The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SportsMonday
February 13, 2017 — 3B
Michigan opens season 3-2 at USF Wilson-Demarini Tournament
Seventeen innings played in
a nine-hour span. Almost 300
pitches thrown. But in the end, the
effort just left the Wolverines with
two tallies in the loss column for
the day.
Saturday was tough to swallow
for the No. 6 Michigan softball
team.
After winning their first two
games at the USF Wilson-Demarini
Tournament in Tampa, Fla., on
Friday
against
Delaware
and
Illinois State, the Wolverines (3-2)
dropped two straight Saturday.
The first was a 2-1 defeat in 10
innings against No. 4 Florida, while
the second was a 6-4 rout to No. 25
South Florida. A commanding 12-2
run-rule, bounce-back victory over
St. John’s salvaged the weekend
— marking the third win in five
contests.
For
Michigan
coach
Carol
Hutchins, the losses are simply a
sign of a young team still trying to
develop their identity.
“I’m really not caught up
in outcomes at this point in
the year and I told a few of the
upperclassmen, if you look at all the
games, we were this close to being
5-0,” Hutchins said. “Both those
games (Saturday) were ours to
take, and we didn’t take them. But
we were in them. And I said, if we
were 5-0, I would feel exactly the
same way I feel right now, which is
that we have some growing to do as
a team, and it starts to do with our
trust and belief in ourselves and
our trust and belief in our team.”
Against Florida — a familiar
foe that’s had Michigan’s number
for the past three years — the
Wolverines fell in heartbreaking
fashion in a game that can be
marked down as another classic in
the intense series.
A chess match from the outset, it
was a pitcher’s duel at its finest. In
one of her top career performances,
senior right-hander Megan Betsa
tossed 190 pitches, recorded 12
strikeouts, left 14 baserunners
stranded and yielded just six hits
in 10 innings pitched. Runs in
the top and bottom of the fourth
inning proved to be all the offenses
could muster against both Betsa
and Gator ace Kelly Barnhill. After
seven innings, the game remained
deadlocked at one.
In
the
extra
stanzas,
the
momentum seemed to shift in
Michigan’s
favor.
Back-to-back
plays at the plate in the eighth
thwarted Florida’s opportunities
and preserved a 1-1 tie. With
runners on second and third
with one out, a fielder’s choice
caught the runner at home off a
throw from senior shortstop Abby
Ramirez. A wild pitch during the
ensuing at-bat led to sophomore
catcher Alex Sobczak tracking the
ball down and throwing it to Betsa
for the tag.
But the Wolverine hurler failed
to receive enough run support
needed to squeeze out a victory.
Even senior center fielder Kelly
Christner’s 4-for-4 day at the plate
wasn’t enough to crack the code.
Playing under the international
tiebreaker rules — each team
begins extra innings with a runner
on second base — Michigan
stranded a runner on third in the
eighth, ninth and 10th innings.
The Gators finally got the best of
Betsa with two outs in the tenth, a
blooper to center field that scored
the winning run.
Hutchins decided to let Betsa
go the distance against Florida
because, even after a slow start,
the Wolverine ace found her stride
and began to find the answer to the
potent Gator lineup.
“She got better as the Florida
game went on because she started
competing and going after them
and she started really attacking
them,” Hutchins said. “It’s a really
tough game to lose when the
winning run was given to them
by the (international tiebreaker)
rule. But it’s the name of the game
and we had our opportunities. We
were the home team and … did not
score.”
Christner’s offensive explosion
against Florida was only part of
her successful weekend. The senior
captain led Michigan in batting
average (.533) and hits (eight),
including three doubles. Hutchins
believes that after a slow start in
the first two games, Christner rose
to the occasion as both a force on
and off the field.
“Friday, she wasn’t on her game
and I was just really pleased with
her turning it around on Saturday,”
Hutchins said. “She really had
both games, big performances,
she stepped up, both physically,
but really her mindset was, ‘We’re
going after this guys.’ She really did
everything she could to pick the
team up and put them on her back.”
Following the narrow loss to the
Gators, the Wolverines couldn’t
recover against host South Florida
in
Saturday’s
nightcap.
