When Michigan’s biggest strength became its Achilles’ heel
Bats go quiet, come up short against Nebraska
SEATTLE — All year, there were
two people Michigan could count
on.
Pitchers
Alex
Storako
and
Meghan Beaubien.
One was the Big Ten pitcher of
the year, and the other, a senior who
came into the weekend ranked 12th
in the country with her ERA of 1.08.
No other team in the field of 64 in
the NCAA softball tournament had
a pair of pitchers better. And with
a superb outfield behind them, it
was easy to see why the Wolverines
posed a threat to any team that
came across them.
At least on paper that is.
In the biggest game of Michigan’s
season, where it was just one win
away from its first super regional
since 2016, its two aces combined to
give up 13 hits and ten runs — season
highs in both categories.
To name a few more of the
absurd hitting stats Washington
compiled against two of the best
pitchers in the nation. The Huskies
batted 0.419, they hit three for five
with the bases loaded and batted
over 0.400 with runners in scoring
position. Numbers the Wolverines
simply haven’t given up all year,
not even close. With the majority
of that damage being done in just
the bottom of the fourth, where
Washington scored seven runs.
An inning that truly showed
Michigan what type of night it was,
and the aces up its sleeve were gone.
An inning that started off with a solo
home run from Husky outfielder
Jadelyn Allchin that cut into the
Wolverines’ lead and sent Storako to
the dugout. Just under three weeks
after she threw 23 strikeouts in an
eight inning game against Michigan
State, a program record, Storako
was benched. The pitcher, fresh off
a no-hitter on Friday and a perfect
game last Sunday, Beaubien, was
brought on to try and patch up the
wound and stop the bleeding.
That did not happen.
Instead, the Huskies smelled
blood and like a pack of wolves, they
jumped on their prey, piling on six
more runs and eating up every pitch
Beaubien flung their way.
By the time the inning was over,
Washington’s entire lineup made it
up to bat. And, the scoreboard read
10-5, Huskies.
“I don’t know what to say,”
Michigan coach Carol Hutchines
said in a somber post game press
conference.
“They’re
a
strong,
powerful
team
and
they…,”
Hutchins
paused.
“They
were
pretty formidable.”
But there are, in fact, things to be
said. One of which being that in the
biggest game of the year, they were
outdone by what gave them the edge
all year. All year long Michigan lived
by its pitching, but on Sunday night,
it also died by it.
Juxtapose
that
with
their
opponent, another team who lived
and died by their star pitcher —
Gabbie Plain — all year, and the
difference is striking. Plain threw
over 200 hundred pitches on the
night — including her count from
the first game of the doubleheader
— and yet, she still came up big.
After Plain gave up five runs in the
first two innings, she only saw 15
batters over the final five innings,
the minimum, and didn’t allow a
single run.
And that was the difference
between the two sides. Strength
against
strength,
Washington
overpowered the Wolverines, and
ended their season.
On a night where the Huskies
were the better team. On a night
where Plain was the better pitcher.
On a night where Michigan’s
biggest strength was its Achilles’
heel.
Trailing 5-1 in the top of the
ninth inning, sophomore first
baseman Jimmy Obertop launched
a home run over the left-field wall.
Obertop brought the Wolverines
within two runs, leaving the
door open for another comeback
opportunity.
Michigan
went
down swinging, a microcosm of
their offensive struggles this past
weekend at Nebraska. During
their three games against the
Cornhuskers,
the
Wolverines
mustered a measly five runs.
In the opening game on Friday,
Michigan was stumped at the plate.
Through the first four innings,
they produced hardly any offense.
Their lone baserunner came via
a hit by pitch in the top of the
fourth. In the fifth, however, the
Wolverines appeared poised to
break the scoreless tie. Sophomore
infielder Ted Burton worked a
walk and sophomore outfielder
Tito Flores lined a single down the
left-field line.
With two men on and no outs,
Michigan finally had a chance
to score. Unfortunately for the
Wolverines, the next three batters
were silenced. Michigan would
have a few more chances with
runners in scoring position, but
they were unable to put anything
on the scoreboard, falling 1-0. The
lineup may have disappointed
against Nebraska, but that did not
deter the team’s confidence.
“What doesn’t show is the
amount of barrels that we did put in
play,” Flores said. “We understand
that this is baseball, failure is going
to come. But when that hits, how
can we overcome that adversity
and keep competing.”
During the first half of Saturday’s
doubleheader,
the
Wolverines’s
early struggles continued. Through
three innings, they had done
nothing. Then, they finally scored
against the Cornhuskers thanks to
a pair of walks, a passed ball, and a
fielder’s choice RBI.
Michigan would tack on another,
but the story of game two was
sophomore right-hander Cameron
Weston. He more than made up for
the quiet offensive performance,
pitching seven scoreless innings.
His excellence pushed his team
over the hump and propelled them
to an even series.
Weston’s offense may not have
given him much support, but
like Flores, his mindset remains
unchanged.
“We were hitting balls hard,
I don’t have any concern for it
moving forward,” Weston said.
“We feel prepared. We feel like
we’ll
play
our
best
baseball,
whenever the lights turn on.
We’re pretty confident. Whatever
happens, happens.”
In the second half of the
doubleheader,
the
Wolverines
had an opportunity to erase their
offensive shortcomings and steal
the series. They did not come
through. For the first eight innings
of the game, they were shut out.
SPENCER RAINES
Daily Sports Writer
SAM BERNARDI
Daily Sports Writer
Thursday, June 3, 2021
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com SPORTS 15
Read more at michigandaily.com
MADELINE HINKLEY/Daily
Michigan relied on its pitching all year. On Sunday night, it came back to bite them.
BECCA MAHON/Daily
Michigan’s offense struggled against Nebraska.