March 23, 2013
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - The No. 14 Michigan softball team snatched victory from the Boilermakers in Game 2 on Saturday, coming back from a 6-0 deficit, to post an 8-7 win.
The Wolverines scored six runs over the final three innings, including the game winner in the bottom of the seventh, on 12 hits and three Purdue miscues. The Boilermakers managed their seven runs on five hits and four Michigan errors.
Relief pitcher Haylie Wagner (5-1) earned the victory for the Wolverines, throwing five scoreless innings and issuing four strikeouts. Starter Sara Driesenga struck out three and gave up all seven runs. Freshman Lilly Fecho (5-10) struck out three in the complete game effort for the Boilermakers.
Junior Danielle Fletcher launched her third home run of the season to give Purdue a 2-0 edge in the first inning. The two-out long ball also plated sophomore Ashley Burkhardt, who led off the game with a single and stole second. Senior Maia Monchek also had a single in the inning, but was left stranded.
The Boilermakers tallied four runs on two hits and two Wolverine errors in the second to take a 6-0 lead. A pair of two-out fielding errors gave Purdue runners in the inning. A single by Rains brought one run in. Junior Andie Varsho tacked on three more with a bomb to left center.
Michigan got on the board with a two-run home run by Lauren Sweet in the second inning.
A catch and carry call gave Purdue another run in the third. With bases loaded after Monchek was hit by a pitch, freshman Mary Gooding was walked and senior Ashley Courtney reached on a fielding error on a sacrifice, the Michigan third baseman caught a foul ball for the inning's second out, but her momentum carried her into the Boilermaker dugout allowing each runner to advance a base.
The Wolverines scratched out two runs on three hits and an error in the fifth. A single, an intentional walk, a throwing error and a fielder's choice gave Michigan runners at the corners with one out. A single through the left side scored one run. A walked filled the bases again, setting up an infield single, which plated another run. A pop up and fly out left three stranded.
Michigan tied it up at 7-7 with three runs in the sixth. A three-run home run by Ashley Lane accounted for the runs. The hit followed a two-out walk and a fielding error. A fielder's choice and a fly out stranded two, preventing the Wolverines from scoring the go-ahead run.
The Boilermakers went down in order for the third straight inning in the seventh, bowing out on a strikeout, liner to center field and a grounder to the pitcher, opening the door for Michigan.
A one-out single and two walks loaded the bases for the Wolverines in the bottom of the seventh. A single up the middle gave Michigan the 8-7 win.
The Boilermakers (11-18) return to action at 4 p.m. Wednesday when they take on Illinois-Chicago in the 2013 home opener.