Softball demolishes PSU for the 33rd straight time
After Michigan broke a 0-0 deadlock in the top of the 7th yesterday, taking the game 3-0, the offense looked to respond today with a better showing.
Michigan left double digit runners on base yesterday. Not something that would make Hutch happy.
Michigan wasted no time today disposing of their putrid 6-win opponent in University Park, PA.
A Haley Hoogenraad 2-run triple, a Faith Canfield 2-run single and an RBI dobule by Tera Blanco in the top of the 2nd gave Michigan a 5-0 lead with another run coming on a PSU throwing error to make it 6-0 Wolverines.
In the 3rd, Michigan had bases loaded with no outs. An opponent's nightmare. The Wolverines would leave none on base this time, as Canfield recorded her second 2-run single in as many innings to make it 8-0. A Natalie Peters sac fly and an RBI single by Blanco made it 10-0 Michigan.
After a 1-2-3 inning by Beaubien, Michigan added another run on a fielder's choice by Abby Skvarce. PSU got a run back in the bottom of the 4th but that was all as Michigan closed it out for an 11-1 run rule win in 5 innings.
Michigan sweeps the series with Penn State and moves to 31-7 and 7-1 in the B1G.
This was the 33rd straight win over PSU, with Michigan pushing the all-time series record to an amazing 70-7 Wolverine stranglehold. Michigan is a perfect 14-0 at Penn State's Beard Field.
Next up is Eastern Michigan on Tuesday at 4pm, a game that was postponed from earlier this week.
Much better. Yesterday was brutal. I never bothered to look up the pitcher from Saturday's game but I already knew pitching 2nd day for a terrible PSU team, she wasn't good. Mustering only 2 hits through 6 innings against her was just another example of terribly inconsistent offense. Especially leaving 12 on base which means they didn't even need a lot of hits just well-timed ones as they were getting on base other ways.
Up next in conference is Michigan State (Wednesday after the postponed EMU game). Let's just beat the snot out of them.
good.
Last Wednesday. Our fellow Michigan teams tend to be scheduled as midweek slates. The game was rescheduled for this coming Wednesday as part of a double header with MSU (I assume).
EDIT: Nevermind. I get it.
Great recap, WD, thanks for posting!
Also of note this weekend, Indiana took their second loss in Big Ten play, moving us to the top of the standings. We're a game short b/c of the cancellation at Iowa, but we're now the only squad with only 1 loss in conference play.
Also, Illinios destroyed Maryland today 20-2. That's not really relevant to anything but I enjoy it.
With Minnesota falling apart, Michigan should coast to the B1G regular season title, probably by 3-4 games. (The tournament seems to always be a mixed bag, but I can't see any team beating Beaubien.)
I suspect our record and poll ranking at the end of the season--something like 47-9-- will look like a top 16 team (regional host) and probably even closer to top 10. The issue this year will be our lack of quality wins and RPI. We played an easier non conference schedule this year, which was probably by design and a good idea, but our chances at big wins weren't frequent.
We entered this weekend with an RPI of 27. The NCAA seeds almost identically according to this. Ohio State (28) is the only team in the top 100 we will face the remainder of the regular season. For reference, second place Indiana is 124.
Here are quality teams we faced non conference:
L Florida (6)
W Florida St (11)
L Florida St (11)
W Notre Dame (40)
L Notre Dame (40)
L Texas (25)
W Texas (25)
W Wichita St (31)
W Baylor (14)
W Louisiana (21)
6-4 vs top 50 is good but not top 16. The SEC and PAC teams are facing top 25 teams every week and will clog up the top of the RPI. The comminttee did not award #1 ranked (in the polls) Minnesota, with a star pitcher, ANY top 16 seed last season due to their poor RPI and they were bounced at Alabama in the first round.
Minnesota (29), Northwestern (33), Wisconsin (35) offer possible games in the conference tournament. We will not be a pleasant sight by the end of the year for whoever's region we are placed. Next year will have very high expectations.
