Courtesy of Michigan Athletics
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — The No. 3-seeded University of Michigan softball team used stingy pitching and a pair of long ball to knock off No. 5 Alabama, 5-0, in its opening game of the Women’s College World Series on Thursday evening (May 28) at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium.
Sophomore leftfielder Kelly Christner gave U-M an early advantage with a first-inning solo shot, and senior catcher Lauren Sweet added breathing room in the fourth, pounding out a her second grand slam of the season. The home runs accounted for two of the Wolverines’ four hits off Alabama All-American Alex Osorio. Junior second baseman Sierra Romero and junior rightfielder Kelsey Susalla also posted hits in the four-run fourth.
Sophomore RHP Megan Betsa (31-4) was superb from the circle, scattering four hits and a walk while fanning six Crimson Tide batters en route to her 11th complete-game shutout of the season.
Michigan struck early with Christner’s booming two-out, two-strike solo shot in the bottom of the first inning. In her first ever WCWS at-bat, the newly minted first team All-American connected with the 0-2 pitch — hung right over the plate — and lined deep over the wall in right centerfield, lodging it into the grandstand railing. It is her 21st home run of the season, tying Romero for the team lead.
Outside of Christner’s shot, Osorio struck out five of her first seven batters faced in the first and second innings, before U-M started making contact in the third and broke through in the fourth. Romero smacked a leadoff single into shallow centerfield to initiate the rally and after a Christner walk, Susalla rocketed one up the middle — forcing Romero to dance around the ball — to load the bases with no outs. Sweet, who struck out in her first at-bat, worked the count full from a 0-2 start before sending a towering shot deep over the rightfield wall. It marks her 12th long ball of the season.
Aided by a spectacular Wolverine defense behind her, Betsa held the Crimson Tide without a hit until the fourth but responded with strikeouts against three of her next five batters faced.
Alabama threatened with a pair of hits in the sixth and put another runner with two outs in the seventh, before Betsa issued a three-pitch strikeout to end the game.
U-M will play next Friday night (May 29, 8:30 p.m. CDT) against No. 7 UCLA.
