Courtesy of Michigan Athletics
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The No. 3-ranked University of Michigan softball team captured its ninth Big Ten Conference Tournament crown with a 6-1 decision over Nebraska on Saturday evening (May 9) at Buckeye Field. With the tournament win, the Wolverines swept the conference’s regular-season and tournament titles in less than a week’s time.
Senior LHP Haylie Wagner (21-2) was spectacular from the circle, fanning six while allowing just one run — with two outs in the bottom of the seventh — off three hits and no walks.
Michigan posted a tournament-low six hits but strung together several — and took advantage of Husker miscues — to plate its runs in the second and fifth innings. Junior second baseman Sierra Romero went yard for the third time this weekend with a three-run blast in the latter inning, going 1-for-4 with three RBI to earn Tournament MVP honors. Sophomore third baseman Lindsay Montemarano and freshman first baseman Tera Blanco also tallied a hit and an RBI apiece.
The Wolverines manufactured a pair of runs to open scoring in the top of the second. Susalla walked to lead off the inning, and her pinch runner, junior Mary Sbonek, came home after back-to-back Michigan base hits. Senior catcher Lauren Sweet laid a perfectly-placed bunt just inches down the third baseline, while Montemarano ripped an RBI single past the Husker third baseman and just fair down the leftfield line. U-M plated its second run on Blanco’s sac fly to deep leftfield two batters later.
Michigan’s defense was stout behind Wagner throughout the contest. Junior centerfielder Sierra Lawrence made a leaping catch at the wall to save an extra-base hit in the second, and sophomore shortstop Abby Ramirez helped Wagner retire the side in the third on just five pitches, fielding all three outs.
Nebraska spoiled Wagner’s no-hit bid with a one-out bloop single in the fourth, but the Wolverine hurler quickly ended the threat on a flyout and runner-left-early call.
Michigan doubled its lead in the fifth, scoring on a throwing error before Romero bombed out her third homer of the tournament — and 20th of the season. Freshman designated player Aidan Falk and Blanco led off with back-to-back singles before Ramirez laid down a sac bunt toward the pitching circle and Husker pitcher Kaylan Jablonski’s throw to first base went errant. Two batters later, Romero connected with the 1-2 pitch and drove it deep over the wall in right centerfield.
Wagner fanned two in the sixth and another in the seventh before Nebraska broke through with a two-out tally on pitcher Cassie McClure’s RBI single down the leftfield line. Wagner fielded the final out herself, however, on a comebacker to the circle in the next at-bat.
