M Softball Sweeps Northwestern with a Thrilling Game 2 Finish
Michigan just beat the Wildcats 6-3 with a walk-off 3-run bomb by Lou Allen.
After winning the first game easily 7-2 behind the 3-hit pitching of Alex Storeko, we trailed 3-1 going into the bottom of the 6th in game 2.
A two-run, two-out double in inning #6 tied it, Meghan Beaubein preserved the tie in the top of the 7th, and Lou came thru with a 3-run shot after we had gotten runners to 2nd and 3rd with 2 singles and a sac bunt.
Go Lou! GO BLUE!!
Who pitched for NWern today? The bats really came alive. Big game tomorrow- 3-1 would be best case reasonable scenario.
I don't know Northwestern's roster well enough to be sure, but I believe their game 2 pitcher was the gal who shut Michigan down Friday night.
Whoever it was, we couldn't solve her pitching this afternoon until the last two innings, while Meghan battled all the way to keep the Cats in check and us in the game.
(edit @ 6:06: yes, it was the same pitcher, Danielle Williams.)
Yeah I assume they had their #2 for the 1st game. I just saw it was Williams the Ace who gave up the GWHR to sweet Lou Allen
Gobluegoblue!!
Aren’t the Wildcats conference title contenders?
Yes they are. Going into the weekend, I believe Michigan led Minnesota by a half game and Northwestern by 1 1/2 games. The sweep today leaves the Wildcats 2 1/2 games behind us, so tomorrow's game will be an opportunity to put Northwestern in deep trouble.
Minnesota split their doubleheader with Iowa today.
That Minnesota-Iowa split certainly helps as it puts Michigan back to 2 games ahead in the loss column.
As MGoUser Michigan Arrogance pointed out earlier this week in his excellent Diary Post:
https://www.mgoblog.com/diaries/b10-softball-stretch-run-begins
we're in a tight battle with the Gophers that might go to the final game. We face them in Minnesota in a couple weeks for a 4-game series (at the end of a 9-game road trip for us).
Like he pointed out, the loss coumn is key this season due to some games being cancelled due to the pandemic. That's why another win for us tomorrow would keep us essentially two games up on Minnesota.
BTW, the 4th-place Pouting Illini have likely already been in contact with the commissioner's office in protest...
That's why I'm glad Storako will be pitching tomorrow I presume
It just feels like she's a better pitcher than Beaubein.
Glad we swept, we really needed that.
Minnesota should be in first place. They have more conference wins.
-signed
Illinois AD
Game One was also pretty exciting: we trailed 2-1 midway through that game until Lexi Blair came up big with a ground ball Grand Slam (yes, you read that correctly---it was a sharply hit one hopper just past the shortstop, likely would have been a single or double, but it also got past the left- and center-fielders when one of them lost their footing on the wet turf and the ball rolled all the way to the wall as Lexi turned on the jets.) That made it 5-2, Blair doubled in another run later in the game for her 5th RBI and Michigan coasted from there to win 7-2.
There's gonna be some great highlights to watch later on mgoblue.com !
it would be nice to find a way to fit in some more of the missed games vs sparty midweek, but there may not be time to do that or a willingness for msu to want to lose more games
I walked over from water polo just as they were introducing Lou Allen in the bottom of the seventh. A few seconds later I heard the crack of the bat and the ball landed at my feet. So I “saw” the homerun even though the left field fence had obstructed my view. There was much rejoicing.
There certainly was! (especially since you didn't get hit ?).
I'm sure he was ready and willing to take one for the team.
Nice. Did you grab the ball, either to ask Lou to autograph it or just give it back?
I just read Lou's bio on mgoblue.com. Her grandmother is Sheila Cornell-Douty who played on the 1996 and 2000 Gold medal winning USA softball teams. That made me feel old knowing an Olympian from 2000 is old enough to have a college age grandchild.
Win 2-0 today. Take 3 of 4. Great job women!
Ladies take care of business and have a great weekend. Guys crapped the bed and are making things very difficult. I believe they are now 2 games behind Nebraska in the standings.