Home runs push Michigan past Kentucky, into NCAA Tournament regional final
Propelled by two two-run home runs and solid pitching from its secondary pitchers, the Michigan softball team lived to see another day, as it gained revenge on Kentucky in an elimination game Saturday night.
In a game beginning just a half-hour after Michigan’s walk-off win over Northern Colorado, the Wolverines scored two runs in the second and third innings, and took down the Wildcats, 4-2, to advance to the regional final of the NCAA Tournament. Michigan will face No. 5 Oklahoma State at 3 p.m. ET Sunday, and will need to beat the Cowboys twice to advance out of the regional.
Still, the Wolverines (43-17) will happily take their shot at Oklahoma State after going 2-0 in elimination games Saturday. At the plate, Michigan only mustered six hits, but made them count. In the second inning, Lilly Vallimont sent a homer down the left-field line one pitch after Jenissa Conway reached via hit-by-pitch to make it 2-0.
The following inning, Indiana Langford opened the frame with a single, then cleanup hitter Keke Tholl belted her team-leading 14th home run to left field to make it a 4-1 game, driving Kentucky (31-24) ace Stephanie Schoonover from the game.
Michigan only mustered one single the rest of the game, but had already done enough damage to dispatch the Wildcats. Giving ace Lauren Derkowski a game off to rest, the Wolverines got four strong innings from Erin Hoehn. She improved to 15-5 on the season, allowing eight hits, two unearned runs and walking none in her first game appearance of the postseason. Kentucky — who beat Michigan, 4-3 in walk-off fashion Friday — plated runs in the third and fourth innings, but ultimately left seven runners on base to Michigan’s three.
