After playing its previous six games at home, the Michigan softball team hit the road for the last time during the 2022 regular season. The Wolverines headed west to take on Wisconsin in a three-game weekend series, the last one of the regular season.
The Wolverines swept the Badgers, and they have now won their last five games as they prepare for the Big Tournament which will take place May 11-14.
Game 1
Meghan Beaubien, Lauren Derkowski and Annabelle Widra all pitched at least two innings, and Lexie Blair had a four-hit night to help the Wolverines to a 10-2 victory over the Badgers.
Blair got Michigan on the board early in the first inning with a one-out RBI single, brining home Audrey LeClair. Then, in the second inning, LeClair added to the Michigan lead as she reached on a fielder's choice, and Ella McVey scored on the play.
Wisconsin tied the score in the bottom half of the second inning, but Michigan continued to bring the firepower on offense. Taylor Bump launched a three-run home run to left field in the third inning to put the Wolverines back on top. Bump recorded her fourth RBI of the game in the top of the fourth inning when she singled, bringing home Hannah Carson.
LeClair put an exclamation point on the evening with a three-run home run in the top of the seventh inning which blew the game wide open. The pitching committee of Beaubien, Derkowski and Widra worked extremely well, as they held the Badgers to just two runs on six hits. Michigan ran away with the series opener, 10-2.
Game 2
Anytime Alex Storako steps into the pitcher's circle for the Wolverines, fans can almost always expect a dominant performance which will result in a win. It was no different on Saturday afternoon. Storako was incredible, giving up two hits and one run in a complete game effort.
Much like the series opener, LeClair got on base in the top of the first inning and Blair brought her home with a base hit, and the Wolverines once again established an early lead. Michigan added two more runs in the fourth inning, and three in the seventh to defeat Wisconsin, 6-1.
LeClair, Carson and Ellie Sieler all finished the afternoon with three hits, leading the team to victory. The aforementioned Storako struck out 11 batters en route to her 22nd victory of the season.
Game 3
The Badger hitters seemed to figure Storako out in the series finale. After pitching the day before, Storako was used as more of an opener in Sunday's game, but Wisconsin jumped all over the senior.
For the third game in a row, Michigan scored at least one run in the first inning. The Wolverines rallied to put up two runs early in the game. However, Storako gave up two hits and a walk in the bottom of the first inning, and the Badgers quickly stole the lead. Storako was pulled from the game after recording just one out, and Widra came in in relief.
Wisconsin continued to score in bunches, and the Badgers led, 9-4, after the fourth inning. However, the script was flipped in the game's final three innings. The Wolverines tallied nine runs in the last three innings of the game to complete the comeback and the series sweep of the Badgers. Melina Livingston led the way for Michigan with three hits and five RBIs in the 13-9 victory over Wisconsin.
What's next?
Michigan has secured the No. 4 seed in this week's Big Ten Tournament in East Lansing. It will face the winner of Michigan State and Maryland on Thursday at 7 p.m.
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