Softball beats MSU 5-1, Betsa records 17 Ks!
#18 Michigan took on MSU today at Alumni Field.
The game was supposed to be in East Lansing but apparently their softball and baseball fields have been flooded since last week, so the game was moved to Ann Arbor. Next Tuesday's game against MSU will stay at Alumni Field, regardless.
As a result, Michigan would be the "visiting" team on the scoreboard, but remained in the home dugout.
Top of the 1st inning, Aidan Falks knocks a 2-run RBI double to put Michigan up 2-0.
Two innings later, Falk would again pick up an RBI double to make it 3-0 Michigan. A bases loaded walk shortly after would make it 4-0 Michigan.
MSU would score a run in the bottom of the inning, unearned after a passed ball went by. Michigan led 4-1 after 3 innings.
In the 5th, Faith Canfield successfully squeezed a bunt inside the 1st base line to score Katie Alexander and make it 5-1 Michigan.
The story of this game would be Megan Betsa. She had a rough outing on Sunday after dominating OSU twice the day prior. She was replaced by Blanco to close out Sunday's game.
Betsa smoked MSU today. There are 21 outs in a 7 inning softball game. SEVENTEEN of them (17!!!) were strikeouts by Megan Betsa.
17 Ks for the national leader in strikeouts.
Michigan beats MSU, 5-1. Michigan's 18th straight win over MSU.
Michigan is now 29-8-1 and 9-1 in the B1G.
Michigan will head back out on the road next, with a road series at Maryland beginning on Friday at 6pm.
I never thought I would say this, but I sympathize with the folks on MSU's campus in this respect - my backyard has basically been flooded out since late last month, and only recently when it was getting into the 60s and 70s has it lessened some.
If there's one thing that can unite the state of Michigan, even fans of opposing schools, it might be fantastically bad drainage near drains and marshes and rivers.
I started a rice crop.
....yeah, expect 3 - 9 per week!
"The story of this game would be Megan Betsa. She had a rough outing on Sunday after dominating OSU twice the day prior. She was replaced by Blanco to close out Sunday's game."
The bolded is ridiculously important to me. This is the 1st time this has happened (outside of Hutch throwing in young pitchers for experience at the end of a run-rule win). It's what I was waiting for. For Hutch to feel comfortable pulling Betsa for Blanco when Betsa struggled. It means Tera Blanco has now truly and officially arrived as a pitcher.
April 12th, 2017 at 10:18 PM ^
I get that but Betsa's been a work horse for 3 years now. She was pulled immediately after giving up a 3-run homer. She's had other games this year where she struggled but this is the 1st time she's been pulled. There's certainly the possibility that it doesn't mean anything but it's the 1st time it's happened all season. That seems significant that the choice was made this time and not the other times.
I'm not saying that Blanco's ready to be the ace but I was waiting for this. The last 2 seasons, Hutch had no issue pulling Betsa when she struggled for Haylie Wagner or Sara Driesenga. But she didn't seem comfortable pulling her for Blanco this season before last night. Obviously, that's speculation on my part but I'd never seen that hesitation to pull Betsa before so I figure it means something.
RoseInBlue, I kind of think you have this backward. Hutch pulled Blanco on Saturday after 4 innings and a 4-3 lead because she doubted that Blanco could hold it. On Sunday Betsa pitched 4.2 innings and we were already down 5-0 when Blanco finished the last 1.1 innings. IMO it had far more to do with Betsa being exhausted and the game largely being lost than some "arrival" of Blanco. Blanco is getting better but Betsa is one of the elite pitchers n the nation and Blanco is well down the pecking order.
LOL - 17 K's...incredible
All of their sports fields are located right next to the river. Seems like a dumb idea for whoever decided to do that 100 years ago or however long ago it was.
MSU baseball won the 1979 Big Ten title (11-4 with 3 games cancelled) over Wisconsin (13-5) thanks to their field being so easily flooded.
April 13th, 2017 at 11:09 AM ^
That's not an option anymore. They will play the games. Their softball team played PSU last weekend at EMU.
April 13th, 2017 at 11:27 AM ^
They try harder to get the games in than they did back then, but the Big Ten's weird rainout policy certainly makes it possible for games to be cancelled.
Just last weekend, all 3 of the Rutgers at Minnesota baseball games were cancelled. As a result, Minnesota and Rutgers will play 21 conference games this season while the rest play 24. It could easily cost Michigan a championship, and just as easily could cost Minnesota a championship.
(EDIT: thanks again to the weird rainout policy, they might actually make up 1, 2, or all 3 of the games later this season. They're not required to, but it is a possibility).
Last season in softball, Michigan finished 21-2 and Minnesota finished 19-3 with 1 cancelled game. If Minnesota had won 1 more game, they would have been 20-2 and would have lost the conference co-championship thanks to a rainout.
We don't play Minnesota? Thanks, Delaney.
Gives us an easy path to the regular season championship. It will be interesting if we play them in the big ten tournament.
3-9.
GO BLUE!!
April 12th, 2017 at 11:52 PM ^
I don't think I've ever seen a pitcher make 17 punchouts look so... routine. Just ruthlessly efficient. Also, the CF for MSU had two pretty slick grabs defensively but that was about the only highlights for Sparty. Great day for Wolverine Softball, now let's beat state again next week!
Falk has been picking it up the last couple of weeks also. Keep it rolling ladies.
April 13th, 2017 at 11:56 AM ^
is strike out Monster but against quality opposition during her career shes certainly not been the BEAST that previous Michigan Pitchers have...Against the Floridas and such she struggles