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Thursday, May 10, 2018
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SPORTS

Wolverines find glory on Senior Day against rival OSU

Life, liberty and the pursuit of 
happiness.
The essence of the American 
dream is chasing those ideals as well 
creating success and opportunity 
through hard work and dedication. 
So for the Wolverines, they were liv-
ing the dream.
On Saturday’s matchup against 
Ohio State, the No. 14 Michigan soft-
ball team celebrated its senior day 
with a 8-0 win in six innings. After a 
blunder-filled game Friday, the Wol-
verines eased their doubts by fixing 
all the the wrong things and keeping 
all the right.
“You always want to beat Ohio 
State, especially on Senior Week-
end,” said senior designated player 
Taylor Swearingen. “It’s the cherry 
on top. And winning the Big Ten 
Championship, it’s like a dream 
come true right now.”
However, a rivalry win, a domi-
nant display and a Big Ten title don’t 
just fall from the sky. None of those 
things came easy. And as early as the 
opening inning, that was evident.
After creating some momentum 
with a quick three-up-three-down 
inning at the top of the first, the team 
saw its offensive struggles return 
with three outs on four at-bats — 
including two groundouts and a 
pop out. With the three outs com-
ing in rapid succession, silence was 
ushered throughout the crowd and 
dugout.
A 
positive 
that 
came 
from 
the inning was second baseman 
Faith Canfield returning to form. 
The senior hit a single to left field 
attempting to find a groove to offset 
her recent batting struggles. Canfield 
then additionally came away with a 
steal — upping her confidence.
However, it would take more than 
just a single and a steal to rile up the 
dwindling spirits around Alumni 

Fields.
Another three-and-out top of the 
inning brought some noise around 
the stadium but it still teetered 
between the edge of snoozing and 
erupting — just looking for the extra 
push to tip the balance.
Then it came at the bottom of the 
second inning.
With bases loaded, sophomore 
outfielder Haley Hoogenraad broke 
open the scoring — and the silence 
— with a fielder’s choice play that 
brought the stadium back to life.
The run was set up by junior 
catcher Katie Alexander’s walk. 
Senior outfielder Aidan Falk drove a 
fly ball down centerfield that enabled 
them to advance a base before being 
joined by Swearingen to load the 
bases. Swearingen’s patience at the 
plate allowed her to fight back from 
a 0-2 count to eventually get the free 
base by walk.
“Hitting the ball out of the infield,” 
said Michigan coach Carol Hutchins. 
“You know our first run kind of came 
on kind of a blue pit, and don’t get me 
wrong, those are great because we’re 
swinging.
“And you know, our whole group 
broke through a bit because I saw 
more, I mean, Aidan had a well-hit 
ball.So we’re just trying to score runs 
and it was really big to get out and get 
a lot of runs. We really needed that.”
The exuberance in the dugout and 
in the stands showed just how much 
it was needed. After Friday’s game, 
where runs came at a premium, the 
early signs of a potent offense was 
much appreciated. And it didn’t end 
with one run.
Freshman 
Natalia 
Rodriguez 
hit a line drive to second base that 
advanced everyone but Hoogenraad 
who was subsequently tagged out on 
her way to second. With runners on 
the corners, Canfield looked prime 
to inject even more life back into the 
stadium. Hitting a single down right 
field, she sprinted to first, pleased to 

expand the lead even if it was just by 
one. But a mishandle by the Buckeye 
outfielder allowed Canfield to con-
tinue on her path and end at third — a 
two-RBI hit.
From that point on, the Wolver-
ines had all the freedom at the plate 
as they wanted.
Junior outfielder Natalie Peters 
stood firm at the plate, waiting for 
her pitch. But it never came. She 
watched three go by without biting 
on any for a 3-0 count. The next pitch 
she chose to swing, but she had the 
liberty to do so even though it result-
ed in a strike. The pressure wasn’t on 
her. It was on the Ohio State pitcher 
who was facing a runner in scoring 
position with a three-ball count dur-
ing the at-bat.
What was the result? Peters was 
walked in the next pitch — restrain-
ing her swing on the high ball.
Senior first baseman Tera Blanco 
followed suit during the very next at-
bat. Sensing the thin ice the pitcher 
was walking on, she took a chance on 
the off-speed pitch but was called for 
a strike. However, the liberty at the 
plate came to her just as it had Peters. 
Four consecutive balls came, and 
she made her way to first for loaded 
bases. Now in an defensive free fall, 
the Buckeyes changed pitcher in 
hopes of a more promising outcome.
But it was the same story for the 
Wolverines. Sophomore third base-
man Madison Uden knew the strike 
zone and waited for the pitch to 
enter. Instead, she came out of her at-
bat seeing four straight balls, upping 
the lead by one.
“Yeah, I think we were just try-
ing to command our zone a little bit 
better today,” Swearingen said. “And 
that actually helped us, and I mean, 
we took advantage of the free bases, 
and we got timely hits that way.”
Ohio State stopped the bleeding 
with a strikeout on Alexander to end 
the inning and close a threatening 
situation.

