. Her 
comments are typically short, 
sweet and to the point. But before 
the top of the fifth, she took an 
extended period of time driving 
her message home, seeking to 
light a fire under her team to push 
them forward.

“Things weren’t going our 

way offensively and I was mad 
about it.” Hutchins said. “I did 
not like our energy at the plate, 
but I said, ‘Look I’m going to get 
over it because we still have an 
opportunity in front of us and we 
need to focus on that. So I’ll get 
over it if you’ll get over it because 
you’ve got to get over the past.’ ”

When the Wolverines broke the 

huddle, a revitalized Michigan 
emerged. Junior third baseman 
Lindsay Montemarano stepped 
into the batter’s box first and took 
all of one pitch to lace a single 
into right field. After junior left 

fielder Kelly Christner laid down 
a bunt, sophomore designated 
player 
Amanda 
Vargas 
sent 

another single to right. In just 
three at-bats after the timeout, 
the bases were loaded with no 
outs, and the Wolverines were in 
business.

Junior shortstop Abby Ramirez 

took advantage of the situation 
with an infield grounder to 
second base that rolled just slowly 
enough to allow Montemarano 
to race home from third base. 
Michigan had finally broken the 
deadlock, and it was just warming 
up.

The bases were loaded again 

with two outs, and the Wolverines 
were in prime position to do 
major damage with senior second 
baseman Sierra Romero coming 
up. Romero smacked a hard-
hit ball toward the shortstop, 
who couldn’t corral it, allowing 
Christner to score. Moments 
later, a wild pitch gave Michigan 
its third and final run.

After four innings of subpar 

hitting, the Wolverines broke 
through for the 3-0 win.

“We were playing a little tight, 

we weren’t being super aggressive 
and we weren’t putting good cuts 
on the ball.” Montemarano said. 
“Hutch reminded us that we’re 
good hitters and that we need to 
trust our preparation.

“If we could just trust our 

process and be aggressive and go 
up there looking for something 
in the zone — not looking for a 
perfect pitch — good things will 
happen.”

When Michigan needed to 

get its motor running, Hutchins 
took her time in the center of the 
huddle. Her message resonated 
with the Wolverines, and in a 
close encounter, that made all the 
difference. 

SOFTBALL

KRISTINA PERKINS/Daily

Carol Hutchins fired up her team before a three-run fifth inning in Michigan’s 3-0 win Wednesday over Michigan State.

Yurovsky’s accolades 
only part of her legacy

By MIKE PERSAK 

Daily Sports Writer

Standing in the spectator area 

at the Varsity Tennis Center, 
Ronit Yurovsky looked up at 
the ceiling. She had just been 
asked how she wanted to be 
remembered as her four-year 
career comes to a close, and she 
was exclaiming that she couldn’t 
believe her college career was 
almost over.

Then, 
Yurovsky 
paused, 

deciding how to answer. 

In her time at Michigan, 

Yurovsky has earned a top-50 
singles ranking in all three of 
her seasons, earned Big Ten 
Freshman of the Year and ITA 
Midwest Rookie of the Year in 
2013, is a two-time Academic 
All-American and has earned 
three invitations to the NCAA 
Singles Championships. 

But instead, when Yurovsky’s 

long pause ended, none of those 
accolades made their way into 
her answer.

“I just want (people) to know 

that I competed so hard on the 
court,” Yurovsky said. “Every 
time I stepped on the court, I 
gave it my all. I played for this 
school 
and 
represented 
the 

block ‘M’ on my shirt, because 
that’s the only thing that really 
matters. I just hope people know 
that when I was out there, that 
I would have given everything 
that I have.”

A 
lot 
was 
expected 
of 

Yurovsky 
even 
before 
she 

arrived at Michigan — she was 
the 2012 NHSCA Senior Athlete 
of the Year for tennis. Now in her 
senior season, she has also had 
to take on a leadership role in 
addition to her job as one of the 
team’s anchors. After the 2014-
15 campaign, the Wolverines 
lost 
three 
seniors: 
Emina 

Bektas, Sarah Lee and Kristen 
Dodge. All three were looked 
to as leaders of the program by 
everyone on the team, including 

Yurovsky.

