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April 15, 2019 - Image 9

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The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SportsMonday
April 15, 2019 — 3B

‘M’ shaky in series loss at Ohio State

This wasn’t how this weekend
was supposed to go.
The No. 24 Michigan baseball
team
came
into
Columbus
confident. They’d won eight of
their last ten games, including
a two-game sweep of in-state
rival Michigan State and a big
weekend series win over a tough
Minnesota team. According to
Michigan coach, the Wolverines
went into the series “fired up”
to face an unranked, 18-16 Ohio
State team and looking to stay
hot.
What
followed
was
unexpected. Michigan dropped
the first two games of the
series, 10-5 and then 10-4, with
shaky performances from their
usually-dominant Nos. 1 and
2 starters, junior left-hander
Tommy Henry and junior right-
hander Karl Kauffman. The
Wolverines avoided a sweep in
the second game of Saturday’s
double
header,
beating
the
Buckeyes, 6-2.
“It
was
a
disappointing
weekend,”
said
Michigan
coach
Erik
Bakich.
“We
uncharacteristically didn’t pitch
well, we were shaky at times
defensively, we didn’t get the
clutch hits when we needed to.
“A rivalry series is very
emotional.
It
has
all
the
characteristics, all the look
and feel of big-time baseball,
whether
your
opponent
is
ranked or not. This had the
environment and emotion of
some of our bigger matchups of
the season.”
Friday’s
game
stayed
deadlocked through the first
third
of
the
contest.
The
Wolverines got on the board
first as sophomore outfielder
Jesse Franklin crushed the first
pitch he saw for a solo home run
to right-center, but the Buckeyes
followed with runs of their own,
scoring one each in the bottom
of the first and third innings.
Ohio State then broke the game

open with three-run fourth and
fifth innings.
The
Wolverines
couldn’t
respond. Though they notched
two runs in the seventh on a
single from junior outfielder
Jordan Brewer, and two more
in the ninth on a two-out single
from
senior
third-baseman
Blake Nelson, but they could
not build enough momentum to
seriously contend for the game.
The first game Saturday was
a similar story. The Buckeyes
went on a tear over the first two-
thirds of the contest, racking
up an 8-0 lead by the end of
the third inning. Michigan put
runs back on the board in the
top of the sixth with a three-
run double from senior third
baseman Jimmy Kerr and tacked
on one more in the seventh on a
solo home run for sophomore
outfielder Jordan Nwogu, but
like Friday’s game, the game
was never in contention.
“We got outplayed the first
two games,” Bakich said. “We
have guys that have some really
good weekends, and then have
some
really
bad
weekends.
Instead of having the extremes
of the highs and the lows,
baseball is about consistency.”
Saturday’s second game was
a bright spot for the Wolverines,
though.
Sophomore
right-
hander
Jeff
Criswell
gave
Michigan what it needed with
a dominant 6.2 innings of work
over which didn’t allow a single

earned run. The offense finally
regained its rhythm Saturday.
redshirt senior outfielder Miles
Lewis notched two RBI in the
game with a grounder to score
Nwogu in the sixth and a double
to plate Franklin in the seventh.
Junior
outfielder
Dominic
Clementi,
Franklin,
senior
second baseman Ako Thomas,
and Kerr all also earned RBI on
the day.
Overall, though it was a
disappointing
weekend,
the
Wolverines
still
have
high
expectations for the rest of their
season, and as their schedule
grows a little less demanding
over the rest of the season —
after
Wednesday’s
midweek
tilt
against
Bowling
Green,
Michigan doesn’t have another
midweek game until May 8
against Eastern Michigan —
they’ll have more time to iron
out their issues before the
season wraps up.
“So far this season, we have
not played our best baseball yet,”
Bakich said. “We need to just
continue to trend upwards, and
when we have setbacks like this,
to use it as growth, to use it as
fuel to better our performance
in the future.
“If we’re going to be the team
that we think we can be, then
we’re going to have to play well
when it means the most, and a
rivalry series is certainly one of
those weekends that means the
most.”

Softball splits series in Columbus

Katie Alexander hadn’t hit a
home run in 14 games. But this
weekend in Columbus, she knocked
two. And in one game.
Following the senior catcher’s
lead, the No. 21 Michigan softball
team went 2-1 in three games
against
Ohio
State,
winning,
10-3 and 6-2, before dropping
the weekend’s final game, 2-1.
Even with the loss Sunday, which
snapped the Wolverines’ 15-game
win streak, the two comeback wins
marked a shift in power at the plate,
a welcome sign for Michigan’s
offense, which at times has lacked
in run generation.
After an RBI single in the third
inning that gave the Buckeyes the
first run of the weekend, Michigan
didn’t regress from the setback like
in many earlier games this season.
Instead, it thrived on the hardship.
In the fourth inning, junior
third baseman Madison Uden hit a
groundout to Ohio State shortstop
Lilli Piper that drove in freshman
outfielder Lexie Blair to tie the
game.
The run began a surge of power
for the Wolverines.
In the same inning, junior
outfielder Haley Hoogenraad hit a
triple to right field for an RBI and

