Haylie Wagner is today's hero, M SB beats Illinois 2-1 in first game; Lose second game

Submitted by MGoSoftball on

After losing a heartbreaker in extra innings yesterday, the Michigan Softball Team bounced back today by beating Illinois 2-1.  Yesterday's game hurt in many ways as Illinois is ranked 10th in the B1G.  We play the rubber game in a few minutes.

Haylie Wagner started in the circle in the first game.  She gave up 1 ER on 7 hits with 1 K and 1 BB.  She also was a force at the plate by hitting a game-winning 2 run shot.  Haylie got into a little trouble in the top of the 7th.  Coach had Sara Driesenga come in toface the final 2 batters for the win.

Sara went 2 for 3 hitting in the #4 hole for Coach Hutch.  Coach juggled the line-up again today by putitng chiddy in the #2 slot, Colie at #3, and inserting Ashley Lane in the #5 position.

Today's win helped keep us atop the B1G standings.  Wiskey beat Purdue today 6-5 and Neb/msu is in a rain delay.  The current standings are:

1) M 13-4

2) Wiskey 13-5

3) Nebraska 12-5

4) Purdue 11-6

So if we beat Illinois in the second game, it would put us a full game ahead of Wiskey and 1.5 ahead of Nebraska, depending on what the weather does in Nebraska.

 

EDIT:  M lost the second game today against Illinois 2-0.  Sara Driesenga was the starting and losin pitcher.  She gave up 1 run on 4 hits while giving up 2 Ks and 1 BBs.  Haylie Wagner came in the game in relief in the 4th inning. She gave up 1 ER off 4 H with 4 Ks and 0 BB.

Bree Evans went 2 for 4 at the dish.

We are currently tied for 1st with Wiskey at 13-5, with Nebraska 1/2 game back.

 

 

MGoSoftball

April 29th, 2012 at 4:29 PM ^

need to win the second game today as well to hold on to a #2 seed.  I think it will boil down to us or ND to host a Regional.  We will both be #2 seeds so the higher RPI ranked team will get a host in my opinion.

I think we will end up higher than ND provided with win out the rest of our games.  I am sure that Louisville will host a game as well.  So if we do host as a #2 seed, my guess is that a Cali team or Hawaii will be #1, we will be #2, a team like Pitt, Kentucky or Chattanooga would be #3 and Ball St or Akron will be #4.

Louisville would host at #1, ND would be #2, Wiskey would be #3 and Illinos St would be #4. 

These are just WAGs of course.

justingoblue

April 29th, 2012 at 6:26 PM ^

Akron won't be in, they're 4-12 in the MAC, at the bottom of the East. BGSU our Ball State would be my guess, although the MAC seems very weak this year.

By the way, what kind of RPI would a northern mid-major need to get in as a non-champion? MGB's dad was wondering if there was any chance of that, but ok told him I thought they'd need to be in the lower forties, which won't happen. Is that about right?

Alton

April 29th, 2012 at 6:57 PM ^

Basically nobody outside of the top 60 is ever selected, unless they have a huge number of quality wins.

I've been tracking this for a few years now, and it seems like a team needs 1 of two things for an at large bid:  (1) top 40 of the RPI, or (2) a winning percentage of .667 or better against teams in the top 50.

 

justingoblue

April 29th, 2012 at 8:39 PM ^

Step one: Nope. High seventies as of last week, with two victories over 136, two and a loss against 244, with three games against 266 and one (which might turn into two) against 168 remaining.

They are:

0-1 v. Top 50

2-5 v. Top 100

15-9 v. Top 150

24-10 v. Top 200

39-12 Overall

So no chance in hell, basically.

justingoblue

April 30th, 2012 at 2:46 PM ^

266 and one (that could possibly be two) against 168, so no chances against an Alabama or Cal, which means they're out without a tournament championship.

Couple this with MGB absolutely killing her ERA/losing a grip on late season starting and I'm not too happy with your sport of choice at the moment. There's still some games to be played though, so maybe it can work itself out before postseason play starts.

snowcrash

April 29th, 2012 at 6:28 PM ^

Three runs in three games isn't much output. Has more than one unranked B1G team ever made the tournament? I remember M and NW both made it one year, but we were ranked.

Alton

April 29th, 2012 at 6:52 PM ^

The Purdue-Wisconsin result in the original post is incorrect; Purdue beat Wisconsin today, 6-5.

The Nebraska-Michigan State game was rained out and will not be rescheduled, according to Big Ten rules.

Standings, with every team having 6 games left:

1. Michigan (13-5)

2t. Nebraska (12-5)

2t. Purdue (12-5)

4t. Iowa (12-6)

4t. Wisconsin (12-6)

That's right--5 teams within 1 game of each other.

Next weekend has Michigan at Wisconsin, Nebraska at Indiana, Purdue at Minnesota and Iowa at Ohio State.  The final weekend has Purdue at Michigan, Wisconsin at Nebraska and Iowa at Minnesota.

 

Smash Lampjaw

April 30th, 2012 at 8:44 AM ^

The unsettling part of this is that their schedule is back-loaded, and that the losses have come against sub-.500 teams in the lower half of the conference. The toughest games are still ahead. I am not sure if it is good or bad that they will not play Nebraska. I just hope that if and when softball weather arrives they will revert to form.