Big Ten Network : Softball Top Stories

Former players land jobs as coaches

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 09:28:00 +0000

A pair of former University of Minnesota Softball players recently landed coaching jobs at NCAA Division I institutions. Megan Higginbotham, a 2007 graduate, will join the staff at Florida International in 2010 as a graduate assistant, while 2008 graduate Colleen Powers joins the staff at Central Michigan this spring, also as a graduate assistant. "We are all very proud of both Colleen and Megan on their recent hires," said Golden Gopher head coach Lisa Bernstein. "They were both outstanding representatives of the University of Minnesota and the Big Ten Conference and will do an outstanding job as graduate assistant coaches." Higginbotham, a Tallahassee, Fla. native, returns to her home state to begin her coaching career. She will be joining a team that went 31-29 last season and placed fourth in the Sun Belt Conference with a 15-13 record. If her coaching career is anything like her playing days, Higginbotham can expect a wealth of success. At the end of her tenure at Minnesota, she was among the leaders on several career charts. With a .353 career batting average, Higginbotham ranks fifth all-time in Golden Gopher history, while her 22 career home runs rank her third. With 71 career walks, 69 career stolen bases and 996 career putouts, she also ranked fourth in each respective category. Her finest season at the plate came in 2005 when she posted team highs of 62 hits, 29 RBI, 12 doubles and seven home runs while posting the fifth best single-season batting average in program history, with a .411 clip. In her final season in the maroon and gold, Hibbinbotham again led the Golden Gophers as they finished 24-22 overall. She paced the team with a .311 mark at the plate while also posting team highs of 47 hits, 35 runs scored, 15 stolen bases, 11 doubles, and a pair of triples. Powers, a Minnetonka, Minn. native, heads east to Central Michigan for her first coaching job. The Chippewas struggled to a 12-31 record a year ago, but ended the season on a high note, winning three straight against Mid-America Conference foes. Powers helped the Golden Gophers to a 29-16 record in her senior season, including a 9-7 mark for a fourth place finish in the Big Ten. She appeared in 41 games as a senior, while starting in 39 contests. She closed the season with 14 hits, 13 runs scored and eight runs batted in. That 2008 team won six of their last seven games in the regular season, before the season came to a close in the second round of the Big Ten tournament, falling to eventual champion Northwestern. In her junior year of 2007, Powers started all 41 games she played in as the Golden Gophers posted a 24-22 mark. She banged out 17 hits and scored 12 runs while posting a perfect mark in the field. When speaking on the future careers of her two former players, Coach Bernstein said in closing, "We want to wish them both the best of luck, and we know they will do an excellent job!"

Purdue assistant lands WSU post

Marc Katz Staff Writer — Wed, 2 Sep 2009 00:00:00 +0000

FAIRBORN - Even though they let Linda Garza into her office a few days early, her hiring as Wright State's new softball coach was finalized only Monday, Aug. 24. "I have to play catch-up with recruiting and hiring a staff," said Garza, who takes over for Mike Larabee, who accepted a job at Arkansas after leading the Raiders to two Horizon League titles and NCAA tournaments in five seasons. Garza, an assistant coach at Purdue the past four years, is from Fresno, Calif., and played collegiately at UNLV from 1998-2001. She has since coached at Arkansas, Tulsa and Purdue. The Boilermakers advanced to the NCAA tourney last season, winning two regional games. During her playing career she was a four-year starter and earned All-Mountain West Conference honors as a senior after leading UNLV in triples, RBIs and sacrifice hits. Wright State finished third in the Horizon League last season and had an overall record of 34-21. "The biggest thing is Coach Larabee has shown you can be successful here," Garza said. "This is a great opportunity and I'm looking forward to school starting on Sept. 8." Copyright 2009 Dayton Newspapers, Inc.

U-M's World Series loss hard to accept

Wed, 3 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +0000

When the University of Michigan softball team defeated Baylor 10 days ago to reach its first Women's College World Series since 2005, players jumped around and hugged each other on the field, and they sang "The Victors" to their home crowd fans as the alumni band belted out the tune. It was a long overdue celebratory atmosphere. But the Wolverines didn't get too excited. There was a sense of unfinished business hanging in the air that Saturday afternoon. Sophomore slugger Dorian Shaw alluded to such in the postgame news conference when she stated the team was hungry and not content with a mere appearance in the WCWS. Given how the Wolverines entered the eight-team finals, having won 27 of 28 games, including all of its regional and Super Regional games, it was easy to see why the Wolverines considered themselves a title contender. Even coach Carol Hutchins said she saw similarities between this team and her 2005 national championship squad, and she mentioned it in the days leading up to the WCWS. Which is why last Saturday's 7-5 loss to Georgia, which eliminated Michigan from the WCWS, was tough for the team to accept. Michigan (47-12) built a 3-0 lead in the first inning capped by junior cleanup hitter Roya St. Clair's two-run home run, but it fell behind 5-3 by the third and couldn't rally like it had 10 times in 23 previous games. "I don't think anyone in our dugout had any doubt that we could put up some runs on them. Unfortunately we just didn't couldn't a few more hits, and they got those home runs and that was the difference," St. Clair said. A 1-2 record in Oklahoma City and earlier-than-expected exit wasn't nearly good enough in the team's estimation. Junior pitcher Nikki Nemitz, a first-team NFCA All-American with a 28-7 record who will return for a senior season, took the elimination especially hard after allowing two home runs. "I'm just bummed that that's how we went out, because both of us had better seasons than that," said Nemitz, her voice quivering as she talked about herself and sophomore counterpart Jordan Taylor, who finished 19-5. Nemitz's expectations were so great and the loss so fresh that she refused to consider how good the team could be next year when it returns all but one starter, including five All-Big Ten first-teamers and two All-Americans (freshman Amanda Chidester being the other). "I don't know. I have no idea. I mean, it's a good experience, but we lose a great person in (seniors) Teddi (Ewing) and Megan (Gregory), so who knows," she said before walking off at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium. So Hutchins' comparisons to 2005, which she hinted at again Saturday, will have to wait until this time again next season. But if the team builds off this experience - it was the first WCWS for every player on the roster - that comparison could be more favorable. "As you know, unless you win the last game, you can never feel so good about it at the moment," Hutchins said Saturday, "but we have a lot to reflect on, a lot to build on." Kevin Ryan can be reached at kryan@annarbornews.com or 734-994-6812. Copyright 2009 Ann Arbor TimeAll Rights Reserved

