The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SportsMonday
April 3, 2017 — 3B
Michigan sweeps Northwestern with 4-0 win
Before
Sunday’s
matinee
against Northwestern, the No. 20
Michigan softball team — including
coach Carol Hutchins — seemed
looser during warmups than before
its other games. As dancing and
trust falls commenced, the Alumni
Band, stationed in the right-center
field bleachers, played the “Mission
Impossible” theme song.
Their song selection foretold
the story for the visiting Wildcats
(1-5 Big Ten, 13-19 overall). Their
mission to even ruffle the feathers
of the Wolverines’ senior right-
hander
Megan
Betsa
seemed
impossible.
In the final slate of the three-
game series, Michigan (6-0 Big
Ten, 26-7-1 overall) completed the
weekend sweep with a 4-0 victory,
its 12th consecutive win and
seventh straight shutout.
Betsa pitched her own seventh
shutout in a row, raising her
scoreless inning count to 48. The
senior fanned nine Northwestern
batters while allowing just two
hits and two walks. Though not
her typical double-digit strikeout
outing, Betsa didn’t appear fazed,
eventually settling in during the
middle innings.
Admitting that some of her
mechanics were not their best early
on, Betsa tried to find the “fast and
fluid” attack of the strike zone that
has made her one of the nation’s
best hurlers. But with considerable
adjustments from pitch to pitch,
Betsa was able to find her rhythm.
After squandering a single in the
first and a double in the second, she
retired the next 11 batters.
Prior to Betsa catching her
stride, Hutchins made one of
multiple trips to the circle — an
unusual occurrence with Betsa
pitching. She tried to calm her
ace down and get her command
back in check, focusing mostly
on mentality over mechanics.
Hutchins reminded Betsa that just
because
Northwestern
already
faced her Friday in a 10-0 Michigan
win didn’t mean she had to try
harder to be more effective.
“You don’t have to be better
than zero. I don’t think you can
be better than zero,” Hutchins
said. “She’s a human, she’s going
to have moments of doubt or just
trying too hard. She wasn’t always
in a good flow, but the fact that she
responded was huge.”
Added Betsa: “My body speed
wasn’t as good the first two innings.
My arm speed wasn’t whipping.
That was something that we talked
about inning by inning, just staying
loose, whipping my pitches, and I
thought that got better as the game
went on.”
The
Wolverines’
offense,
meanwhile, was better than zero,
boosting Betsa with just enough
run support to pick up the win.
Steadily increasing its lead with
one run in four straight innings,
Michigan created more breathing
room for its ace.
In the third inning, after a
lengthy at-bat, sophomore catcher
Katie Alexander hit a two-out
single up the middle to drive in
junior pinch runner Nikki Wald
for the Wolverines’ first run.
Junior first baseman Tera Blanco
and sophomore outfielder Natalie
Peters each tallied an RBI to
increase the lead over the next two
innings.
In the bottom of the fourth,
sophomore second baseman Faith
Canfield hit a long two-run homer
to left field, only to have it called
back due to Peters leaving first
base early — an automatic out.
The miscue negated much-needed
insurance runs, instead leaving
Michigan in a closely-contested 3-0
battle.
“We had to celebrate (the home
run),” Hutchins said. “She womped
it, so we just had to say, ‘It is what it
is. We’re ahead, let’s play.’ ”
The fifth inning saw Michigan
load the bases on two walks and a
hit-by-pitch, and senior shortstop
Abby Ramirez added a fourth run
onto the scoreboard with a sacrifice
fly.
As much as they looked to
be having fun before the game,
Hutchins believes it didn’t translate
to the game itself, where she
thought her players got into their
own heads.
“They want things to go their
way, and I thought today they let
the fact that things weren’t going
their way just deflate us,” Hutchins
said. “We’d go up to the plate and
have an opportunity, (but) the
person at the plate would have a
poor at-bat and that would deflate
us. Just have a good at-bat because
if you hit it hard, we can all be
excited about that, but we were
pretty outcome-oriented today and
that doesn’t really work.”
But while the entire team
may have struggled with mental
deflation, Betsa remained her usual
confident self, and that proved to be
the difference.
“I honestly just feel confident,
and I think it’s true confidence this
time,” Betsa said Friday. “In the
past, I’ve said that I’m confident,
but I didn’t feel like I feel now. … I
feel like most people aren’t going
to score many runs off of me, and
when runners get on base, I pretty
much know I can get myself out of
a jam.”
BASEBALL
‘M’ routs Penn State
to claim series sweep
One-third of an inning – that’s
how long Penn State’s starting
pitcher lasted on Sunday.
In that short time, the No. 22
Michigan baseball team tallied
five runs against right-hander
Eric Mock – and didn’t stop there.
In the final game of their
series against the Nittany Lions
(0-3 Big Ten, 10-16 overall), the
Wolverines blew out Penn State,
14-1. Throughout the three-
game sweep, Michigan (4-2,
22-6) produced 39 runs, tallying
an impressive run differential of
30.