Alexander slammed her first home
run to right field for two RBI.
“I was just really seeing the
ball really well that night and was
confident,” Alexander said. “We
felt really good.”
After Buckeye catcher Claire
Nicholson homered to left field and
senior first baseman Alex Sobczak
hit a sacrifice flyout for an RBI to
increase the score to 5-3, Alexander
hit her second blast for a home run.
Hoogenraad furthered the power
and finished the game with a grand
slam to left field.
“(Michigan
coach
Carol
Hutchins) always goes by me and
says, ‘Try less hard and really
trust what you can do’ and I think
that’s really a huge thing that helps
me,” Hoogenraad said. “I think
(today) was just a huge burst of
confidence.”
The next game continued that
assertiveness at the plate. Down
2-0 heading into the second inning,
Hoogenraad
and
Alexander
continued to lead the lineup,
delivering an RBI single apiece.
Aside from a home run by Sobczak
in the third inning, other scoring
resulted from RBI singles as well,
as the Wolverines won 6-2.
Even with lackluster starts,
Hutchins sees the wins as strong
performances for the Wolverines,

with players in both the top and
bottom of the lineup producing
offensively.
“They just connected on pitches
on time, and that’s what we’re
always striving for,” Hutchins
said. “We really needed the sixth
through ninth players to pick up
their production, and they did an
outstanding job.”
Hutchins
maintained
that
attitude even in Sunday’s 2-1,
eight-inning loss. Up 1-0 off a walk
that forced a run, sophomore left-
hander Meghan Beaubien allowed
a home run in the seventh inning
that tied the game, then a walk-off
single that won the game for Ohio
State. Despite the slip-up in the
last two innings, Beaubien’s shut
out performance in the first six
innings still signified a strong day
in Hutchins’ eyes.
“Meghan threw 12 shutout
innings against a really big hitting
team, and they got a piece of her
in the seventh inning. … I told her
our offense didn’t do its part today.
Our pitching did its part,” Hutchins
said. “We were behind in both of
our victories and we didn’t let it
shake us and rattle us and we just
fought back. I think our kids can’t
complain. To win we had to fight.
And I thought we fought really
hard.”

Michigan blanks Maryland, 5-0,
claims outright Big Ten Title

Champions keep playing until
they get it right.
The quote may have come
from tennis legend Billie Jean
King, and the Michigan women’s
tennis
team
has
embodied
it through and through this
season.
All the way to an outright Big
Ten title.
Despite a 4-3 loss to Florida
in Gainesville on Thursday, the
Wolverines (15-5 overall, 11-0
Big Ten) rallied to come away
with two straight shutouts in
New Brunswick and College
Park to add another piece of
hardware to the trophy case.
Saturday, Michigan blanked
Rutgers (9-9, 1-7), 5-0, with
dominant play from doubles
pairs No. 1, seniors Kate Fahey
and Brienne Minor, and No.
2, junior Giulia Pairone and
freshman Anca Craciun, who
have acted as doubles-point
closers throughout the season.
Along
with
strong
doubles
play were convincing singles
victories from Fahey, Minor
and sophomore Alyvia Jones to
clinch the win.
With
the
postseason
approaching,
the
Wolverines
made some changes to the
matchups to assure the absolute
best scenario going into the
clinching meet.
The No. 3 doubles spot has
fluctuated all season, usually
occupied by Jones and either
junior Chiara Lommer or fellow
sophomore
Bella
Lorenzini.
Occasionally, a win will come
from No. 3, but the pair, whoever
it may be, has a losing record this
season.
However, on Sunday, it all
finally clicked. And what better
of a time than the last match of
the regular season?
Jones was paired up with
junior Lera Patiuk and played
some of their best tennis this
season. Mirroring the No. 2
doubles win secured just before
their
own
by
Pairone
and

Craciun, Jones and Patiuk beat
their opposing Maryland (3-16
overall, 1-8 Big Ten) duo, 6-2.
“We just work really well as
a team,” Jones said of her new
doubles partner. “We had really
good energy, and we both ended
up playing pretty well, so that
helps on the court.”
Added Pairone: “I think we’re
improving so much in doubles.
As the season went on, we’ve
been playing so much better. And
I think we’re really helping each
other out like we’re supposed to.
So it’s really good to get that first
point and it’s helping a lot when
we get into singles.”
The Wolverines’ performance
in singles play was just as
impressive. Pairone was the
first to score a singles point
for Michigan, defeating her
opponent, 6-1, 6-0. Fahey and
Jones soon followed suit, coming
away with victories of 6-2, 6-1
and 6-0, 6-1, respectively. Minor
slammed it home, 6-4, 6-1, and
gave the Wolverines their final
point and their conference title.
“It’s a long season of Big
Tens, a lot of good teams,”
said Michigan coach Ronni
Bernstein.
“I’m
just
happy
for the girls, especially this
weekend — you know, they
took care of business. Today we
actually played really well. So,
I’m just proud of them, happy
for them. To go undefeated in
this conference isn’t easy, so it
definitely feels good.”
In contrast to last season,