Georgia upends, ousts Michigan, 7-5

Sat, 30 May 2009 22:28:00 +0000

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- Despite a quick start and late surge, the No. 7-ranked University of Michigan softball team could not complete the comeback, falling to sixth-seeded Georgia, 7-5, in the loser's bracket of the Women's College World Series on Saturday evening (May 30) at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium. The Wolverines were doomed by a WCWS-record four home runs as Georgia went long in the first, second, fourth and sixth innings to account for six of its seven runs. Junior LHP Nikki Nemitz (St. Clair Shores, Mich./Regina HS) took the loss, allowing five runs on six hits through the game's opening two frames. Sophomore RHP Jordan Taylor (Valencia, Calif./Valencia HS) entered with two on and no outs in the third, striking out five while giving up a pair of solo home runs. Junior catcher Roya St. Clair (Livonia, Mich./Stevenson HS) knocked out a home run of her own to highlight a season-best 3-for-3 effort from the plate. The U-M backstop was just a triple shy of the cycle. The Wolverines combined for 10 hits in the game -- their 17th double-digit hit tally of the season -- spreading the load among eight different players. The Wolverines used a two-out rally to take control in the top of the first, stringing together a walk and three straight hits to establish the early 3-0 lead. After freshman designated player Amanda Chidester (Allen Park, Mich./Cabrini HS) initiated the rally with a five-pitch walk, St. Clair connected with the 0-1 pitch and bombed it over the leftfield fence for her first home run in 20 games. Junior third baseman Maggie Viefhaus (Eureka, Mo./Eureka HS) kept the rally going with a low chopper through the right side, and Nemitz sent her home in the next at bat, launching a deep fly to the wall in right centerfield. Nemitz tried for more and was thrown out at second base, but not before Viefhaus crossed home plate for the inning's third tally. Georgia quickly cut the gap as centerfielder Taylor Schlopy, after taking a first-pitch called strike, made good on the second, knocking a leadoff solo home run over the fence in leftfield. Nemitz settled in after the long ball, requiring just nine pitches to retire the next three batters. Schlopy repeated the feat in her next turn at the plate, using a three-run blast in the second to provide Georgia its first advantage of the contest. The home run capped a four-hit, four-run inning for the Bulldogs. Second baseman Ashley Pauly drove in the frame's first tally on a shallow poke to rightfield before, two batters later, Schlopy connected with the 1-1 pitch and knocked it over the leftfield fence. Georgia used another home-run ball to pad its advantage to three runs, 6-3, in the home half of the fourth as Pauly knocked a full-count leadoff shot over the rightfield fence. Taylor fanned the next two Bulldog hitters on eight pitches before forcing a groundout to get out of the inning. The Wolverines chipped away at the deficit with two runs in the fifth. Freshman outfielder Bree Evans (Bloomington, Calif./Rialto HS) keyed the rally with one down, smacking a liner up the middle before advancing to second base on Hamilton's fifth illegal pitch called in the contest. The extra base paid off for the Wolverines when junior rightfielder Angela Findlay's (Lockport, Ill./East HS) standup double to the wall in left center, which appeared to be headed out until Georgia leftfielder Megan Wiggins got her glove on it, allowed the speedy Evans to round third and come home. St. Clair drove a run-scoring single up the middle in the next at bat, sending a high chopper over Hamilton's head to score Findlay from second base and pull U-M within one run, 6-5. Georgia reestablished its two-run advantage with first baseman Brianna Hesson's leadoff homer in the home half of the sixth, and despite putting the tying run at the plate in the seventh -- after a Chidester single to shallow left center -- the Wolverines could not overcome the deficit. Michigan wraps the season with a 47-12 record, sharing the nation's fifth spot with its 1-2 mark at the WCWS. It was U-M's ninth appearance at the prestigious national event.

No. 1 Florida sends Michigan to losers bracket

Sat, 30 May 2009 12:04:00 +0000

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- A late-inning solo home run proved the difference as the No. 7-ranked University of Michigan softball team dropped a 1-0 nail biter to top-ranked Florida in round two of the Women's College World Series on Friday evening (May 29) in front of a WCWS single-session record 8,323 fans at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium. The loss places Michigan in the WCWS losers' bracket, where U-M will cross over to the top half and face the winner of the Georgia/Missouri game at 6 p.m. CDT tomorrow (Saturday, May 30). The elimination game will air live on ESPN. The Bulldogs and Tigers square off tomorrow at 11 a.m. CDT. Florida ace Stacey Nelson claimed the pitchers' duel, striking out nine while holding the Wolverines to a season-low one hit. Junior LHP Nikki Nemitz (St. Clair Shores, Mich./Regina HS) took the loss in relief, halting her win streak at 16 games with a four-strikeout, two-hit performances through 2.2 innings. Sophomore RHP Jordan Taylor (Valencia, Calif./Valencia HS) was solid in the start, striking out five while scattering three hits through 4.1 innings. Taylor struggled to hit the outside corner, walking three for just the fifth time this season. She allowed a leadoff walk in the second and fell behind 2-0 in the subsequent at bat, drawing pitching coach Jennifer Brundage to the mound. After the exchange, Taylor struck out the side on 11 pitches. It was Taylor's third walk -- with one down in the fifth -- that induced the Wolverine pitching change with two Florida runners on base. After a full-count groundout, Nemitz intentionally walked the bases full, and the strategy worked as rightfielder Kelsey Bruder went down swinging on four pitches. The Gators' game-winning hit came in their next turn at the plate as shortstop Megan Bush led off the sixth with a solo shot, bombing the 2-1 pitch deep over the fence in left centerfield. Nemitz responded to the home run -- her 14th allowed this season -- by striking out two of the next three faced, but the Wolverines were unable to rally at the plate. Freshman outfielder Bree Evans (Bloomington, Calif./Rialto HS) initiated the Wolverines' lone scoring threat in the fourth, collecting her team's only hit with a first-pitch bloop to shortstop. Junior rightfielder Angela Findlay (Lockport, Ill./East HS) joined her on the base path after Nelson fielded her first-pitch bunt and unsuccessfully attempted to throw out Evans at second base, and freshman utility player Amanda Chidester (Allen Park, Mich./Cabrini HS) wasted little time before moving both into scoring position on a first-pitch sac bunt of her own. With the go-ahead run just 60 feet away and one out, U-M could not capitalize as Nelson fanned back-to-back batters to get out of the jam. Nelson grew stronger as the game wore on, retiring Michigan's final 11 batters in order. She needed just seven pitches to set down the side in the seventh.