After surrendering a 1-0 lead
in the top of the first inning, the
Wolverines’ offense erupted in
the bottom half of the first.
Upon being hit by a pitch,
sophomore second baseman Ako
Thomas advanced to second on
an error by Nittany Lion first
baseman Willie Burger. After a
fly ball moved Thomas to third,
the sophomore scored on a wild
pitch by Mock.
Then, junior third baseman
Drew Lugbauer ripped an RBI
double down the right field line,
scoring senior shortstop Michael
Brdar. In the very next at bat,
redshirt sophomore left fielder
Miles Lewis hit an RBI double,
scoring Lugbauer and making
it 3-1. Following back-to-back
singles by sophomore designated
hitter
Nick
Poirier
and
sophomore right fielder Jonathan
Engelmann, the Wolverines’ lead
increased to four before the end
of the inning.
After Sunday’s win, Michigan
improved to 11-0 when leading
after the first.
“I think in any sport, at any
level, you want to get ahead and
stay ahead,” said Michigan coach
Erik Bakich. “So it’s good that
we’re getting ahead and staying
ahead.”
In the third inning, Michigan
extended its lead to 6-1 with a
sacrifice fly off the bat of senior
catcher Harrison Wenson.
After tallying another run
in the fourth, the Wolverines’
offense exploded again in the
fifth, scoring six more runs.
The inning was highlighted by a
bases-loaded line drive to center
by Lugbauer, which Nittany Lion
centerfielder Jordan Bowersox
bobbled. The ball proceeded to
the wall, allowing all three base
runners to score and Lugbauer to
advance to third. And after a wild
pitch scored Lugbauer, Michigan
led 13-1.
While the Wolverines’ offense
received an all around effort –
eight of nine starters scored a
run and all nine reached base –
Poirier stood out. The designated
hitter went 3-for-3, with a walk,
an RBI and three runs scored.
“(I) was just sticking to the
approach that (Bakich) gives
us,” Poirier said. “Just being
relaxed, seeing the pitches and
pretty much trusting our plan as
a team.”
In a game that featured a large
offensive
output,
Michigan’s
pitching could have been easily
overlooked.
Nevertheless, the Wolverines’
starter,
junior
right-hander
Michael Hendrickson, recorded
a career-high eight strikeouts
over six innings. Additionally,
the junior allowed just one run,
one walk and three hits.
“Even in the run they scored,
(Hendrickson)
was
making
quality pitches,” Bakich said. “He
was very efficient attacking the
zone (and) he put the necessary
zeroes up that we needed so we
could separate offensively.”
In Michigan’s five games last
week, it went 5-0, scoring 64
runs. If the Wolverines continue
to have that level of offense
production, they will be hard to
beat.
New batting stance aids Christner
Kelly Christner’s new stance
at the plate takes some time to
get used to.
From the left-hander’s batter
box,
the
senior
outfielder
starts with her bat out in front
of the plate — almost as if she’s
preparing to drop down a bunt.
But then, just as the opposing
pitcher is winding up, she pulls
her hands back and waits for
the pitch.
That approach, which is
meant to improve timing, has
helped Christner climb out of
a brutal 10-game stretch, one
in which she hit 6-for-29 (.208)
with just two runs batted-in
and no extra base hits.
“She went to it on her own,”
said Michigan coach Carol
Hutchins. “She went to it a
little bit last year because
timing is her issue.
“I moved her down because
she wasn’t hitting well. If
she stays consistent then I’ll
certainly consider (moving her
up).”
Despite
a
team-leading
batting
average
over
.400,
Christner was dropped down
from the top of the order to the
seventh spot in the lineup last
Saturday against Penn State
— a move that didn’t surprise
the centerfielder even with the
team’s triple crown in hand.
“I had some games when I
wasn’t really hitting well and
other people were,” Christner
said. “(Hutchins) is going to
move it around by who is hot
at that time, so I wasn’t really
surprised by it.”
But the relief of pressure
that
comes
with
hitting
in the bottom third of the
lineup didn’t help Christner
immediately break out of her
slump. In that series against
the Nittany Lions, she was held
to only one hit, finishing the
trio of games 1-for-5.
Then, in a trip to Central
Michigan
on
Tuesday,
Christner
finally
broke
through her slump. Setting her
hands in front of the plate, she
pulled back and blasted a solo
homerun off the top of the right
field-wall — her first extra-
base hit in over two weeks.
Later in the game, she notched
an RBI single to supply the
entirety of the Wolverines’ run
production in a 2-0 win.
On
Friday
against
Northwestern,
her
rebound
continued, as Christner plated
four baserunners via an RBI
single and double.
In her last four contests,
Christner is batting .636 with
six RBI and two extra-base
hits — a stark contrast to her
previous dismal stretch.
“My main thing is getting
in my legs and having rhythm,
and (the batting stance) really
helps me with that,” Christner
said.
Hitting
close
to
.500
with
power
through
the
first month of the season,
Christner anchored the top of
the Wolverines’ batting order
early on, driving in runs with
consistency from the third and
fourth spots.