This is a good & thoughtful take - you're right on target I think. If things break our way, we could maybe snag a 16 seed nationally or something, because we do have more name recognition than Minnesota did, but it's not real likely.
This season, though, is mainly about restoring our Big 10 dominance and turning the page to a new, Beaubien-dominated, era. We're doing that effectively, and it sets us up very well for the next few years, especially if other pitching can continue to improve & develop behind her.
If we can get up to 20, the committee will give us a hard look. Like you said, program prestige will help. Also, the committee will try really hard to have a regional in the north for other teams in our proximity to travel to, combined with our top notch facilities for players, fans, and TV crews. If they can get us in the top 16, they will find a way, but I don't see the numbers adding up. I hope I am wrong, although is it really better to sneak in at 16 and have to travel to #1 for supers? This team might do well to get some experience with the young players traveling as the underdog and probably having a better shot at some upsets.
Also,
M up 6-3 on Northwestern in the top of the 9th, looking for their own sweep on the weekend. The Michigan men also sit atop the standings at a perfect 5-0 ahead of this game.
Edit: As I was typing, Michigan drove in another run, up 7-3.
WD, I appreciate what you bring to MGoBlog, but I think you often overdo the adjectives.
Why not just say "UM beats Penn State in softball for 33rd straight time?"
Along those lines, did they demolish them 33 straight times, or just beat them?
22 of the 33 were demolitions ;)
We didn't play the Gophers. You should follow your own advice before pressing save.
I have no idea why the Gophers popped up in my crtique. In my defense I did hold the door open for the Gopher gymnasts on their way out of Crisler on Friday night. But I also talked with many parents of Nittany Lions, Fighting Illini, and Buckeyes on both Friday and Saturday and wouldn't think of besmirching their teams as an anonomous poster.
Probably not this year, but I'd guess it will happen at some point in her career under some strange circumstance. Megan Betsa got an at bat once or twice last year, I think just as a gesture by the staff to give her a moment, but that was it. I believe she even got on base, but I forget how. Long story short, if Beubien continues to put up these numbers in the circle for the next 4 years and she asks Hutch to bat, Hutch will find a time to put her up there.
While Michigan lets pitchers bat if they provide the best chance at the plate, rarely can I recall an ace pitcher like Beubien having a spot in the lineup. Blanco is an exception, but that is mainly because she only started to contribute in the circle (still a clear back up) as an upperclassman, and regularly plays first base otherwise. There's no reason to take her out of her well-earned spot batting when she pitches at this point (she's possibly the most consistent batter, at least for power, in the lineup). Would Blanco still bat if she were starting as the ace like Beubien her freshman year? If they needed her there, probably, but it wouldnt be as easy a decision I don't think.
I have noticed though that multiple SEC teams have pitchers who are too good athletes to keep out of the lineup full-time, and it seems to work for them. IIRC, both Florida and Alabama have (or have recently had) pitchers who play right field when they are not pitching. This also provides coaches with a ton of options with substitutions. e.g. Blanco can flow through the lineup as a P, DH, 1B, and be subbed out for a runner and back in all in one game, or even one or two innings. As a result, when Blanco started pitching more last year, conference and national accolades all changed from "All-xxx First Base" to "All-xxx Utility." This is a headache for opposing teams.
Megan Betsa's 2 (I believe) at-bats last year were not gestures. At the time, it was said that they were necessary because of substitutions that had been made prior. I believe she had either come in in relief or gone out and come back in. Something of that nature combined with other substitutions made on the base paths and pinch hit situations forced it. I do believe she walked and grounded out though.
However, I do believe Haylie Wagner was given the bat a few times because she asked/was rewarded in her senior season. I remember distinctly her hitting a homerun and celebrating wildly while rounding the bases. Hutch smiled and cheered her as she rounded 3rd and then as soon as Wagner went passed her she immediately (and adamantly) gestured for the team to calm her down as she still needed to pitch the next inning. It amused me.
good memory!! i remember that with wagner now, too.
Canfield is raking: .400+ BA.