Michigan drops Alabama 6-1 at WCWS

Thu, 28 May 2009 20:48:00 +0000

Amanda Chidester homered and Teddi Ewing had three hits and two RBIs as Michigan won in its first game at the World Series since claiming the title in 2005. The Wolverines (47-10) took an early lead by capitalizing on some wild pitching by Kelsi Dunne, who last week became the first pitcher to throw back-to-back no-hitters in the NCAA tournament. Dunne (28-4) hit one batter with a pitch and walked two others to force in a run in the second inning. Chidester then hit her eighth home run in the third, and Ewing's first of two RBI singles pushed the lead to 3-0 in the fourth. "I have great respect for their lineup. They have great hitters one through nine," Dunne said after allowing the last two hitters in Michigan's lineup to go 5-for-6. "Ultimately, you can't give them free passes, and I was doing that a little too much tonight." Fifth-seeded Michigan then added three more runs in the sixth as the Crimson Tide (52-10) misplayed bunts on consecutive plays. Nikki Nemitz (28-5) threw a three-hitter and lost her bid for a shutout on Whitney Larsen's RBI double with Alabama down to its last out. Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

Weil garners All-American honors

Thu, 28 May 2009 11:00:00 +0000

IOWA CITY – University of Iowa senior pitcher Brittany Weil has been named a second team all-America today by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA). Weil is the 16th Iowa softball student-athlete to be named all-America, and earns the 27th all-America honor in school history. Weil had an outstanding senior season, breaking seven school records and tying one more. The Garden Grove, CA, native also tossed five no-hitters, including a perfect game. Weil became the first Hawkeye to be named NFCA National Player of the Week, and was also named Big Ten Player of the Week four times. She reached the 1,000 strikeout plateau as a senior, becoming just the eighth player in Big Ten history to reach that milestone. Earlier this season, Weil was named both first team all-Big Ten and first team NFCA all-Midwest Region. She was also chosen as the team's Most Valuable Player, earning that award in each of her four seasons at Iowa. For the season, Weil went 26-12 with a 1.10 earned run average. She struck out 339 batters to just 55 walks, and tossed 26 complete games with 14 shutouts. Weil is the first Hawkeye all-American since Lisa Birocci was named to the third team in 2005. Weil is also the fifth pitcher in Iowa school history to earn all-American honors (Lisa Birocci, Debbie Bilbao, Kristi Hanks and Karen Jackson).

Illini infielder earns All-American honors

Wed, 27 May 2009 16:15:00 +0000

URBANA, Ill. - Sophomore second baseman Danielle Zymkowitz was named an All-American by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, as announced by the organization on Wednesday. Zymkowitz earned third-team honors at second base, becoming the program's second All-American along with former Illini first baseman Jenna Hall, who earned first-team accolades in 2006. A first-team All-Big Ten selection, Zymkowitz has been among the nation's elite performers this season, ranking 15th in runs scored per game with a 1.04 average. The West Hills, Calif., native finished tied atop the Big Ten with 48 runs, while her .401 batting average and 63 hits ranked second. Zymkowitz also left her mark on Illinois' record book, as her .401 average and .484 on-base percentage rank third in single-season history. She finished the season with 20 stolen bases, fourth-most in history, and a .952 stolen base percentage, good for second. The second baseman started the season on fire and rarely let up, opening 2009 with a hit in 15-straight games, the second-longest streak in Illinois history. As the table-setter for the Illini, Zymkowitz reached base in 42 of 46 contests. She was the first player to hit a home run off the No. 1-ranked Florida pitching staff this season and also earned the program's first USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Week Award after batting .900 while slugging 1.500 in a three-game stretch that included a sweep of Penn State. In addition to getting the job done with her bat, Zymkowitz was one of the most defensively sound second baseman in the league, committing just three errors during the season for a .984 fielding percentage. Zymkowitz was one of the key reasons why the Orange and Blue made its first NCAA Championship appearance since 2004. Against Illinois' 12 opponents that qualified for the postseason tournament, the sophomore hit .357, including 10 RBIs and 16 runs, with a .486 on-base percentage and .482 slugging percentage. For the full list of NFCA All-Americans, visit http://www.nfca.org/news/?id=3207

Michigan advances to Women's College World Series

Sat, 23 May 2009 19:24:00 +0000

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Rallying back from an early deficit, the No. 7-ranked University of Michigan softball team claimed a decisive 7-1 victory over Baylor in game two of the NCAA Super Regional on Saturday afternoon (May 23) at the Wilpon Softball Complex, home of Alumni Field. The victory earned Michigan the series sweep and a trip to the 2009 Women's College World Series. Sophomore RHP Jordan Taylor (Valencia, Calif./Valencia HS) tossed a gem from the pitching circle, allowing one run off five hits while striking out 13 Baylor batters -- her sixth double-digit strikeout performance in as many starts. The Wolverine hurler, who improved to 19-5 on the season, dominated the late innings, striking out six straight between the fourth and sixth innings and set down the side in the latter two. Junior rightfielder Angela Findlay (Lockport, Ill./Lockport East HS) propelled the Wolverines at the plate, going 2-for-5 with two doubles, three runs batted in and a pair of runs scored. Junior catcher Roya St. Clair (Livonia, Mich./Stevenson HS) and junior designated player Nikki Nemitz (St. Clair Shores, Mich./Regina HS) drove in a pair of runs apiece, while senior shortstop Teddi Ewing (Olathe, Kan./East HS) -- in her final appearance at Alumni Field -- recorded her third multi-hit effort of the season with a 2-for-4 day. The Bears went long to claim the game's initial advantage. With one down in the home half of the second, catcher Courtney Oberg connected on the first pitch she saw and sailed it high over the leftfield fence. Freshman leftfielder Amanda Chidester (Allen Park, Mich./Cabrini HS) and freshman centerfielder Bree Evans (Bloomington, Calif./Rialto HS) converged on the ball to make a leap for it, but neither could get a glove on the ball. Michigan's deafening rebuttal came immediately as the Wolverines scored seven runs during the third and fourth frames to jump to a six-run advantage, 7-1. All nine U-M hitters reached the plate in the former inning, using five hits and an error to push four runs across. Ewing and Evans reached on a grounder up the middle and a throwing error, respectively, to open the inning and put some speed on the corners for the Maize and Blue. Following suit, Findlay roped a first-pitch double to left center to drive in Ewing, and St. Clair responded with an RBI double of her own two batters later, driving a deep fly ball to the track in leftfield. Nemitz then laced another double up the middle, bringing home St. Clair and Findlay to grant Michigan the upper hand, 4-1. Ewing kicked off another explosive turn at the plate for the Wolverines in the fourth, emerging from an extended at bat, which featured five foul tips, with a looper into leftfield. Evans slapped a double over the head of Baylor shortstop Bree Hanafin, and Findlay responded in kind, glancing a first-pitch liner off Hanafin's glove to drive home both baserunners. The U-M captain advanced on a wild pitch, placing her just 60 feet from home plate, and the Wolverines capitalized as St. Clair laid down a perfectly-executed suicide squeeze, allowing Findlay to race home and slide past the tag to cap the contest's scoring. Baylor threatened in the home half of the fourth, putting two on base with no outs after a leadoff walk and subsequent liner to left centerfield. Taylor and the Wolverines got out of the jam quickly, using a strike 'em out, throw 'em out double play to get the lead runner at third before striking out Baylor pinch hitter Sydney Wilson on five pitches. Taylor needed just 11 pitches to strike out the side in the fifth inning and, after allowing a pair of Baylor baserunners with one out in the sixth, earned back-to-back Ks to get out of the jam. Baylor put one more runner on base with two down in the seventh -- on a double to right center -- but U-M fielded an easy groundout to second base to extend its postseason. Michigan opens play at the Women's College World Series against No. 4 seed Alabama (52-9) on Thursday (May 28) at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Okla. Specific games times will be announced upon the conclusion of NCAA Super Regional play tomorrow (Sunday, May 24).