With their departures, it was 

Yurovsky’s turn to step into the 
role of team captain.

“(Naming 
Yurovsky 
team 

captain) is not just because she’s 
our senior,” said Michigan coach 
Ronni 
Bernstein. 
“Obviously 

she’s a great player, but she’s even 
a better person. 
She represents 
what we’re all 
about.”

This 
year, 

a 
new 
wave 

of 
younger 

players 
has 

entered 
the 

fray. 
Six 
of 

the 
eight 

members 
on 

the 
Michigan 

roster 
are 
freshmen 
or 

sophomores, 
including 

freshmen 
Brienne 
Minor 

and Kate Fahey, who — like 
Yurovsky 
— 
have 
earned 

individual national rankings in 
their debut seasons.

But part of the Wolverines’ 

success, both as a team and as 
individuals, can be attributed 
to the experience of Yurovsky. 
Her attitude both on and off the 
court have set an example for the 
rest of the team.

“She’s laughing, she’s happy, 

she 
keeps 
people 
loose,” 

Bernstein said. “The kids know 
once she steps on the court, she’s 
all business. But off the court, 
she’s just great to have around.”

Added 
sophomore 
Alex 

Najarian: “She is always wanting 
to help us do better on the court 
and off the court … She just 
wants the best for everybody 
around her in everything that 
she does, whether or not it 
seems like it’s in your best 
interest at the time.”

For a player who has had 

so much individual success, 
Yurovsky reflects most fondly 
on the success that the team 
has had in her time with the 

Wolverines, especially last year, 
when Michigan won the Big Ten 
Tournament Championship for 
the first time since 1997.

“That was pretty special when 

we finally won it,” Yurovsky said. 
“We beat Ohio State in the finals, 
which was pretty good. That was 
so memorable, because we were 

the (regular-
season) 
Big 
Ten 

champs, 
but 

winning that 
tournament 
was 
pretty 

special.”

But 
now, 

Yurovsky’s 
time 
with 

Michigan 
is 

running 
out. 

With just four matches left in the 
regular season, it won’t be long 
until the Wolverines will have to 
move on. That won’t be easy. As 
evidenced by the way with which 
people in the program talk about 
her and her impressive resume, 
Yurovsky has left an indelible 
mark on the program.

“It’s her character,” Bernstein 

said. “She’s competed so hard 
for us, but it’s more the person 
that she is. I have complete trust 
in her, and you never doubt her 
intention in anything.”

That hard work and those 

good intentions are in the back 
of Yurovsky’s mind, too.

Back in the Varsity Tennis 

Center, as Yurovsky considered 
her ideal legacy, she added: “I 
wasn’t going to walk off the 
court unless I gave it my all.”

In just over a month, the 

women’s 
tennis 
season 
will 

be over. Yurovsky will have 
walked off of the court for the 
last time, leaving a sparkling 
career behind her. And though 
her statistics may be forgotten, 
the example she has set and the 
impression she has left on her 
teammates and coaches is built 
to last. 

“I just want 

(people) to know 
that I competed 

so hard.”

‘M’ tops Eastern Michigan

By SYLVANNA GROSS 

Daily Sports Writer

Coming into its Wednesday 

game against Eastern Michigan, 
the Michigan baseball team was 
in a rough 
patch. 
It 
had 

suffered its 
first home loss this past weekend, 
had been pummeled Tuesday 
in East Lansing and had been 
struggling to hit. 

The Wolverines (3-2 Big Ten, 

22-9 overall) were ready to take 
out their frustration. Not only did 
they best the Eagles (13-17) at Ray 
Fisher Stadium, they won, 19-3. 