After
jumping to an early 3-0 lead that
included a double from Ramirez
and an RBI single from junior
right-hander Tera Blanco, the Bulls
outscored Michigan 6-1 the rest of
the way, hitting a two-run inside-
the-park home run in the third
and scoring four more times in the
sixth. In the top of the seventh, the
Wolverines loaded the bases with
one out, but a game-ending double
play halted the comeback attempt.
Despite Saturday’s rough patch,
Michigan found promise in its three
season-opening tournament wins,
including
dominant
showings
Friday — 7-0 over Delaware and
4-2 over Illinois State.
The Wolverines’ sophomores led
them offensively, with left fielder
Courtney
Richardson,
second
baseman Faith Canfield, right
fielder Natalie Peters and Sobczak
accounting for 12 of 19 hits and
eight of 10 RBI on opening day.
The trio of Richardson, Canfield
and Peters tallied consecutive
hits in both the second and sixth
against Delaware, igniting the
Wolverines’ offense and widening
the margin over the Blue Hens.
Peters’ second-inning double, one
of her three hits in the game, gave
Michigan an early 1-0 lead, one
it would never surrender. Hours
later, Richardson — who went
3-for-4 against Delaware on Friday
— launched a three-run home run
against the Redbirds, which was
ultimately the difference-maker in
the contest.
Betsa fanned 15 Blue Hens in her
final opening day as a Wolverine
and Blanco added eight of her own
against Illinois State, both pitchers
throwing complete games. Betsa
easily stifled Delaware rallies in
the fourth, fifth and sixth innings,
relinquishing a meager three hits
and never allowing a runner past
second base. Blanco tried to match
her
teammate,
retiring
seven
straight batters after allowing a
three-run Redbird home run.
Blanco again got the nod Sunday
morning against St. John’s and
received ample help from her
offense from the first pitch of
the game. The top of the lineup,
featuring Peters, Canfield and
Christner, contributed seven of 14
hits and five of 12 RBI. Christner
added
onto
her
successful
weekend, going 3-for-4 with two
RBI and two runs scored. Peters
— who Hutchins deemed one of
the “steadiest performers” from
the weekend — continued her solid
debut in her starting lead-off role,
going 2-for-3 with a run and one
RBI, while also showcasing strong
defensive play in the outfield. After
just five innings played, Michigan
won 12-2 via the run-rule.
Coming into Sunday and turning
out such a dominant performance
was evidence of a Wolverine team
that faces adversity with apparent
ease.
“I think (Saturday) obviously
was a very hard day, two pretty
tight losses, long games, got to
sleep late and had to wake up
early, but I think we came out
(Sunday) and we all had a lot of
energy and wanted to help out the
pitchers,” Christner said. “And
just the fact that we were able to
score runs every inning and help
our pitchers out just showed that
after any loss, we’re stronger than
before.”
Right-hander
Leah
Crockett
earned her first pitching prospect
of the season against the Red
Storm, relieving Blanco after three
innings to finish the rest of game.
The sophomore gave up two runs
over two innings but successfully
pitched out of a jam in the fourth,
leaving runners on first and third.
Even with tough defeats at
the hands of ranked opponents,
Hutchins and her team are looking
to move past the losses and focus
on improving certain technical
skills on both offense and defense
before next weekend’s ACC/Big
Ten Challenge in Raleigh, N.C.
“It starts to do with our trust
and belief in ourselves and our
trust and belief in our team,”
Hutchins said. “… We have to do a
better job of uniting as a group in
our mindset, and our mindset has
to be what our process statements
are, which are one pitch and trust,
trust your pitch, trust your process.
We’re not very good at that yet and
we’ve got some mechanical things
as well that we will continue to
work at and I expect we’ll get a lot
better.”
Saturday was tough to swallow
for the sixth-ranked Wolverines.
But learning from mistakes from
the opening weekend will be
crucial for a young team looking to
assert its long-standing identity as
one of the most elite teams in the
nation.
ZOEY HOLMSTROM/Daily
The Michigan hockey team stood on the ice as Mike Ilitch was honored at the “Duel in the D” at Joe Louis Arena on Friday.