Northwestern shortstop to try for pro softball career

Rodger Sherman — Sat, 23 May 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Tammy Williams is leaving Northwestern in the same way slugger Garland Cooper did two years ago: with pretty much every hitting record in the NU record book. During the past two years, Williams has taken more than the top spot on six career lists from Cooper. Before last season, the two talked, and decided Williams should switch her walkup music from AC/DC's "Back in Black" to "O Fortuna," an overly dramatic vocal snippet of a Carl Orff operatic work, which has been injected into pop culture by Gatorade commercials. "Garland is an incredible person, and somebody I learned a lot from," Williams said. "So every time I batted, it was like a little bit of her. I just hope that a few years down the line, somebody takes that song from me." For four years, Williams was the face of NU softball. Now her record-breaking college career is over. Williams will not be increasing her lead for most career home runs, hits, runs, total bases, highest batting average or slugging percentage in NU's record book. She will not be returning next year for a run at her third straight Big Ten player of the year award. But Williams did not stay away from the Wildcats' batting cages even after their early exit from the NCAA Tournament. "I'm not done with my softball career," Williams said. "I'm trying to get back into a little bit better shape now that the season is over and get back into it." After a pair of NCAA tournament losses last weekend against Texas State and Louisiana-Lafayette, her senior season ended. Now, she is in the middle of her transition into professional softball. Williams was drafted by the Chicago Bandits in the second round of the National Pro Fastpitch draft in February, and will begin playing games for them in less than two weeks, when their season begins on June 3. Today, she will make her first public appearance with the team at a Chicago White Sox game. But to her, she still feels more like a Wildcat than a Bandit. "It hasn't really hit yet," Williams said. "I don't think it will hit me until I don't show up in September to train with my team. But regardless of what team we're on, we're still a family." The Cats' family will lose one of their most valuable members in Williams. The list of her accomplishments is striking. She holds the Cats records with her 57 homers and .419 batting average. She is second all-time in doubles, on-base percentage, and RBIs, and appears on the school's top-10 list for steals and walks. She helped lead the Cats to back-to-back appearances at the Women's College World Series in 2006 and 2007. Williams is one of only six hitters in NCAA history to have more runs scored (235) than games played (232). She has nearly five times as many total bases (540) as there are residents of her hometown of Roscoe, Mo. (112). She has started every game at shortstop all four years since she arrived at NU. Needless to say, there's a bit of a hole to fill. "We don't try to replace players," coach Kate Drohan said. "We celebrate players, and the mark they made on the program. And the mark she made is that she's a ballplayer." Williams came into NU as a high school pitcher, never having played shortstop before. Four years later, she's one of the best in NCAA history. Now she's gunning for a spot on a pro team and the USA national team. "My guide for life is go for it," Williams said. "See what can happen. See what you can do. And coming to NU allowed me to do that." (C) 2008 Daily Northwestern via UWIRE Copyright 2009 Daily Northwestern via U-Wire

Buckeyes' season comes to an end after 7-6 loss to Georgia

Fri, 22 May 2009 19:50:00 +0000

ATHENS, Ga. – In a scene all too familiar to a night ago, Courtney Pruner powered the offense for the 11th-seeded Ohio State softball team that gave it an early lead against sixth-seeded Georgia – one that would be overcome by the Bulldogs with six unanswered runs for the 7-6 win in the best-of-three NCAA Super Regional series at UGA Softball Stadium. The Buckeyes end their season with a 47-11 record, the second-most wins in program history, while Georgia advances to the Women's College World Series for the first time in its history with a 48-10 mark. ""I take my hat off to Georgia on a well-played two games and a successful season,"" head coach Linda Kalafatis said. ""One day, a given pitch can be a strike and on another, the other team can hit everything out of it. The latter happened today ... I could not be more proud of this team, however, and everything it has accomplished this season. Kim Reeder ends her career as the most successful pitcher in program history and, along with Cortney Cannon, as the senior class with the most wins in their career."" Pruner hit a grand slam, the first of her career, in the bottom of the first inning to give Ohio State a 4-1 lead. The junior from Akron, Ohio, who had a three-run homer vs. Georgia Thursday, now has 12 on the season and 26 for her career, moving to within three of taking over the No. 3 spot on the Buckeye career chart. Reeder pitched herself into a jam in the top of the first inning, loading the bases with two walks and a hit batter to the first three Bulldogs in the order. A RBI single by Brianna Hesson then plated the lead runner and kept the bases full, but Reeder forced Georgia into a pair of pop outs and a ground out to end the inning. As the designated home team, the early one-run deficit was quickly erased in the bottom half of the frame, however, as the Buckeyes loaded their own set of bases with a single from Dee Dee Hillman and two walks. With two outs, Pruner inherited the full slate and went down in the count 1-2 before launching a hard shot to left center for Ohio State's third grand slam of the season and a lead it would hold on to until the top of the sixth. Reeder returned to the circle in the top of the second and was lights-out, striking out the side and held on to shut the Bulldogs out again in the third, despite giving up a walk and a fielder's choice. The Buckeyes provided more run support in the third, putting two on the board to stretch the lead to 6-1. Tory Haddad belted a single to the left center field wall that plated Alicia Herron after the freshman shortstop reached on a walk to open the inning. Pruner followed with her second run of the game, scoring on an RBI double from Rachael Shepherd to secure the five-run lead heading into the fourth. Georgia started its comeback in the fourth with an RBI single that plated one, closing the score to 6-2. That margin stood until the sixth when the Bulldogs exploded for five runs on five hits to take over the lead. Tori Moody hit a leadoff homer to center, igniting a three-hit rally that ended with a three-run shot to right by Taylor Schlopy to tie the ballgame with one out. Alisa Goler, who made two round-trips in game one Thursday, was intentionally walked and would go on to score on a double to left to give Georgia the lead after 5.5 innings of play. The Buckeyes went down in order in the bottom of the sixth, but put runners on first and second in their half of the seventh, before falling victim to three-consecutive outs to end the game and season with the 7-6 score. Stay tuned to OhioStateBuckeyes.com in the weeks to come for a recap of this history-making and record-breaking season. The 2009 squad broke countless team and individual career and season records in its run to the first-ever NCAA Super Regional appearance in program history.

