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Wolverines salvage series victory on the road
Heading
into
the
seventh
inning Sunday, the Michigan
softball team stared an unpleasant
fate square in the face.
Just three outs stood in the
way of an unimaginable series
loss to the Big Ten bottom dweller
Maryland (2-9 Big Ten, 9-30-1
overall).
A two-out, two-run triple in
the bottom of the fifth off the bat
of outfielder Sarah Calta gave the
Terrapins a 3-2 lead, leaving the
Wolverines (11-2, 31-9-1) with just
three outs to salvage at least a run
to extend the game.
The plucky Terrapins had
nothing to lose and everything to
gain — seeking little more than to
play spoiler.
Michigan, on the other hand,
needed the win to stay within a
game of Minnesota (10-1, 38-3)
atop the Big Ten standings. A loss
would have all but extinguished
Michigan’s
chances
at
its
10th-straight Big Ten regular-
season title.
With
“better
energy,”
as
Michigan coach Carol Hutchins
described,
the
Wolverines
managed to piece together a rally.
After Maryland left-hander
Hannah Dewey walked the bases
loaded, senior centerfielder Kelly
Christner came through with a
single that dropped into shallow
left field to tie the game at three.
Sophomore outfielder Coutney
Richardson then came through
with a long sacrifice fly to the
right field warning track to grab
the lead.
Senior
right-hander
Megan
Betsa shut the door from there,
closing out the game and claiming
the
series
with
a
scoreless
seventh.
Overall, Hutchins was pleased
with her pitchers’ performance
on the weekend, even when the
offense sputtered.
“Megan’s been a rock for us,”
Hutchins said. “She’s our leader.
She’s throwing right now with an
offense that’s underperforming.
So she’s got to have nerves of steel,
and I was really proud of her. I
thought she really had a gutsy
performance today.”
After cruising to a 5-1 victory
Friday evening behind another
stalwart effort from Betsa, the
Wolverines headed into Saturday
looking to take control of the
series.
Instead, Michigan was held to
only one hit in its first six innings,
heading to the final frame down
2-0.
The Wolverines looked primed
to sneak out the win in the seventh
inning, though, when Richardson
knocked
home
freshman
outfielder Thais Gonzalez with
nobody out.
An offense that had otherwise
been anemic all day came to
life in hopes of salvaging an
eighth-straight victory over the
Terrapins.
But the comeback on this day
wasn’t meant to be, as the rally
would halt there. With runners
on first and second base for
Michigan, Hutchins called for a
sacrifice bunt from sophomore
catcher Katie Alexander to move
both runners into scoring position
with only one out.
Though senior third baseman
Linsday Montemarano followed
that up with the single the
Wolverines needed, Richardson
was subsequently thrown out
at home. Freshman shortstop
Madison Uden then grounded out
to third base, ending the threat
and giving the Terrapins their
first win over the Wolverines
since Feb. 17, 2012.
Hutchins knows Michigan’s
offensive production — scoring
just 10 runs all weekend against
a team that came in allowing 6.57
runs per game — won’t cut it.
Her
decision
to
jumble
the lineup Sunday — moving
sophomore
second
baseman
Faith Canfield to the leadoff spot,
Alexander to fifth and placing
sophomore
outfielder
Natalie
Peters in the ninth spot among
the fray — conveyed as much.
“We’re counting on people
to do their part. If people don’t
do their part we’re gonna move
people around, we’re gonna put
other people in,” Hutchins said.
“I believe that any one of my kids
can get it done at anytime — I
believe in all of them. I just need
them to believe in them. They
need to believe in themselves.”
Richardson, though, was a
bright spot amongst the offensive
turmoil. Her double Saturday
accounted for the team’s only
run, her solo home run gave the
Wolverines an early lead Sunday
and she capped off a banner
weekend with the go-ahead sac-
fly in Sunday’s win.
On
the
weekend,
the
Wolverines will breathe a sigh
of relief on the way back to Ann
Arbor. They skirted potential
disaster, conquering two of three
on the weekend in advance of a
midweek game against Michigan
State.
But in the long term, the
unforeseen weekend-long fight
highlights a sporadic offensive
output that has plagued the team
all year — a reputation it will try to,
and need to, shed if it harbors any
hopes of a Big Ten Tournament
and NCAA Tournament run.
Michigan falls short of Super Six
The final score was 196.4625.
It was illuminated on the
scoreboard, it showed up on the
monitors, it sat on the record
sheet. It was a decent score,
good enough for a fifth-place
finish at the NCAA Semifinals.
But for the Michigan women’s
gymnastics
team,
it
wasn’t
enough to send the team to the
Super Six.
And for seniors Talia Chiarelli
and Nicole Artz, it marked
their final meet as Michigan
gymnasts.
“They’ve been my role models,
they’ve been my sisters, my best
friends,” said sophomore Olivia
Karas. “I mean, anything you
could possibly say about two
people. … I could go on for hours
about what they’ve done for this
program, this team, the people
on this team, the people before
me on the team.
