Michigan
5-2
Oklahoma State
8-1
Wolverines Rally to Beat Mississippi State in Nightcap, Fall to No. 5 Oklahoma State
2/18/2023 9:05:00 PM | Softball
» Michigan split its day-two games of the TaxAct Clearwater Invitational, earning a 5-4 comeback win against Mississippi State after falling to No. 5 Oklahoma State, 15-6, in six innings.
» Maddie Erickson delivered the game-winning RBI single with two outs and two strikes in the seventh vs. MSU; Janelle Ilacqua and Keke Tholl posted homers on the day.
» Lauren Derkowski earned the complete-game win over the Bulldogs, striking out six while allowing four runs -- only one earned -- on five hits and three walks.
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- The No. 25-ranked University of Michigan softball team bounced back with a gritty 5-4 win over Mississippi State to split its day-two games at the TaxAct Clearwater Invitational on Saturday (Feb. 18) at the Eddie C. Moore Complex. The Wolverines dropped a 15-6, six-inning decision to No. 5 Oklahoma State in the first game of the afternoon.
The Wolverines rallied from a three-run deficit and, after MSU evened the score in the bottom of the sixth, delivered the go-ahead run with two outs in the next half inning. Freshman first baseman Maddie Erickson, down to her last strike, bounced an RBI single past the Bulldog second baseman to score sophomore outfielder Ellie Sieler from second base.
Mississippi State used a one-out single to put the tying run aboard in the bottom half, but sophomore RHP Lauren Derkowski responded with a three-pitch strikeout before forcing a game-ending flyout to center field. Derkowski (3-2) posted six strikeouts in the contest and allowing four runs -- just one earned -- on five hits and three walks.
Michigan trailed, 3-0, after MSU took advantage of two Wolverine errors to extend the third inning before knocking out a three-run homer.
Sophomore designated player Keke Tholl got one back immediately with a first-pitch leadoff home run to left in the fourth for her third long ball in three games. Senior third baseman Audrey LeClair evened the score five batters later, with two in scoring position and two outs, driving a two-run single up the middle. Graduate student Melina Livingston used a nearly identical two-out RBI single in the fifth to give Michigan its first lead of the game.
The Bulldogs snapped Derkowski's stretch of seven straight retired with two singles and two walks in the sixth, plating the tying run on the latter. Michigan used a flyout to right to leave the bases loaded and keep the game deadlocked entering the seventh.
Michigan was on the losing end of a slugfest against Oklahoma State, which posted three home runs -- two early and one in the sixth -- to account for seven runs. The Wolverines were not without their own scoring opportunities and plated four runs in the fourth and two more in the sixth.
U-M put five straight aboard with two outs in the fourth, including consecutive RBI singles from freshman Indiana Langford, sophomore shortstop Ella McVey and graduate student outfielder Ellie Mataya -- the latter up the middle for two runs. Freshman second baseman Janelle Ilacqua, who tallied her first collegiate hit as part of the two-out rally, posted a two-run homer to left field in her next at-bat in the sixth inning.
In all, Michigan freshmen posted six hits and four RBI on the day.
Three different Wolverine pitchers saw action against OSU. Junior RHP Jessica LeBeau (3-1) took the loss, allowing seven runs on six hits with two strikeouts through three innings.
The Wolverines (6-3) will wrap up their appearance at the annual TaxAct Clearwater Invitational with a 9 a.m. slate against No. 16 Duke at the Eddie C. Moore Complex on Sunday (Feb. 19) in Clearwater, Fla. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Runner, Bailie (1-0)
L: LeBeau, Jessica (3-1)
Batting:
HR: Ilacqua, Janelle 1
RBI: Mataya, Ellie 2 ; Ilacqua, Janelle 2 ; Langford, Indiana 1 ; McVey, Ella 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Livingston, Melina 1 ; Carricaburu, Ryleigh 2 ; Ilacqua, Janelle 2 ; Langford, Indiana 1
HBP: Livingston, Melina 1
Batting:
2B: Edwards, Tallen 1 ; Naomi, Kiley 1 ; Carwile, Katelynn 2 ; Factor, Chyenne 1
HR: Edwards, Tallen 1 ; Schneidmiller, Audre 1 ; Wark, Micaela 1
RBI: Edwards, Tallen 2 ; Naomi, Kiley 2 ; Carwile, Katelynn 1 ; Factor, Chyenne 1 ; Lott, Katie 1 ; Schneidmiller, Audre 3 ; Wark, Micaela 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Becker, Rachel 2 ; Edwards, Tallen 3 ; Naomi, Kiley 1 ; Wynne, Morgyn 1 ; Craig, Angelina 1 ; Carwile, Katelynn 2 ; Sokoloski, Haidyn 1 ; Lott, Katie 2 ; Schneidmiller, Audre 1 ; Wark, Micaela 1
SB: Lott, Katie 1
HBP: Edwards, Tallen 1