Michigan beats Baylor 8-1

Fri, 22 May 2009 23:02:00 +0000

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Sophomore first baseman Dorian Shaw (Burke, Va./Robinson SS) knocked out three home runs, tying a program single-game record, to lead the No. 7-ranked University of Michigan softball team to a dominant 8-1 victory over Baylor in game one of the NCAA Super Regional on Friday evening (May 22) in front of 1,255 fans at the Wilpon Softball Complex, home of Alumni Field. Shaw's home runs, coming off of three different Baylor pitchers, mark her second multi-homer effort in NCAA Tournament play this season; she knocked out a pair in back-to-back plate appearances against Miami last Saturday (May 16). The first baseman's five dingers and 10 runs batted in during postseason play currently lead all U-M batters. Freshman leftfielder Bree Evans (Bloomington, Calif./Rialto HS) remained hot at the plate, recording a 3-for-4 offensive effort for the second consecutive game, while junior LHP Nikki Nemitz (St. Clair Shores, Mich./Regina HS) went 2-for-4 from the plate for her third multi-hit game in postseason play. Nemitz also earned the complete-game win, striking out eight and allowing one run. The Wolverines struck quickly, manufacturing runs in each of the opening three innings to build an early 3-0 cushion. U-M used small ball to claim the first tally, stringing together a pair of hits and a sacrifice fly to claim the opening advantage. Evans reached on the contest's first pitch, slapping an infield single that stuck just a few feet down the third baseline. The Wolverine rookie advanced to third base on a rope to right center by junior rightfielder Angela Findlay (Lockport, Ill./Lockport East HS) before freshman designated player Amanda Chidester's (Allen Park, Mich./Cabrini HS) deep fly ball allowed Evans to tap the dish. Shaw picked up her first of three long balls with one down in the second, catching just a piece of the 2-2 pitch off the end of her bat to sail it deep over the leftfield fence. The Wolverine first baseman earned another RBI in the subsequent when -- just a pitch after clanging a towering foul ball off the U-M Indoor Track Building -- she accepted a full-count, bases-loaded walk to up Michigan's lead to three. The Bears collected their first base hit of the game in the third inning as second baseman Meagan Weldon drove a liner just fair down the leftfield line, but the Wolverines responded by turning their second double play in NCAA Tournament action. Freshman second baseman Stephanie Kirkpatrick (Plainfield, Ill./Central HS) fielded the grounder off the bat of designated player Jordan Vannatta and tagged out Weldon on the basepath before throwing out the Baylor batter at first. Baylor got on the board in the fourth with back-to-back hits to lead off the inning -- leftfielder Tiffany Wesley's ground-rule double and shortstop Bree Hanafin's subsequent RBI rope to rightfield. Nemitz retired the next three Baylor hitters in order with a pair of strikeouts, including an inning-ending, full-count ring up, and did not allow another hit the rest of the way. The Wolverines tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the fifth, widening the gap to four runs, 5-1. Shaw's power victimized the Baylor pitching staff again as she blasted a full-count delivery into the bleachers in right center to drive in Nemitz. Closing out the contest, U-M boosted the lead to seven runs, 8-1, with an additional three runs off two homers in the team's final turn at the plate. Junior third baseman Maggie Viefhaus (Eureka, Mo./Eureka HS) led off the inning with a long ball deep to right center, and Shaw blasted her third home run of the slate over the centerfield wall with a runner on to bring in the game's final two tallies. Nemitz sealed the victory in the top of the seventh with a 1-2-3 finish, freezing the final batter to record her eighth strikeout. Michigan hosts Baylor again tomorrow afternoon (Saturday, May 23) at 2:30 p.m. at the Wilpon Softball Complex, home of Alumni Field. With a 1-0 series lead, a Wolverine victory would send the squad to the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City, Okla., for the first time since claiming the national championship in 2005, while a Bears win would force a third game that would begin shortly after the completion of game two.

No. 11 Ohio State drops 6-4 decision to No. 6 Georgia in NCAA Super Regional game one

Thu, 21 May 2009 21:31:00 +0000

ATHENS, Ga. – Courtney Pruner hit a three-run homerun in the top of the third inning that gave the No. 11-seeded Ohio State softball team a four-run lead, but sixth-seeded Georgia scored six unanswered runs to give the Buckeyes a 6-4 loss in the NCAA Super Regional Thursday night at UGA Softball Stadium. This was the Buckeyes' first game in program history in the Super Regional round as they drop to 47-10 on the season and 3-1 in the NCAA Tournament. Georgia improves to 43-11 overall and 4-0 in the tourney. "This is certainly frustrating, but the future is under our control" head coach Linda Kalafatis said. "We made some mistakes in the field tonight and had some missed calls, but recognizing your mistakes is the first step to correcting them. I think we are confident in our ability to correct those mistakes before tomorrow and force a third game. The Big Ten schedule and the number of the doubleheaders that we have played this season has prepared us mentally and physically for the test that lays ahead tomorrow." Alisa Goler homered twice for Georgia, putting up a pair of solo shots to lead the comeback effort and marking just the third time this season the Buckeyes have given up two opponent homeruns in a single game. Pruner's blast was her 11th of the season and the sixth for the Buckeyes this postseason. The team now has 67 on the year, a mark that continues to exceed the previous record of 54 set during the 2002 season. Lindsay Bodeker absorbed the loss, dropping her record to 16-5 after she relieved starter Kim Reeder in the fifth inning. Reeder pitched four complete innings before giving up three runs in the fifth and making way for Bodeker who allowed the final four, earning three. An untimely mistake by the Bulldogs gave Ohio State the early lead in the top of the first. Three-consecutive walks by starting pitcher Christie Hamilton loaded the bases for the Buckeyes and caused the hurler to get pulled with just one out in favor of Sarah McCloud, who pitched Whitney Cooper to a 2-2 count before an illegal pitch set things in motion. By stepping outside of the pitching box, McCloud gave all Buckeye runners a base and Vanessa Spears returned home for the score. They went on to stretch the lead to four in the top of the third with Pruner's blast. Sam Marder was intentionally walked before giving way to Katie Simonton as a pinch runner and the speedy freshman advanced to second on a passed ball. Cooper took the open base with a single to third base, advancing Simonton to third and putting runners on the corner for Pruner, who took the 0-1 pitch and sent it high over the right field wall, clearing the row of evergreens in the distance. Georgia cut the score the 4-1 with a solo homerun in the fifth by Goler, just the eighth given up by Reeder this season, and ignited a five-run rally in the inning that put the Bulldogs on top 5-4. After a single and a RBI double from Brianna Hesson that made the score 4-2, Reeder gave way to Bodeker with zero outs in the fifth. With an inherited runner on second, Bodeker gave up two more hits in the inning that, combined with an error in the Buckeye infield, led to three more runs, one credited to Reeder and one of the remaining two earned by Bodeker. Trailing 5-4, the Buckeyes went down in order in the top of the sixth and went on to give up a sixth and final run in the bottom half of the inning with a solo homer to Goler to right center to lead off the inning. Bodeker forced three ground outs from the next four batters to end the inning, but the Ohio State was unable to put anything in play, going down in three in the seventh. The Buckeyes and Bulldogs take the field at 4:30 p.m. Friday in game two of the series LIVE on ESPN. If Ohio State wins, it will force a third contest in the best-of-three series, set to be played at 7:05 p.m. or 20 minutes following the conclusion of game two. The winner of the Super Regional advances to the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City, Okla., beginning May 27. Neither team has ever made a trip to the WCWS.