Matt 
Ramsay 
started 
the 

damage in the first inning with 
two consecutive stolen bases and 
the first run of the day — sparking 
the team’s early 4-0 lead. 

“I love stealing bases — that’s 

part of my game,” the fifth-
year senior said. “We picked up 
on some of their tells early on 
in the game, and (the Eastern 
Michigan pitchers) were pretty 
slow to the plate. So I knew if I 
got on base early I would have the 
opportunity to steal some bases. 
Luckily, I was safe.” 

Senior 
centerfielder 
Cody 

Bruder led the team’s charge 
with 
five 
runs 
batted 
in 

and 
4-for-5 
hitting. 
Other 

impressive 
performances 

came from four pinch-hitters 
Bakich put in the bottom of 
the seventh. Two of the pinch-
hitters were freshman Jimmy 
Kerr, who had two runs, and 
sophomore Matt Ross, who got 
his first collegiate hit.

“I’m happy we won, but I’m 

more pleased with the way we 
played,” said Michigan coach Erik 
Bakich. “(Ross) has been patient 
for 30 games and was finally able 
to play in the 31st (of the season) 
and then gets his first hit. You 
can’t draw it up better than that. 
(Kerr) delivers a quality at-bat 
that’s resulted in a base hit every 
time. Maybe we need to start 
giving them more opportunities.” 

Added Kerr: “I want to take 

every opportunity to get on base 
and to get an RBI. I wanted to 
keep the inning going and just get 
to the next guy.” 

Eastern 
Michigan 
made 

six 
pitching 
substitutions, 

starting in the top of the second. 
Freshman Gary Clift Jr. made 
his 
first 
career 
appearance 

and struck out Michigan’s first 
batter, freshman Ako Thomas, 
keeping Michigan off the board 
in the inning.

In the bottom of the third, the 

Wolverines extended their lead 
by four more runs, including 
a bases-clearing double to left 
field by fifth-year senior Dominc 
Jamett. 

The Eagles 

were 
still 

scoreless 
in 

the top of the 
fifth, so Bakich 
took 
the 

opportunity 
to 
substitute 

in 
freshman 

pitcher 
Troy 

Miller for Nutof.

“It was great to put the game 

away early,” Ramsay said. “I 
think a lot of it has do with the 
pitchers, (Nutof) did a good job 
of staying in the zone and being 
low in the zone and incorporating 
his defense by staying low in the 
strikes. I think when you have 
pitchers filling up that space it just 
makes the defense better.” 

Eastern Michigan got on the 

board in the seventh inning when 

Eagle 
junior 
catcher 
Jeremy 

Stidham tripled to right center. 
Stidham scored the first run of 
the day for his team — it just 
wasn’t nearly enough. 

Michigan finished with 19 

runs and nine Wolverines scored. 
Junior catcher Harrison Wenson, 
Benedetti and Bruder all scored 
four runs each. 

But though Jamett — who 

played as catcher later in the game 
— didn’t tally any runs, Bakich 
thinks 
the 
designated 
hitter 

was instrumental to the team’s 

success despite 
his 
minimal 

playing 
time 

this season.

“He’s 
a 

senior, he’s a 
captain 
and 

he stands for 
all 
the 
right 

things,” Bakich 

said. “He represents everything 
that’s great about Michigan. He’s 
cemented into the foundation 
of the program. I thought it was 
an opportunity he deserved. He 
knows that he just wants to make 
a positive contribution anyway 
he can and he was happy to take 
advantage of that today.”

Bakich made it clear that he 

felt Michigan not only won the 
game, it won each inning. That’s 
a feeling he’s happy to get back. 

MICHIGAN 
MICH. STATE

3
0

WOMEN’S TENNIS

EMU
MICHIGAN 

3
19

ELIZABETH XIONG/Daily

Matt Ramsay stole two bases in the first inning Wednesday against the Eagles.

“It was great to 
put the game 
away early.”