Whereas the Michigan batters 
had liberties at the plate, the Buckeye 
batters had none.
Another three-up three-down 
inning forced Ohio State off the field 
and gave the Wolverines an ample 
opportunity to widen the gap. It was 
all part of the game plan.
“I think more than anything with 
our offense, you look at up at (Michi-
gan State) the other day, we ended up 
with eight runs,” Hutchins said. “We 
kind of chipped away every inning. 
And taking walks was huge. We took 
a lot of bases. And if they’re going to 
give us bases, we need to take them. 
We need to not be walking back to 
the dugout after ball four.”
While in many situations, a walk 
or two can be made up for with stel-
lar defense. But with the unforgiving 
lineup for Michigan, every mistake 
matters. So when Swearingen was 
once again walked — another four-
pitch walk — Hoogenraad promptly 
capitalized. With knees bent and 
stance tightened, she hit a no-doubt 
home run into the branches of the 
trees behind left field.
“I don’t know if anything I saw 
to any of them really matters,” 
Hutchins said, “but I said I’d like 
them to swing more like Haley 
Hoogenraad, because Haley’s got a 
big ole swing.”
The Wolverines ended the inning 
after two outs by Rodriguez and 
Canfield on a bunt attempt and a 
groundout, but the team did its dam-
age.
Pushing for a response, the Buck-
eyes failed to deliver — though giv-
ing a viable scare at the top of the 
4th. After a groundout by the leadoff 
batter, Ohio States’ Lilli Piper — their 
most potent offensive player who 
had hit a home run the game prior — 
hit a double down line in left field. A 
fielder’s choice sent her to third, and 
hope emerged that the team could 
put one on the board. But Uden put 
the crowd at ease with a groundout.

It wasn’t until a full inning later 
did another scoring chance emerge, 
but this time, for Michigan. Swear-
ingen saw another free base as she 
was walked through four pitches at 
the bottom of the fifth. Sophomore 
designated player Abby Skvarce — 
substituting for Rodriguez — was hit 
by pitch before being replaced at first 
back by Rodriguez.
The spotlight fell to Canfield to 
put an early end to the game. After 
three balls and a foul for a count in 
her favor, the junior saw Hutchins 
urge her on to swing hard.
“She hit the ball way better today,” 
Hutchins said. “She did. She swung 
harder. She swung through it. I said 
you can’t be afraid to miss. It’s ok if 
you miss. I’d rather have you swing 
well and miss than just make contact 
and be out.”
Getting full contact on the swing, 
the ball was sent down centerfield 
and to the wall. The runners made 
a mad dash to home where Swearin-
gen easily saw home plate. However, 
Rodriguez froze at third despite fur-
ther urgings by Hutchins to contin-
ue. The moment of hesitation looked 
costly, as Rodriguez bit the bullet and 
made her way to home plate even 
though the catcher looked prime to 
garner the ball in time. But with her 
speed, the freshman hustled near the 
batter’s box before diving to the dirt 
— her hand safely on the plate just as 
the catcher bent over to tag.
It was ironic. The freshman tag-
ging home to secure the seniors a Big 
Ten championship on their senior 
day, effectively accepting the torch 
being passed down. In a rush of hap-
piness, the dugout emptied, as the 
players inundated the field to accept 
their title.
This was supposed to be just a 
stop in the long race. After all, the 
Wolverines have their eyes on the 
finish line — a College World Series 
title — but in the moment, they were 
living the dream.

MATT VAILLIENCOURT / DAILY

TIEN LE
SummerManaging Sports Editor