Michigan tops ND, takes 6th straight regional crown

Sun, 17 May 2009 15:55:00 +0000

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- For the second time in as many days, the No. 7-ranked University of Michigan softball team exploded in the late innings against 25th-ranked Notre Dame, clinching its sixth consecutive NCAA Regional crown with a 4-0 victory on Sunday (May 17) in front of 1,344 fans at the Wilpon Softball Complex, home of Alumni Field. The Wolverines (44-10) will host either Baylor or Louisiana Lafayette, who are meeting this afternoon in the Wace Regional championship game, in a best-of-three NCAA Super Regional. Due to television scheduling, specific dates and dates will be announced either tonight or tomorrow morning by the NCAA. The Wolverines broke open the scoreless tie in the top of the sixth, using a pair of hits to gain the only advantage they needed. Starting the inning at the top of the order, freshman outfielder Bree Evans (Bloomington, Calif./Rialto HS), who highlighted U-M's offense with a 3-for-4 effort from the plate, roped a single down the leftfield line. The Wolverine rookie advanced on a sacrifice bunt and subsequent groundout before coming home for the go-ahead run on junior catcher Roya St. Clair's (Livonia, Mich./Stevenson HS) chipped liner into shallow rightfield. Junior LHP Nikki Nemitz (St. Clair Shores, Mich./Regina HS) kicked off a three-run seventh for the Wolverines, taking the inning's second pitch and ringing it off the rightfield foul post for her eighth home run of the season and U-M's fifth of the regional competition. Two outs later, senior shortstop Teddi Ewing (Olathe, Kan./East HS) reached on a looper to shallow left and, after stealing second, raced home when Evans took the 0-2 pitch deep to the warning track in centerfield for an RBI double. The Wolverine rookie scored herself in the next at-bat, beating out the throw to home plate after junior rightfielder Angela Findlay's (Lockport, Ill./East HS) liner into shallow left. Nemitz earned the victory from the circle -- her 14th in a row -- with a four-strikeout, three-hit performance through 5.1 innings. Sophomore RHP Jordan Taylor (Valencia, Calif./Valencia HS) entered the game with one out and one on in the sixth, allowing two hits and a walk while fanning five of the eight batters she faced for her second save of the weekend and fourth of the season. Infield defense ruled the game's early innings as Michigan grounded out in six straight at-bats between the second and fourth frames before turning a spectacular double play in the bottom half of the latter. With the U-M infield playing in and an Irish baserunner on first after a leadoff liner into centerfield, sophomore first baseman Dorian Shaw (Burke, Va./Robinson SS) fielded a bunt cleanly off the hop and turned to earn the force out at second. Ewing fired the ball back to first base, where freshman second baseman Stephanie Kirkpatrick (Plainfield, Ill./Central HS) completed the play to get the batter. After recording just two hits through the opening four frames, the Irish put baserunners in scoring position to threaten in each of the final three innings. Notre Dame rightfielder Dani Miller led off the fifth inning -- still scoreless at that point -- with a rocket to deep centerfield that smacked off the top of the fence for a standup double. Miller moved to third on a subsequent sac bunt, putting the go-ahead just 60 feet away with one out, but Evans kept her at bay in the next at-bat corralling a shallow fly ball and quickly firing it home to hold the Irish runner on third. Nemitz got herself out of the jam with a four-pitch strikeout to end the inning. Notre Dame used a pair of walks and a base hit to load the bases with two outs in the sixth. Taylor entered the game after the first walk, earning a quick strikeout before putting two more on base with the single to center and walk before, just like Nemitz in the previous frame, removed herself from the jam with a strikeout on four pitches. The Wolverine hurler added three more strikeouts in the seventh, allowing one runner to reach on a wild pitch and another on a base hit. With two runners on, Irish designated player Beth Northway grounded out to shortstop to wrap the game.

Arizona ends Purdue's milestone season

Sun, 17 May 2009 16:11:00 +0000

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Boilermaker softball team came up on the short end of a 4-2 score to No. 6 Arizona to wrap up the 2009 season and the team's bid for a NCAA Super Regional berth. Senior Dana Alcocer struck out five and allowed just seven hits to one of the best hitting team's in the nation, but the Purdue offense tallied just two runs on two hits in the losing effort. "Unfortunately, our season has come to an end," head coach Kim Maher said. "Arizona is a great opponent and we knew that we would be up for a challenge. Dana did a great job in the circle, but we could not produce enough runs. Our seniors should be proud of what they have accomplished. They took our program to the next level. I will miss the seniors, but I am excited about our future." The Boilermakers scored two runs on two hits and two Wildcat miscues, while Arizona managed four runs on seven hits and a Purdue error. Seniors Katie Mitchell and Christina Trauger accounted for the two Purdue hits. Sarah Akamine (22-6) struck out six in the complete-game victory, while Alcocer issued five Ks and allowed just one earned run in the complete-game effort to wrap up her Boilermaker career. Arizona put two on in the opening stanza with a two-out walk and a single, but a fly ball to center field stranded both. The Wildcats managed to base runners again in the third, but a pair of fielder's choice plays and a fly ball to left kept the shutout intact. Arizona got on the board in the fourth as a bases-loaded walk accounted for the first run of the game. A two-out bunt single, a hit batsman and a walk filled the basepaths with Wildcats. The Boilermakers thought they had escaped the inning with a ground ball to first base, but the field umpire ruled that the ball bounced off the batter before rolling up the line. The at-bat continued and a full-count pitch just missed, allowing the RBI walk. A high pop up to the pitcher ended the stanza without further damage. Purdue answered with a run on two errors in the bottom of the inning. Freshman Molly Garst reached on a fielding error by the shortstop. All hands were safe on a fielder's choice play, which put senior Candace Curtis aboard. Mitchell reached on a fielding error by the third base. Garst scored from second as the ball went under the third baseman's glove and into left field. A strikeout kept the Boilermakers from taking the lead. A three-run shot by Lauren Schutzler gave the Wildcats a 4-1 lead in the fifth. A fielding error and a fielder's choice accounted for the base runners. The trio of unearned runs came as Schutzler bounced the first pitch she saw off the top of the right field fence. The Boilermakers tallied their first hit of the day as Trauger led off the bottom of the fifth with a single to left center. She was sacrificed to second, but left stranded by a grounder to the shortstop. Arizona posted two hits in the sixth, but to no avail. Purdue pulled within two on an RBI double by Mitchell in the sixth. The one-out two-bagger brought home Curtis, who made it around from first, after walking the previous play. A pair of grounders to the shortstop kept Mitchell from scoring. The Boilermakers went down in order on a strikeout and a pair of grounders to the pitcher to end the upset bid. The game marked the final contest for seven Boilermaker seniors: Alcocer, Curtis, pitcher Ashley DiDomenico, Mitchell, second baseman Kelly Miller, catcher Alicia Spack and Trauger. Purdue wraps up the season at 31-20 including five wins over ranked opponents. The team posted its best conference mark (12-8) since 1997, and garnered two postseason victories, a program first.

