Louisville, KY - Bree Evans chopped a tiebreaking two-out, two-run infield single in the second inning to lead the fifth-ranked Michigan Softball team to a 3-1 win over Hofstra on the second day of the Red & Black Tournament at the University of Louisville on Sunday afternoon.
With the loss, the Pride falls to 10-3 on the season, with all three losses coming to nationally ranked teams (including two this weekend to Michigan, and one on Feb. 27 to Florida State). Michigan improves to 17-4 with the victory. Hofstra's scheduled game aaginst Louisville on Sunday was canceled due to weather delays.
The Pride struck first in the top of the second inning, as freshman pitcher Olivia Galati (West Babylon, NY) led off with a double into the left-center field gap and moved to third on a wild pitch. One out later, freshman right fielder Tessa Ziemba (Wilmington, DE) drove home Galati with an RBI groundout to make the score 1-0.
Michigan, though, responded in the bottom of the second inning by scoring three times with two outs. Second baseman Amanda Chidester started the rally with a one-out single. A two-out walk to Steph Kirkpatrick put runners on first and second, and Molly Bausher doubled home the first run down the left field line past the dive of Hofstra third baseman Sara Michalowski (Philadelphia, PA). Left fielder Bree Evans then chopped a ball in the infield that took a high hop just over the head of Hofstra shortstop Krista Thorn (Smithtown, NY) and onto the shallow outfield grass to drive home two runs and give the Wolverines the 3-1 lead.
Hofstra threatened in the top of the third, but left two runners in scoring position. Senior center fielder Kris Root (Waynesboro, PA) and sophomore left fielder Michelle Lavagnino (Fredericksburg, VA) had back-to-back infield singles with one out, and moved up a base on a wild pitch, but Michigan starter Jordan Taylor got out of the jam with back-to-back groundouts. Ziemba made a bid to tie the game in the fourth inning with a long drive with a runner on first, but it was caught five feet in front of the fence by Michigan right fielder Angela Findlay. Findlay then took away a potential double from Thorn with a diving catch leading off the top of the fifth.
Michigan nearly stretched the lead in the bottom of the fifth as Viefhaus lined a triple past a diving Ziemba in right field with one out. However, Galati responded in a big spot by striking out the No. 4 and No. 5 hitters for the Wolverines (Roya St. Clair and Dorian Shaw). Taylor, though, slammed the door shut by striking out four batters over the last two innings, allowing only one runner to reach on an error in the seventh.
Taylor finished the game allowing just four hits and striking out nine to improve to 11-1 in the circle on the year. Galati falls to 5-2 with the loss, allowing seven hits and striking out four.
The Pride played an inexperienced line-up on its final game of the southern portion of its schedule, as three players made their first appearances of the year in Hofstra's starting batting order. Freshman Nicole Osovski (Endicott, NY) made her first start of the year at first base in place of reigning CAA Player of the Year Michele DePasquale (Waterford, NJ), and Thorn made her first start of the year at shortstop. Lavagnino was also in the Pride's starting batting order for the first time, while freshman Becca Bigler (Bainbridge, PA) made her fifth start of the year at second base.
Hofstra will next be in action when it hosts the Hofstra Invitational next weekend with games against Boston University and Connecticut. The Pride will face Boston University at 10 a.m. on Saturday, and Connecticut at 12:30 p.m. On Sunday, Hofstra will meet Boston University at 12:30 p.m. and Connecticut at 3 p.m.
