EVANSTON, Ill. — The University of Michigan softball team suffered its first Big Ten Conference loss of the season, falling 9-1 in five innings against Northwestern and snapping its 10-game winning streak on Friday afternoon (April 5) at Sharon J. Drysdale Field.
The Wildcats built their lead over four innings and took advantage of extra-base hits and U-M miscues to surge away from the Wolverines. Northwestern posted 10 hits, including back-to-back home runs to plate three runs in the third, and plated three more to end the game early in the fifth.
NU opened scoring with two runs in the second inning, capitalizing on an RBI double to right center field and, two batters later, an RBI single up the middle. Michigan got one of the runs back in the next half inning when junior outfielder Ellie Sieler drew her second leadoff walk, advanced on a bloop single from sophomore second baseman Indiana Langford and scored when sophomore third baseman Maddie Erickson bounced a hard grounder past the Wildcat shortstop.
The Wildcats answered in the home half of the third, however, knocking out home runs in consecutive at-bats and added another run off a wild pitch in the fourth inning.
Northwestern scored on an RBI single through the left side in the fifth, then took advantage of a pair of errors and another run-producing wild pitch in the dirt. The game ended on a bases-loaded fielder’s choice and an errant throw to second base to allow the runner to slide in safely. The play was reviewed and upheld.
Junior RHP Lauren Derkowski (11-6) took the loss from the circle, allowing five runs on five hits and four walks with two strikeouts through 2.1 innings. Graduate student RHP Hannah George also pitched 2.1 innings in relief and allowed four runs — three earned — on five hits and two walks.
The Wolverines (24-12, 6-1 Big Ten) will return to action against Northwestern at 1 p.m. CT tomorrow (Saturday, April 6) at Sharon J. Drysdale Field.