La.-Lafayette holds on, eliminates Northwestern

Sun, 17 May 2009 11:55:00 +0000

WACO, Texas -- No. 13 Northwestern fought back several times in the final innings late Saturday night at the Waco Regional, but in the end bowed out of the 2009 NCAA Regional with a 3-2 loss to Louisiana-Lafayette. Northwestern finishes the season with 31-15 overall record. Weather delays pushed the Waco Regional schedule back, with the first game beginning at 8 p.m. and the first pitch of NU's game not coming until 10:36 p.m. CT. Louisiana put the game's first run on the board in the bottom of the first. A bases-loaded grounder to short was brought home by Tammy Williams (Roscoe, Mo./Osceola) to catcher Erin Dyer (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport), who stretched out beautifully for it but the runner was called safe to give the Cajuns the early 1-0 advantage. A wild pitch with runners at second and third in the second frame brought another ULL runner home to make it 2-0. The Cajuns put two runners on with one out in the bottom of the third on a single and a walk, then NU starter Lauren Delaney (Jefferson City, Mo./Helias) got a nice double play to finish the frame. The batter at the plate hit a soft liner to the left side of the circle and Williams charged in from short to glove it just above the dirt before firing to first to double up the runner and end the inning. Northwestern mounted its first rally of the game to kick off the fourth inning. Sophomore Robin Thompson (Detroit, Mich./Martin Luther King) reached on an error on a bunt to begin the inning, motoring around to third when Williams singled deep into the hole in short and the ball bounded away in foul territory. Freshman Adrienne Monka (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga) then lifted a Texas-leaguer into center that the second baseman could not find over her shoulder, falling for a single and driving in Thompson. Aly Euler (River Forest, Ill./Oak Park River Forest) entered to run for Monka at first. Michelle Batts (Bloomingdale, Ill./Glenbard North) successfully sacrificed both runners up a base, but the inning ended there with NU trailing, 2-1. The Cajuns got that run back with a one-out sacrifice fly to left in the bottom of the fourth before the Wildcats fought back again in the fifth. Kelly Quinn (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North) drew a one-out walk, then moved to third with two outs when the throw on a Thompson infield single got away at first. Williams followed with a line-shot single through the left side to plate Quinn and again make NU's deficit one, 3-2, before the frame finished. Delaney came out and blew away the Cajuns in the bottom of the fifth, needing just eight pitches to retire the side in order. Erin Dyer worked a two-out full count in the top of the sixth before looping a single into center to keep the inning going. Senior Ashley Lafever (Bettendorf, Iowa/Pleasant Valley) entered to run for Dyer, whose sister, Kelly Dyer (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport), hit a wicked hard comebacker that the pitcher was able to reach out and stab to prevent it from getting into center to end the inning. Delaney again set the side down in order in the bottom of the sixth, with the third out coming on a vintage Williams play in the hole at short to nail a speedy slapper at first. Pinch hitter Emily Haug (Jefferson City, Mo./Helias) led off the top of the seventh with a full-count walk, giving way to Quinn at first when she re-entered the game to run. An unsuccessful sacrifice attempt erased Quinn at second and put Jordan Wheeler (Garden Grove, Calif./Los Alamitos) at first. With Thompson at the plate, a ball got away from the catcher to move Wheeler to second. Thompson then grounded out to short, moving Wheeler to third with two outs. Williams worked a full-count walk to put runners at the corners, but the inning would end there. Delaney fired a one-hitter with four strikeouts but took the loss to finish the year at 29-12. Williams was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk in her final game, while Thompson also had a pair of hits. The game marked the conclusion of the storied careers of seniors Erin Dyer, Williams, Lafever and Jessica Rigas (River Forest, Ill./Oak Park River Forest).

Boston jumps ahead early, eliminates Iowa

Sat, 16 May 2009 23:08:00 +0000

ATLANTA, Ga. - The University of Iowa softball team ended its 2009 season with a 3-1 loss to Boston in the Atlanta Regional of the NCAA Tournament. The Hawkeyes end their season with a 42-16 overall record. "We had our chances tonight, but just couldn't get it done," Head Coach Gayle Blevins said. "I was really proud of how our team fought the entire game, especially in that last inning. We could have just quit, but we didn't. We kept fighting until the end of the game. We had some situations where things just didn't go our way, and it's a tough way to end the season. I am very proud of our effort tonight." Boston took a 1-0 lead in the second inning, when Brooke Hudson hit just her third home run of the season. With two outs in the frame, Hudson took the first of her at-bat and took it over the left field fence. The Terriers increased their lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the sixth inning. Back-to-back singles started the sixth inning for Boston. Later, with one out, both baserunners moved up a bag on a double-steal. The Terriers then attempted a squeeze, but the throw home from the Hawkeye infield sailed to the backstop, allowing both runners to score. The Hawkeyes didn't go away without a fight, mounting a small comeback in the seventh. Two Iowa freshmen, Liz Watkins and Missy Mazur, delivered big hits to start the rally. Watkins roped a single to start the inning to the center field fence, and Mazur followed one batter later with a double to the same spot. Senior Erin Riemersma drove in Iowa's only run of the NCAA Tournament with a sharp line drive off the Boston third baseman's glove, which rolled into left field. Iowa couldn't score any more runs, however, as Boston eliminated the Hawkeyes from the Atlanta Regional. Freshman Missy Mazur had a big night in her first NCAA Tournament start, going 2-for-3. Senior Brittany Weil wrapped up her stellar Hawkeye career with a tough loss, throwing five innings. She allowed two earned runs on five hits with seven strikeouts. The Garden Grove, CA, native finishes her career as one of the most decorated pitchers to ever wear a Hawkeye uniform. She holds school records for career strikeouts (1,084), single-season strikeouts (340), career games pitched (183) and career complete games (110). She is also tied for the most wins in school history with 99.