Wolverines and Spartans
unite to honor Mike Ilitch
DETROIT — On Friday night,
thousands of people in Joe
Louis Arena anxiously awaited
the puck drop for the “Duel in
the D,” between the Michigan
hockey team and its bitter rivals,
Michigan State.
The announcer introduced
the players to a chorus of rousing
cheers and boos as minutes
remained before the opening
faceoff in the storied hockey rink
set up to be replaced by Little
Caesars Arena.
Before the Spartan band began
to play the national anthem,
though, the announcer urged for
a moment of silence.
Just hours before this special
game, Detroit Red Wings owner
Mike Ilitch passed away. The
crowd of 17,720 stood in awe as
they memorialized the Motor
City icon.
For a few moments, both
Wolverine and Spartan fans
stood
united
together
to
commemorate a true hero. While
minutes later the game would
begin and aggressive checking
and fighting would ensue, there
was a sense of mutual respect.
Members of both Michigan and
Michigan State — especially
those from the Great Lakes State
— had a personal connection to
the late Red Wings owner.
“It’s really sad,” said senior
forward Max Shuart. “I honestly
couldn’t believe it when I heard
it. It seems like that guy’s
timeless. He’s been around so
long and I’m sure there’s a lot
of heavy hearts in the Detroit
community especially among the
hockey players.”
According to Michigan State
goaltender John Lethemon, he
and his teammates expressed
similar feelings of shock. Few
of them even knew he was in
the hospital, and because they
found out just before the game,
the Spartans quickly needed to
refocus.
In a game that carried extra
meaning
for
Lethemon
and
fellow Northville native Shuart,
the latter saw an opportunity
to honor the late Red Wings’
owner. The senior scored his
second goal of the season Friday
night, helping contribute to an
eventual shootout victory for the
Wolverines.
While the players reflected
on time spent watching the
Red Wings growing up, both
Michigan
State
coach
Tom
Anastos and Michigan coach Red
Berenson reflected on Ilitch’s
work in growing the sport of
college hockey.
They credited both his passion
for the game and his support
of
the
Wolverines
and
the
Spartans. Berenson explained
that Ilitch nearly singlehandedly
spearheaded the annual “Duel in
the D,” as well as the yearly Great
Lakes Invitational competitions.
“(He supported it) whether it
drew well or not,” Berenson said.
“It wasn’t a moneymaker, it was
doing the right thing for college
hockey. Mike Ilitch and (his
wife) Marian were so good for
college hockey and Detroit.”
Added Anastos: “He’s been a
huge advocate of the sport at all
levels, whether it’s the NHL or
youth hockey. He’s certainly a big
advocate of college hockey. and
one of the reasons we’ve been
able to elevate college hockey to
the profile it has today.”
For
Berenson,
though,
it
wasn’t an experience he had at
Michigan that stood out to him
the most about Ilitch, rather, he
recalls moments spent with the
owner and his family when he
sought a coaching position for
the Red Wings.
“I interviewed for the Red
Wings job years ago,” Berenson
said. “When I was cut from the
St. Louis Blues, I spent the day
with Ilitch and his family. What
a first class group they were, and
we always had a friendship after
that. He had family that went to
Michigan so he had some ties at
Michigan, and he would call me
from time to time and talk about
hockey or talk about Michigan.”
Like Berenson, Anastos shared
his own experiences with Ilitch.
Despite Ilitch’s connections with
Michigan— his daughter Denise
has served as a Regent for the
University since 2008— he found
opportunities to connect with
Michigan State as well.
“When I was with the Central
Collegiate Hockey Association
(with
Michigan
State),
we
worked with the Ilitch family
and I got to know Mr. Ilitch,”
Anastos said. “… He invested
his passion for the game. He
loved the game, he loved his
players, he loved his city and
that was infectious toward
anybody who was around him.
I was very much moved by how
passionate he was about all
those things.”
Friday night served as the last
time the two teams will play in
Joe Louis Arena. And it is likely
that this weekend will be the
last game between the two this
season.
There are few better ways to
honor Ilitch than playing in “the
Joe.”
According to Shuart at least,
“It’s the house that Mike built.”
Michigan thrashed by Spartans
On Friday night, the Michigan
hockey
team
returned
from
Detroit after winning in its final
“Duel in the D” battle at Joe Louis
Arena. A 4-4 tie with Michigan
State
had
forced the
game into
a shootout,
and
junior
defenseman
Sam
Piazza’s goal allowed the team to
take home the Iron D trophy.
