6A — Thursday, April 6, 2017
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Seizing catcher role, Alexander aids Betsa’s pitching

When 
sophomore 
catcher 

Katie Alexander visits senior 
right-hander Megan Betsa in 
the circle between pitches, the 
message is usually simple: just 
breathe.

As complex as a softball 

pitcher’s throwing technique can 
be, that’s what the pair focuses on 
in the middle of pressure-cooker 
games.

Alexander’s 
pointer 
comes 

from an offseason yoga program, 
which was originally intended to 
relieve lingering pain in Betsa’s 
back 
and 
shoulder. 
Instead, 

yoga has become the basis for 
Alexander’s fix to any fluster 
the Michigan softball team’s ace 
might experience.

“When (Betsa) breathes and 

focuses on spin, then it happens 
for her,” Alexander said.

Even 
in 
the 
best 
of 

performances 
for 
Betsa, 

Alexander’s 
presence 
is 

consistent.

In the seventh inning of a 

nearly flawless March effort 
against Kent State, Betsa became 
visibly frustrated after walking 
a batter to bring the game-tying 
run to the plate.

But 
there 
was 
Alexander, 

jogging out to the circle to tell the 
starter exactly what she needed 
to 
hear. 
Betsa 
subsequently 

struck out the final two batters of 
the game, completing the shutout 
and her fourth-career no-hitter.

“Katie has gotten comfortable 

communicating 
with 
(the 

pitchers) and letting them know 
what they need to do better,” said 
pitching coach Jen Brundage. 
“Anytime 
the 
catcher 
takes 

charge and can go out to the 
mound to calm the pitcher down, 
it’s a good thing and a sign of 
maturity in that catcher.”

Added Michigan coach Carol 

Hutchins: “Catchers are selfless. 
They’re 
there 
to 
make 
the 

pitchers feel good. Tell her what 
she needs to know and tell her 
what she needs to hear. You want 

them to beat as one heart — that’s 
for sure.”

Reaping 
the 
benefits 
of 

Alexander’s mound visits, Betsa 
is on the best stretch of her 
career. In the past three weeks, 
she’s tallied seven complete-game 
shutouts, two no-hitters and 
three-straight Big Ten Pitcher of 
the Week honors. 

As the season progresses, the 

chemistry between the pair on 
and off the field continues to 
grow. Though the pair are two 
years apart, Alexander considers 
Betsa “a best friend.”

That relationship is apparent 

throughout their starts together, 
as Betsa and Alexander are 
almost always the first to high-
five each other after the final out 
of an inning.

But that chemistry is still 

relatively young.

Alexander caught just 13 games 

last season, spending most of the 

season as the bullpen catcher 
behind both junior Aidan Falk and 
sophomore Alex Sobczak. After 
Falk moved back to first base this 
season, however, a battle between 

Alexander and Sobczak ensued.

And Sobczak — using 29 

appearances from 2016 to boost 
her resume — was called upon to 
start six of the first seven games 
for the Wolverines. 

Recently, however, Alexander’s 

hot bat convinced Hutchins to 
make her the go-to catcher. In 23 
starts, Alexander has hit .293 with 
eight RBI and a homerun, besting 
Sobczak’s .200 batting average.

“Katie totally took advantage 

of her opportunities,” Hutchins 
said. “She’s provided some great 
offense, and she’s a great spark. 
She took over that position.”

Behind the plate, Alexander 

excels at blocking pitches in the 
dirt — essential to catching for 
Betsa, who bounces breaking balls 
to garner swinging third strikes.

“She does a really nice job 

smothering the ball,” Hutchins 
said. “That’s a big quality when 
you have a pitcher like Betsa, who 
lives off throwing it in the dirt 
and making them swing.”

But to prepare for a larger role 

this season, Alexander needed 
to improve defensively, putting a 
strong focus on framing pitches 
and adjusting to Betsa’s repertoire.

Alexander spent most of the 

summer practicing with Sobczak, 
working on not tipping off Betsa’s 
rise ball by “going up with the 
pitch” rather than giving a high 
target prior to the pitch.

That, along with an increased 

focus on framing pitches, has 
allowed Betsa to nip corners 
and notch a nation-leading 221 
strikeouts.

“Whether it’s her body position 

or the way she catches the ball, 
she’s getting a lot more calls back 
there,” Betsa said. “It’s helping 
me out a lot.”

Thanks to Alexander, Betsa’s 

transition to a new catcher for 
the second straight season has 
occurred 
with 
no 
apparent 

hitches.

But if the ace does endure 

any problems in the circle, she 
knows Alexander will visit with a 
straightforward message.

Just breathe.

MARK CALCAGNO

Daily Sports Writer

SENIOR RIGHT-
HANDER MEGAN 

BETSA

2017 Season

13-5

Win/Loss Record

1.23

Earned-Run 

Average

221

Total Strikeouts

.139

Opponent Batting 

Average

Reunited, Williams experiences her final game with twin sister

It happened after all the 

frenzy and after all the shouts of 
excitement and team hugs. After 
realizing that her team was the 
first Michigan women’s basketball 
team to win a championship and 
hang a banner at Crisler Center. 