Purdue advances with revenge win over L'ville

Sat, 16 May 2009 19:16:00 +0000

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Senior Dana Alcocer was a steady presence in the circle and her offense supplied five runs on seven hits as the Boilermakers toppled No. 19 Louisville 5-4 Saturday afternoon to advance to Sunday's championship game with No. 6 Arizona. Purdue will face the Wildcats at 2 p.m. If the Boilermakers should win in that contest, the teams would battle again at 4 p.m. for a Super Regional berth. Purdue scored its five runs on nine hits and two errors, including two hit efforts by junior Liane Horiuchi, senior Candace Curtis and sophomore Suzie Rzegocki. For its part, Louisville managed four runs on four hits. Alcocer (5-7) struck out five in the complete-game victory, while Kristen Wadwell was saddled with the loss after allowing four runs in two innings of work. "We knew we had that Louisville was a good hitting team and that we were going to have to score runs to support our pitcher," head coach Kim Maher said. "We came out relaxed and loose on offense and Dana did a great job in the circle. She went into the seventh inning with a 5-4 lead and the weight of the world on her shoulders, but she found a way to get it done. I am excited for our players to have the opportunity to continue on in regional play. We look forward to tomorrow's game against Arizona and a great opportunity for a huge upset." After scoring just one run against the Cardinals on Friday, the Boilermakers hung a three-spot on UofL in the first inning on Saturday. Junior Liane Horiuchi reached on a fielding error by the second baseman to start the bottom of the inning. She then stole second and went to third on single to second base by freshman Molly Garst. Garst swiped second to put two in scoring position for senior Candace Curtis, who delivered on the RBI opportunity with a two-run single to right. Curtis went to second on the throw home, then scored as junior Jenna Alexander lasered a single up the left field line. A sacrifice moved Alexander to second, but the Boilermakers could not capitalize further. Purdue tacked on another run on a hit in the second. Horiuchi was hit by a pitch with two outs and stole second. Garst followed with a walk. Curtis again provided the scoring power with a single to right center. A pop up eventually ended the stanza. The Boilermakers missed out on a scoring chance in the third, stranding runners at second and third. A fielder's choice and a single put senior Christina Trauger and sophomore Suzie Rzegocki on. A ground ball to third moved both up a base, but a strikeout left both on base. After shutting down the Cardinals in order in each of the first three innings, Alcocer walked two and allowed a hit to fill the basepaths in the fourth. Louisville made good on the two-out scoring opportunity as Colby Wherry singled through the left side to plate two runs. A ground ball to third base got Purdue out of the inning without further damage. Horiuchi got one run back with a leadoff home run to left in the bottom of the fourth. The Cardinals cut the Purdue lead to one with a Chelsea Bemis two-out single in the fifth. The hit to left field brought home Melissa Roth and Patrika Barlow from second and third. Barlow walked to lead off the inning and Roth followed with a single and stolen base. UofL drew a walk after the Bemis hit, but a grounder back to the pitcher kept the Purdue on top. Miller and Horiuchi laid down bunt singles to start the sixth. A strikeout accounted for the first out of the inning. The next batter lined into a double play to nullify the scoring threat. The Cardinals went down in order on a pop up and two looking strikeouts to seal the Purdue victory. The Boilermakers (31-19) return to action at 2 p.m. ET Sunday, when they take on No. 6 Arizona. The game will be broadcast live on purduesports.com and on WSHY 1410 AM. Live statistics will be available on purduesports.com via the GameTracker feature.

No. 11 OSU advances to first Super Regional

Sat, 16 May 2009 16:08:00 +0000

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 11-ranked and seeded Ohio State softball team advanced to the Super Regional for the first time in six trips to the NCAA Tournament after taking down Kentucky, 7-2, Saturday afternoon at New Buckeye Field in the regional round of competition. Four players – Alicia Herron, Sam Marder, Courtney Pruner and Vanessa Spears – each hit a home run in the win, while Kim Reeder took over the top spot among all-time winningest Buckeye pitchers on both the career and season charts. Ohio State stands at 47-9 with second-most wins in school history, trailing the 2002 team by eight (55), and will take on Georgia in the Super Regional beginning Thursday after the Bulldogs captured the Chapel Hill Regional with three-consecutive wins. The site for the meeting between the Bulldogs and Buckeyes will officially be announced by the NCAA later this weekend. "I cannot say enough about how our kids have fought, persevered and worked through tough stuff," head coach Linda Kalafatis said. "We knew we had the ingredients. We knew we had some kids that really, really wanted this badly. Our leadership has been excellent and we feel like we are a veteran team. Even our young kids; they have mixed in well. We felt like if we stayed on the right path [this season], then we would do it." Ohio State, playing as the designated visitor's, started things off early with a 1-0 lead off of a solo home run from Spears in the second at-bat of the game. The Buckeyes added a run to their lead in the top of the second inning with back-to-back singles before Dee Dee Hillman brought in a run from second with a double into left center for the 2-0 advantage. In a wild second inning Kentucky plated two to tie the ballgame, taking advantage of two errors by the Buckeyes. Brittany Cervantes led off the inning and went on to score the first run off a Rachel Riley single through the right side. Ohio State staved off another run when a Wildcat runner was called for interference during a run-down between third and home, but an error in the outfield allowed Jennifer Young to cross the plate and tie the game in the bottom of the second. With their backs against the wall, the Buckeyes fell back on what they have done best all season – hitting homers. Ohio State pulled away with a three-run fifth inning off the Marder and Pruner out-of-the-park hits to take a 5-2 lead. Hillman reached base on a throwing error by the Kentucky second baseman, advancing to second and then making her way to third on a ground out to Spears. Marder, the all-time leader in season and career homers, tallied the two-run blast for her 19th of the season before Pruner, just two batters later, hit a solo shot to left center. Ohio State added to its lead with the fourth home run of the game in the top of the seventh. After Hillman reached on an error the Buckeyes drove in two more runs on the round-tripper by Herron making the final margin of 7-2. Kentucky went down in order off three-consecutive ground-outs to close out the game, giving Reeder her 26th win of the year (26-5) and 77th of her four-year career (77-40) – both of which stand as new records for Ohio State.

Michigan downs ND, moves on to regional final

Sat, 16 May 2009 15:47:00 +0000

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 7-ranked University of Michigan softball team scored twice in the bottom of the seventh inning to complete a dramatic 2-1 come-from-behind victory over 25th-ranked Notre Dame in NCAA Regional action on Saturday at the Wilpon Softball Complex, home of Alumni Field. The Wolverines (43-10) will await their opponent for Sunday's (May 17) NCAA Regional championship game, slated for a 1 p.m. start at the Wilpon Complex. Freshman outfielder Bree Evans (Bloomington, Calif./Rialto HS) registered the game-winning hit with two outs and two on, sending a looper into shallow left. Neither the Irish leftfielder or shortstop could get to the ball in time as it dropped in for Evans' third base hit of the regional event and allowed junior pinch runner Kristin Larsen (Orion, Mich./Lake Orion HS) to race home from second base. Junior third baseman Maggie Viefhaus (Eureka, Mo./Eureka HS) knotted the score with one swing to lead off the frame. After taking a first-pitch called strike and fouling off a pair, the Wolverine junior found her pitch, driving it deep down the rightfield line for her ninth home run of the season. The Wolverines continued to apply the pressure, putting two runners on with no outs. Junior designated player Nikki Nemitz (St. Clair Shores, Mich./Regina HS) reached on a liner to left center before sophomore first baseman Dorian Shaw (Burke, Va./Robinson SS) was plunked by an inside pitch to earn first base. Notre Dame picked up a pair of quick outs on a popup and a strikeout, setting the stage for Evans' two-out single. Sophomore RHP Jordan Taylor (Valencia, Calif./Valencia HS) pitched a sterling complete-game effort from the circle, fanning 11 Irish batters -- her fifth straight double-digit strikeout -- while allowing three hits and no walks. The win improved Taylor's record to 18-5 on the season. The Wolverine hurler dominated the early innings, requiring just five pitches to wrap up the first before striking out the side in the second. While the Wolverines struggled at the plate, Notre Dame claimed the initial advantage in the fourth inning on a solo home run from third baseman Heather Johnson, who connected with the second pitch and drove it high over the centerfield fence. Taylor responded to the long ball by fanning back-to-back Irish batters to close the frame. She added two more strikeouts in the fifth and, after a leadoff single, struck out the side in the seventh to keep the potent Irish lineup at bay.