Michigan softball loses the Big Ten Championship to Nebraska in extras

EAST LANSING — Precisely 50 days in the past, the Michigan softball crew received punched within the mouth. 

Within the first Massive Ten collection of the season, Nebraska went into Ann Arbor and swept the Wolverines in a doubleheader, placing them in an early gap in Massive Ten play. 

For the previous 50 days, Michigan has grinded itself out of that gap. The Wolverines have battled via accidents, constructed momentum, and ridden a current sizzling streak to arrange a rematch with the Cornhuskers within the Massive Ten Event championship recreation.

However on Saturday, Michigan couldn’t recover from the hump. 

The No. 23 Wolverines (36-16 General, 14-8 Massive Ten) fell to Nebraska (40-15, 17-5) for the third time in further innings, 3-1, letting a Massive Ten Event championship slip away. Senior right-hander Alex Storako held the Huskers largely dormant, however two clutch hits by second baseman Cam Ybarra was all Nebraska wanted to defeat a sluggish Michigan offense.

With Storako on the mound, the highest of the primary inning went shortly — taking simply 10 pitches to retire the aspect. However Ybarra crushed a kind of 10 pitches over the right-field fence, giving the Huskers an early one-run lead. 

Nonetheless, Storako remained composed. She cruised via the subsequent 4 innings, limiting Nebraska to just one hit and punching out three. Sometimes making an attempt to only blow it previous opposing batters, Storako as a substitute relied extra closely on her offspeed pitches to maintain the ball within the park. 

Outdoors of the one solo shot, the early innings performed out like a typical pitcher’s duel. And regardless of having a number of alternatives, the Wolverine bats couldn’t capitalize.

In each the primary and fourth innings, Michigan put a runner on third with lower than two outs. However each occasions, the Wolverines didn’t carry the run residence. 

After the gradual begin, although, the bats broke via to get the run again within the backside of the fifth inning. 

With one out, freshman utility participant Annabelle Widra took a pitch to the pinnacle, reaching first base. Proper-hander Olivia Ferrell induced a fly out for the second out, however with Burkhardt already recording two hits on the day, Ferrell elected to pitch round her. After the stroll, junior outfielder Audrey LeClair stepped as much as the dish.

LeClair poked a ball over Andrews’ head into left-center discipline for an RBI double. And although the Wolverines didn’t muster any extra runs within the inning, the sport was tangled up at one.  

However a controversial name halted Michigan’s hopes of a seventh inning rally. After placing runners on first and second through the free cross, LeClair grounded a ball to Ybarra who tried to tag Burkhardt going to second earlier than throwing to first base. The umpires known as it a double play, and the inning ended with a pop-up on the subsequent play.

And within the high of the eighth inning, the Huskers lastly discovered success. 

Storako shortly recorded the primary two outs of the inning, however that introduced up Andrews and the highest of the Nebraska order. Storako pitched round Andrews, permitting her to succeed in base. 

And Ybarra struck once more. 

Ybarra blasted a ball into the right-center hole, sending Andrews on a mad sprint for residence plate. Andrews slid into residence unchallenged, and the Huskers took a one-run lead. 

Then, Storako left a pitch over the plate to 3rd baseman Sydney Grey, who singled to left discipline to carry Ybarra in as an insurance coverage run and finish Storako’s outing. 

Within the backside of the inning, the Wolverines went down quietly. All three batters made laborious contact, however none reached base, finishing the loss.

Taking a Nebraska crew that completely outplayed them earlier this season to further innings does exhibit progress for Michigan. 

However by falling to the Huskers as soon as once more, the Wolverines confirmed that they nonetheless have a methods to go.