when they won the Big Ten
Tournament
as
the
clear
underdog, the Wolverines have
shown they are a force to be
reckoned with.
“We’re just looking for that
balance, and that we can count
on everybody,” Bernstein said.
“So, if we ever get to that, I don’t
know that we’ve been that yet
this year – you know, all three
doubles teams clicking and all
six singles players at the same
time. If we have that, if we can
get to that place, we’re pretty
tough to beat.
“But I think as far as all of
us, if I look down the line, I
think everyone is feeling pretty
confident, which is where you
want to be at the end of the year.
I think we’re peaking.”
This season wasn’t always
pretty and the team has seen
its fair share of ups and downs,
but with the Big Ten and NCAA
tournaments
approaching,
Michigan,
the
Big
Ten
Champions, needs to follow
King’s advice: to keep playing
until they get it all right.
“We’re
really
playing
as a team, and not just as
individuals,”
Pairone
said.
“And I think just going into the
tournament, we’re feeling really
confident, and we know we can
do very well. But we also know
that we have to keep working
and
make
sure
that
we’re
getting better. Feeling like we’re
champions doesn’t stop us from
continuing to work hard.”

In loss, Curran nets 100th point

With 8:41 remaining in the
third quarter against No. 1
Penn State (10-1 overall, 3-0
Big Ten) on Saturday, Michigan
freshman attacker Bryce Clay
found senior midfielder Decker
Curran wide open on a cross-
crease pass. Curran wound up
and fired a bullet past Nittany
Lions goalkeeper Colby Kneese,
cutting the Wolverines’ deficit
to three.
With
the
goal,
Curran
netted his 100th career point,
becoming
only
the
fourth
player in Michigan history to
achieve the feat.
“It’s cool,” Curran said. “I
actually didn’t know I was
there until it came up on the
loudspeaker, but it’s obviously a
huge accomplishment.”
For Michigan (3-8, 0-3), the
moment was a bright spot on an
afternoon where offense was
hard to come by. Penn State
would score seven unanswered
goals after Curran’s goal en
route to a 17-7 throttling of the
Wolverines.
“(The
result)
100
percent
(diminishes
the
accomplishment),” Curran said.

“That’s definitely not a way the
boys want to end in the fourth
quarter, you know, a ten goal
deficit. The accomplishment
doesn’t really mean anything if
the boys aren’t winning.”
Though the season has so
far been a disappointment for
Michigan — the Wolverines
have
not
yet
won a Big Ten
game

the
strong play of
Curran and his
fellow
seniors
can
act
as
a
building
block
for the future
of
the
young
program.
For
the 12 freshmen
on
the
team,
Curran’s body of
work acts as an example of how
extra effort can pay dividends
in the future.
“(He’s) someone to look up
to,” said Michigan coach Kevin
Conry. “He puts a lot of time in
off the field, a lot of extra shots,
so it’s good to see that point
production kind of kick in. …
Whenever we can, we look for
guys who can be a good example
to guys like (freshmen) Bryce
Clay and Javon Johnson.”

Curran’s effort on Saturday
is just another in a long string
of impressive performances for
the senior leader. His 27 points
on the season put him fourth on
the team, with his 17 goals and
10 assists placing him fourth
and third, respectively.
This positive example for
the
team’s
freshmen
has
already
begun
to pay off in
small ways. Clay
buried a goal of
his own in the
second quarter
in addition to
his
assist
on
Curran’s
goal,
and
Johnson
added
a
key
goal early in the
third, while the game was still
in contention.
“I have a feeling I won’t be
up there (as one of Michigan’s
leading scorers) for very long,”
Curran said. “But it’s pretty
cool, seeing that, knowing that
all that hard work has definitely
paid off a bit.”
“Every time you have a
senior,” added Conry, “you
expect something of his legacy
to kind of live on.”

BRENDAN ROOSE
Daily Sports Writer

ZACHARY GOLDSMITH/Daily
Senior midfielder Decker Curran secured his 100th career point on a goal with 8:41 left in the third quarter.

... you expect
something of
his legacy to
kind of live on.

ABBY SNYDER
Daily Sports Writer

ALEC COHEN/Daily
Sophomore outfielder Jesse Franklin hit a solo home run on Friday.

SHIRA ZISHOLTZ
Daily Sports Writer

COURTESY OF MARYLAND ATHLETICS
The Michigan women’s tennis team secured the Big Ten title this weekend.

LILY FRIEDMAN
Daily Sports Writer

KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily
Senior catcher Katie Alexander broke out of her slump this weekend, knocking two home runs in Friday’s game.

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