Michigan softball one win away from advancing in NCAA tournament
On Friday night, it was no hits, as Michigan softball won its NCAA tournament opener in Seattle with a dominant performance from Meghan Beaubien against Seattle University.
On Saturday afternoon, against host and national No. 16-seed Washington, it was two hits — Lou Allen’s blast to left center to break up a scoreless tie in the top of the sixth inning, followed by Taylor Bump’s blast to make it 2-0 Michigan.
That was all the support Big Ten Pitcher of the Year Alex Storako needed. The junior, who entered Saturday’s start with 252 strikeouts in 136 innings, fanned 12 more over seven innings for a 2-1 win, putting the Wolverines one win away from advancing to the super regional round against the winner of the Norman, Oklahoma, regional (hosted by No. 1 overall seed Oklahoma).
FRIDAY NIGHT: Michigan softball wins opener, 2-0, with no-hitter by Meghan Beaubien
FIELD HOCKEY: Michigan field hockey loses national title game in OT, 4-3, to North Carolina
THE DRAW: Michigan softball headed to Seattle for NCAA tournament regional
At 8 p.m. Sunday, coach Carol Hutchins' Michigan squad will face the winner of Saturday’s late elimination game between Washington and either Seattle or Portland State, who were set to play an elimination game Saturday evening for the right to face the Huskies. If Michigan loses, they’ll play again at 11 p.m., with the winner advancing to the best-of-three-games super regional.
This is the second straight season Michigan has won its first two NCAA tournament games; the Wolverines started hot in the regional it hosted in 2019, only to lose both games on the third day of the regional in Ann Arbor to James Madison.
On Saturday afternoon, Washington’s Morganne Flores got a run back for the Huskies in the bottom of the sixth inning with a two-out home run to left, but Storako closed out the inning, then set down Washington in order in the seventh. Storako finished with three hits, one walk and one run allowed over seven innings. Washington’s Gabbie Plain was almost as good, holding U-M to five hits and no walks over six innings.
Contact Ryan Ford at rford@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @theford.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan softball one win away from advancing in NCAA tournament