“It’s just been like a whirlwind
of things they’ve done. They’re
the best two captains I could
have asked for. You can’t ask for
much more in senior captains
and friends and people, and I’m
so lucky I got the opportunity
to get to know them as well as I
did.”
Out of six teams in a bracket
stacked with top-ranked teams,
the Wolverines finished fifth.
Only the top three teams in
the session move on to the next
round, and those spots were
claimed
by
Louisiana
State
(198.2750), Florida (197.8125)
and
Alabama
(197.6000).
Nebraska also topped Michigan
with a score of 197.2125, while
Georgia rounded out the bottom
of the bracket with 195.8000.
Artz, Chiarelli and junior
Brianna Brown were the only
gymnasts on the roster with
previous NCAA Tournament
experience. Artz finished her
final season with eight All-
American
honors,
including
second-team honors on bars and
floor, where she tied for ninth
and 15th, respectively.
Brown also tied for ninth on
the bars and received second-
team honors for the event with
a score of 9.9000. Sophomore
Olivia Karas, one of four
athletes who participated in
the all-around, tied for 11th
and finished with a score of
39.4250 and received second-
team honors for vault, where
she tied for fifth with a score
of 9.900.
The Wolverines — who came
into the meet with Big Ten, Big
Ten Tournament and NCAA
Regional titles — stumbled in
their early events and were
unable to come back with
enough firepower to make up for
where they fell short.
Paige Zaziski, a junior all-
around transfer from Arkansas,
initially fell on the bars, resulting
in a 9.1375. The score wasn’t
counted, as five other routines
were hit on the bars, and Zaziski
made a comeback on the beam
with a team-high 9.8875.
The rest of the beam scores
weren’t as beneficial, though.
Chiarelli lost her balance on a
side aerial and suffered a fall,
resulting in a 9.3250. Freshman
Lexi Funk fell as well, forcing
Michigan to take one of the two
falls.
“From the very first event,
our last person up missed a
bar routine,” said Michigan
coach Bev Plocki. “That was
not a fall we had to count, but
in a competition like this, every
single tenth counts. We ended
up counting a 9.825 instead of
probably a 9.900, so that wasn’t
devasting, but it was like the
first break of the meet. And
then we went to beam … and we
counted a fall there.”
A lackluster vault rotation
didn’t help the cause, either.
Karas and sophomore Emma
McLean
were
the
only
gymnasts to hit above a 9.8000,
with a 9.9000 and 9.8375,
respectively.
“We
just
did
not
vault
anything
near
what
we’re
capable of vaulting,” Plocki said.
“There was no one error that
made the difference, it was a
combination of things.”
Even though the floor scores
saw improvement, the damage
had been done. The Wolverines
knew in the last rotation that
mathematically, a berth to the
Super Six wasn’t an option.
Their season was over.
As Plocki put it: “Just not our
night.”
Wolverines throttled by Buckeyes
An airplane boasting a banner
that read, “Ass Kickin’ Hot Sauce”
flew above Michigan Stadium on
Saturday morning. That same day,
Ohio State’s men’s lacrosse team
matched the condiment’s fiery
intensity.
In the Battle of the Big House,
the ninth-ranked Buckeyes (2-1
Big Ten, 11-2 overall) scored first,
just 13 seconds into the contest.
Their efficiency set the tone for
the rest of the game en route to an
18-7 victory.
The
visitors
kept
their
momentum going with another
goal just over a minute later by
attacker Jack Jasinski. Michigan
(0-3, 8-4) stalled to step up their
aggressiveness on the offensive
end, firing its first attempt four
minutes into the first half. The
Wolverines finally scored with
9:57 left in the period after senior
Ian King weaved through the Ohio
State defense to cut the deficit to
2-1.
The Buckeye defense remained
stingy, which transitioned into
efficient offensive play. Michigan’s
shots on goal were either blocked
by the goalkeeper or flew just
outside of the net. By the time
the Wolverines scored their first
goal, Ohio State had been 3-for-5
in scoring its shots on goal while
Michigan was just 1-for-7.
From the third goal of the
game until halftime, the Buckeyes
scored on every one of their shot
attempts except for their final try
in the waning seconds of the first
quarter. Ohio State scored once in
each of the last four minutes of the
quarter, going 7-for-10 before the
second-half faceoff.
“It
just
comes
down
to
execution,” said Michigan coach
John Paul. “That’s a Final Four-
level team you’re seeing out
there. They’re clicking. … They’re
executing at a really high level.”
Buckeye attacker Tre Leclaire
led the charge for the away team,
picking up two goals and three
assists before the midway point
of the second quarter. One of his
goals came after an unnecessary
roughness
penalty
by
the
Wolverines that gave Ohio State a
man-up advantage.
After the team fell behind by
eight goals, Michigan replaced
junior Tommy Heidt with senior
Robbie Zonino in goal, needing
an offensive catalyst. Sophomore
midfielder Decker Curran had the
hot hand. He scored twice in two
minutes to cut the lead to 9-3 with
7:22 left in the second quarter.
