NCAA regional softball: Michigan blows late lead, falls to UCF in extra innings

Michigan’s softball group was one strike away from reaching a regional ultimate on Saturday.

However after permitting a game-tying double in backside of the seventh, the Wolverines went on to lose 3-2 in 11 innings to No. 16 College of Central Florida, the host of the Orlando, Florida regional.

Michigan (37-17) drops to the elimination bracket and can face the winner of South Dakota State and Villanova in a while Saturday, whereas UCF (48-12) strikes on to Sunday’s regional ultimate needing only one extra win to advance.

After tying the sport within the seventh, the Knights, internet hosting a regional for a primary time, put two runners on within the ninth and tenth innings however failed to attain. They capitalized within the eleventh after a pricey Michigan error. Second baseman Melina Livingston dropped a feed from Ella McVey for a possible power out at second base, placing runners at first and second for UCF with one out.

Maddie Bejarano, who tied the sport within the seventh with an RBI double on a 2-2 pitch, doubled once more down the right-field line to offer her group a 3-2 victory.

In the meantime, the Wolverines managed only one hit in further innings and 5 for the sport towards Kama Woodall, who threw 181 pitches and struck out 10 in 11 innings.

Within the first assembly between Michigan and UCF this season, senior Alex Storako pitched a whole recreation shutout in a Wolverines’ 6-0 win on Feb. 18.

On Saturday, it was fifth-year senior Meghan Beaubien who stifled UCF hitters for the primary 5 innings earlier than working into hassle within the sixth.

With two outs, she hit Shannon Doherty with a pitch. Ashleigh Griffin adopted with an RBI double, prompting Michigan coach Carol Hutchins to interchange Beaubien within the circle with freshman Annabelle Widra.

Widra, who had two of the Wolverines’ hits, together with an RBI single within the second inning, allowed the game-tying double to Bejarano within the seventh and was relieved by Storako. Storako went 1 2/3 innings earlier than giving solution to Beaubien, who threw 133 pitches in 7 2/3 innings.

Michigan prolonged its result in 2-0 within the fifth inning on an error from second baseman Justene Molina, the 2022 American Athletic Convention Defensive Participant of the 12 months. Molina avenged the error within the eleventh, strolling with one out after which scoring the game-winning run.

The Wolverines will want three straight wins to advance to their first tremendous regional since 2016. They opened their twenty seventh straight NCAA Event look with a 2-1 victory over SDSU on Friday.