Saturday’s game didn’t turn
out as well.
The Wolverines (2-8-2-2 Big
Ten, 9-14-3 overall) fell to the
Spartans, 4-1. The stark contrast
between the weekend’s games
proved to be enough for Michigan
State (2-8-2-0, 6-17-3) to salvage a
split in the series.
In the beginning, a Michigan
win didn’t seem unattainable.
Freshman
goaltender
Jack
LaFontaine faced 14 shots from
the Spartans throughout the first
period, and even when it looked
guaranteed that the puck would
go in, it didn’t.
When Michigan State forward
Mason Appleton brought the
puck close on a breakaway,
LaFontaine knocked it away.
When a mess broke out in front
of the Wolverines’ net and a shot
bounced off LaFontaine onto the
stick of a Spartan forward, he still
managed to block the follow-up
shot.
Michigan
State
goaltender
John
Lethemon
faced
a
significantly smaller challenge —
he saw just five shots compared to
LaFontaine’s 14 — but managed to
keep the score locked at zero.
“We
didn’t
compete
hard
enough,” said Michigan coach
Red Berenson. “For me, it’s
compete. It’s preparation and
compete. Whether last night’s
game influenced tonight’s game
in anyway, I don’t know. I thought
we had to be better tonight, and
we weren’t even close to being
better. We took a step backwards.”
As the clock wound down to
end the first period, freshman
forward Adam Winborg brought
the puck to the Spartans’ end of
the ice. The crowd pressured him
to shoot it, and he did, but with
no luck. Both teams entered the
second period scoreless.
A
penalty
on
sophomore
forward Brendan Warren almost
led to Michigan State’s first goal
of the game. The puck was left
in perfect position for a goal
after bouncing off LaFontaine,
but was immediately knocked
away by a Michigan defensemen,
and the penalty kill proved to be
sufficient.
But from there, the night
seemed to derail. A little over
seven minutes into the period,
Spartan forward Rhett Holland
scored to put Michigan State
ahead. And after a short scuffle
in front of the net, it looked as
if LaFontaine would have to be
taken out of the game after a
player fell on his leg.
Though he ended up staying
in the game for a few additional
minutes,
he
was
ultimately
replaced by senior goaltender
Zach Nagelvoort with 8:04 left in
the game.
After the change in net, a
turnover in the Wolverines’ zone
led to a second Spartan goal,
this time by defenseman Zach
Osburn. And with 50 seconds left
on the clock in the second period,
Michigan State forward Taro
Hirose scored on a short-handed
breakaway to push the Spartans
to a three-goal lead.
With
Michigan
State
defenseman Mitch Elliot serving
a penalty at the beginning of
the third period, it seemed as if
Michigan might be able to cut the
deficit. But less than a minute in,
Appleton brought the puck close
to the net, and this time, he didn’t
fail to capitalize — propelling
the puck past Nagelvoort for the
fourth goal of the night.
“It’s unacceptable,” said senior
defenseman
Nolan
De
Jong.
“You go on a man advantage and
you’ve got to keep a five-on-five
mentality. You’ve got to be able
to go out there and compete and
outwork a team even though you
have that extra man. It just comes
down to a matter of making smart
plays and putting it on the line,
which we didn’t do.”
Following
the
Spartans’
fourth goal, a shot from De Jong
almost resulted in a Michigan
goal but bounced off the post.
A number of Michigan State
penalties provided power-play
opportunities for the Wolverines,
but none of them were capitalized
on.
Freshman defenseman Griffin
Luce was able to score off a faceoff
from the point with nine seconds
left on a power play — his first
goal of the season — but it wasn’t
enough to combat the four-goal
lead built up by the Spartans.
This time, there was no win and
no trophy.
LANEY BYLER
Daily Sports Editor
MSU
MICHIGAN
4
1
AVI SHOLKOFF
Daily Sports Writer
BENJAMIN KATZ
Daily Sports Writer
AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily
Senior center fielder Kelly Christner returned to form, leading Michigan with a 4-for-4 day at the plate against Florida.