However,
Buckeye
midfielder
Christian Feliziani scored shortly
after for his first goal of the
season, and Ohio State tacked
on one more goal to end the half
ahead, 11-3.
The Buckeyes continued their
scoring barrage in the second
half, scoring just 17 seconds into
the third quarter. Their success
on faceoffs came from midfielder
Jake Withers, who ranks fifth in
the country and has a faceoff win
percentage of 66. Ohio State scored
again two minutes later to widen
its lead, 13-3. The Wolverines
notched a point with 10 minutes
remaining in the quarter by junior
midfielder PJ Bogle, but Leclaire
struck once again to push the lead
to 10.
“Especially early in the game,
we struggled,” Paul said. “Their
faceoff guy is the best in the
country. But I thought we did a
really good job getting the ball
into ground ball situations and not
letting them win stuff clean.”
Again, the Buckeyes’ efficiency
was remarkable. By their 14th
goal, both teams had attempted
22 shots — Michigan had made
just four goals. The Wolverines’
inability to score was due in part
to Ohio State’s fourth-ranked
defense that allows under eight
goals per game.
Curran remained a bright spot
for Michigan, though, earning
a hat trick in the third quarter.
He ended with a career-high
four goals. The Wolverines also
committed 10 fewer turnovers.
Though
the
Wolverines
ultimately outshot the Buckeyes,
49-34, Ohio State left Ann Arbor
with an overwhelming victory.
Michigan simply couldn’t execute
on the offensive end, as the
Buckeye goalkeepers combined
to stop 15 shots. It was Michigan’s
third loss in three Battle of the Big
House contests.
“I liked what our offense was
doing and what our offense was
getting,” Paul said. “We just
weren’t finishing the same way
they were.”
Though trending up,
‘M’ loses the Battle
In the Battle of the Big House,
Ohio State showed why it is a
top-ten team in the country.
On Saturday afternoon in
front of a record crowd of 18,588,
the Michigan men’s lacrosse
team (0-3 Big Ten, 8-4 overall)
couldn’t contain its rival’s elite
offense in an 18-7 loss to the
ninth-ranked
Buckeyes
(2-1,
11-2).
That crowd — a mix of spring
football game attendees and
newfound hype for the lacrosse
team — saw an
inexperienced
team, but also
evidence of the
strides the team
has taken in its
sixth
varsity
season.
With
one
game
left
in
Big Ten play,
the Wolverines
have
already
reached a new season-high win
total with eight, a season-high
goals per game average at 10.50
and a season-high team assist
total with 75. They also beat a
ranked team for the first time in
program history.
The
Buckeyes,
though,
exposed how much more room
Michigan has to grow. While
the Wolverines have scored 58.2
percent of their shots on goal this
season, against the Buckeyes,
Michigan converted just 31.8
percent on 7-for-22 shooting.
Despite having more shots,
committing fewer turnovers and
fewer penalties, the Wolverines
could not capitalize Saturday.
“It comes down to execution,”
said Michigan coach John Paul.
“They’re executing at such a
high level right now, that’s a
Final Four-level team you’re
seeing out there. They turned
the ball over a lot more, we
cleared better. You take a look
at these (stats) and you’d think,
‘Probably a pretty close game.’”
The face-off circle was one
area where Michigan really
struggled this weekend. On
the season, the Wolverines are
undefeated
when
controlling
the draw. Ohio State, however,
controlled the face-off circle,
winning 22 of 29 Saturday. Of
its seven wins, four directly
followed goals for Michigan.
Despite
the
loss,
the
Wolverines still had some positive
performances.
Sophomore
midfielder Decker
Curran recorded
a
career-high
four goals and
this
season,
Michigan’s
second,
third,
fourth and fifth
point leaders are
all
sophomores,
which bodes well
for Michigan’s future.
With his four goals, Curran
surpassed his season total from
last year. As a freshman, Curran
started eight games and led
all freshmen in scoring. This
season, Decker has tallied 13
goals and six assists, putting him
in fifth place for overall scoring
on the team despite playing in
just 10 of 12 games.
“We know where we are and
we know where we want to get
to,” Paul said. “We know how
much we’ve improved this year
over years past, and we just have
to have resolve, come back and
have a good week of practice to
get ready for (Johns) Hopkins.”
Against Johns Hopkins, the
Wolverines will look to secure
their first Big Ten victory since
2015, and build upon the potential
they have shown all season.
ZOEY HOLMSTROM/Daily
Senior Nicole Artz’s Michigan career came to an end at NCAA Semifinals.
MEN’S LACROSSE
ARNOLD ZHOU/Daily
Sophomore outfielder Courtney Richardson had a strong weekend at the plate to help Michigan top Maryland twice.
MAX MARCOVITCH
Daily Sports Writer
JAKE UCHITELLE-COHEN
Daily Sports Writer
SINDUJA KILARU/Daily
Sophomore midfielder Decker Curran scored a career-high four goals.
CHRIS CROWDER
Daily Sports Editor
LANEY BYLER
Daily Sports Editor
“We know how
much we’ve
improved this
year”
April 17, 2017 — 3B