But with Christner in the
seventh spot, Michigan has
scored 50 runs in seven straight
wins, proving her potency
throughout the batting order.
Her
production,
coupled
with the emergences of junior
designated
player
Amanda
Vargas and sophomore second
baseman Faith Canfield, made
Hutchins comfortable with the
current lineup.
“This lineup has gotten us a
lot of runs,” Hutchins. “She’s
pretty comfortable down there
— we’re hiding her. It’s nice to
get in that part of the order and
look who is up.
“I count on Kelly Christner.
If the seniors don’t have good
weekends, we’re not going to
have one. Your best players
have to contribute regularly.”
With the new mechanics
at the plate, the consistency
that
Christner
brought
to
the lineup early on seems to
have
emerged
once
again.
And considering Michigan’s
success with its current lineup,
perhaps Christner is where she
belongs.
It might look odd, but her
new stance is what might help
to carry Christner and, in turn,
the Michigan offense.
Wolverines’ offense comes alive
In the last game of the series,
the Nittany Lions put up a run
in the first inning — attempting
to
salvage
the
weekend.
Michigan had no need to worry,
though, as it knocked in five
runs in the first inning alone,
and then nine more to take the
game, 14-1, to clinch the sweep.
The offensive burst was just
more of the same from the
Michigan baseball team as it
scored a total of 39 runs this
weekend against Penn State —
not surprisingly the most the
Wolverines have scored in a
weekend series all season.
While Michigan has been
impressive on both sides of the
ball all year, its bats have been
steadily hot as of late.
Entering the series against
the
Nittany
Lions,
the
Wolverines were fresh off two
high-scoring midweek games in
which they decisively handled
Toledo and Central Michigan,
12-0 and 13-4, respectively.
“The
more
experience
you can get, more reps, more
live at-bats that you can get,
the better you’ll be,” said
sophomore
right
fielder
Jonathan Engelmann. “If you
take four, five games off, it’s
hard to get back into a rhythm,
so
having
those
five-game
weeks are really nice.”
In the past, the Wolverines
have
struggled
to
remain
consistent all game, but the
depth of the lineup has proven
that they can continue the
momentum from inning to
inning — having scored in 15 of
24 innings this weekend.
And in all three contests
against
Penn
State,
every
Michigan player that stepped
in the batter’s box was a threat.
In
Friday’s
10-6
victory,
the
Wolverines
tallied
11
hits. Engelmann, sophomore
second baseman Ako Thomas
and
junior
first
baseman
Jake Bivens were the most
dangerous. All three had two
hits on the day, batting eighth,
first and sixth in the lineup,
respectively.
Saturday saw three different
Wolverines hit balls out of the
park to contribute to a 15-2
triumph. Junior third baseman
Drew Lugbauer hit two over the
wall — one even landed in the
outfield of Alumni Field — and
he picked up four runs-batted
in on the day. Engelmann also
got in on the action, hitting his
first career home run over the
left-field wall in the seventh
inning.
But no home run was quite
as exciting for Michigan fans
than that of redshirt freshman
infielder Joe Pace. Not only did
he get his first hit in a Wolverine
uniform, but he also sent it over
the centerfield wall. He was
swarmed by his teammates and
met with wild cheers as he tried
to re-enter the dugout.
“He earned that moment,”
said
Michigan
coach
Erik
Bakich. “That was everyone in
the dugout genuinely excited
for Joe Pace because he’s such a
team guy. He doesn’t get to play
much but he works just as hard
as everybody else. He’s just a
great kid, great person so for
him to have a big hit like that.
“For his first career hit
happens to be a two-run, two-
out, two-strike home run, you
can’t script that stuff out any
better. I’m happy for him.”
The bottom of the lineup
impressed the most Sunday.
Engelmann
and
sophomore
designated hitter Nick Poirier
each tallied three hits and
one RBI. Even senior catcher
Harrison Wenson, batting in
the nine slot, singled through
the gap between second and
third base for his first hit of the
series.
“It’s just a matter of getting
in every day and taking pride
in the work that you do,”
Engelmann said. “Luck favors
the prepared mind and today
we got to see that hard work
come into formation and we’re
happy that it came out that
way.”
It
appears
that
the
Wolverines bats have come
alive, as they are about to
enter the heart of their Big
Ten season. For Michigan, the
next test will be sustaining
the production and proving it
didn’t peak too early.
ARNOLD ZHOU/Daily
Senior right-hander Megan Betsa pitched her seventh shutout in a row, raising her scoreless inning count to 48.
BENJAMIN KATZ
Daily Sports Writer
HUNTER SHARF
Daily Sports Writer
ARNOLD ZHOU/Daily
Senior outfielder Kelly Christner is batting .636 in her last four contests.
MATT VAILLIENCOURT/Daily
Sophomore right fielder Jonathan Engelmann led Michigan’s offensive output.
MARK CALCAGNO
Daily Sports Writer
PAIGE VOEFFRAY
Daily Sports Writer