It was after she got to look up 

at the scoreboard and see her 
team had beaten Georgia Tech, 
89-79, in the final of the Women’s 
National Invitation Tournament. 
And it was after playing the final 
game of her collegiate career in a 
Michigan jersey. 

After all of this, senior guard 

Danielle Williams got to hug her 
identical twin sister, Dominique. 
Dominique had hopped a red-
eye from UCLA — where she 
plays on the Bruins’ women’s 
basketball team — to surprise her 
sister in the middle of pregame 
warmups. Danielle was shocked, 
especially 
as 
she 
had 
been 

trying to FaceTime and call her 
periodically throughout the day. 

They 
embraced 
tightly 
at 

the team’s bench, both of them 
slightly emotional. 

After 
all 
of 
the 
hysteric 

celebration, Danielle was able to 

describe why that moment was so 
emotional. 

“I think she’s the greatest 

person that I know,” Williams 

said. “I will tell everybody 
that. We always joke like, ‘oh 
who’s the better twin?’ Not just 
in basketball, but in life. But 
honestly, I would always pick her. 
She’s the better one every single 
day and every single time, no 
matter what. 

“She’s just that great, that 

selfless, that wonderful, and I’m 
just … I can’t believe she’s here, 
and it makes this that much more 
wonderful.”

Michigan coach Kim Barnes 

Arico has just as much praise for 
Danielle herself. Earlier in the year 
and throughout Williams’ career, 
Barnes Arico has commended 
Williams for her contributions 
off the court, saying, “there’s not 
a day that goes by that I’m not 
thankful that Danielle Williams is 
in the program.” 

Barnes Arico even went so 

far as to add: “Every program 
needs a Danielle Williams. If my 
child could ever be like Danielle 
Williams, I would’ve hit a home 
run.” 

Laura Williams, the twins’ 

mother, described the moment 
that Danielle realized Dominique 
would be her lifelong friend. 
The two, according to their 
mom, are inseparable. And when 
Dominique walked into Calihan 
Hall, Danielle’s “jaw dropped.” 

The 
athletes 
decided 
to 

commit to different schools, a 
difficult decision for the two of 
them, but one they knew they 
needed to forge their own paths. 
But, 
according 
to 
Danielle, 

the duo still talks constantly, 
making the distance feel minute. 
Other things, too, tie the twins 

closer together. For example, 
Dominique was also selected as 
a team captain by her peers and, 
like Danielle, Dominique also 
wears the number 20 to honor 
WNBA Indiana Fever guard 
Briann January. 

“I just think (the game was) 

great,” Dominique said. “Either 
way, it’s great. Win or lose, I’m 
proud of her. She’s done so much 
on and off the court, I’m just so 
proud of her. I’m excited for what 
she’s done in a Michigan uniform.”

Despite not playing as many 

minutes or stuffing the stat sheet 
as much as other players, Williams 
was voted as a team captain for 
two consecutive years. Some 
teammates even refer to her as 
‘the Mom.’ Every single Wolverine 
felt motivated to win the WNIT 
for Danielle and her fellow senior 
guard Siera Thompson. 

In her final year, Williams 

averaged 1.9 points per game, 2.8 
rebounds and played an average of 
17 minutes, though she appeared 
in all 37 games and started in 21. 
As a junior, she earned Academic 
All-Big Ten and her third varsity 
letter. 

Williams will leave behind a 

gap in the roster, as most seniors 
do. Both she and Thompson were 
Barnes Arico’s first recruits for 
Michgian, making the pair a 
special class for the coach. 

In the WNIT championship 

game, 
Williams 
grabbed 

two 
offensive 
rebounds 
and 

three defensive rebounds and 
contributed four points to the 
team’s total. She ended her 
college career by playing 35 of the 
55 total minutes of the game. 

Despite 
any 
personal 

achievements Williams may have 
had this season, she still remains 
humble to her team. 

“I just don’t have any words,” 

Williams said. “It took everybody, 
and it took everything. Everybody 
contributed 
and 
everybody 

stepped up on the team. I can go 
through every single person on 
our team and things that they 
did tonight that they worked 
throughout the whole season 
for. We earned it, we definitely 
earned it.” 

And, at the end, she got to earn 

it with her better half watching. 

SYLVANNA GROSS

Daily Sports Editor

“She’s done so 
much on and 
off the court, 

I’m just so 

proud of her”

ARNOLD ZHOU/Daily

Sophomore catcher Katie Alexander has forced her way in as the starter, and become a calming influence behind the plate for senior right-hander Megan Betsa.

“When (Betsa) 
breathes and 

focuses on spin, 
then it happens 

for her”

AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily

Senior guard Danielle Williams was surpised by her identical twin sister Dominique, who flew in from UCLA, at the WNIT championship game Saturday.

