M Softball v Notre Dame - Elimination Game Open Thread
Michigan faces Notre Dame at noon. The game has been bumped up to ESPN. Notre Dame beat Michigan 4-1 in Game 1. Michigan went on to beat UIC, and Notre Dame got crushed by Kentucky, forcing this loser's bracket rematch. The winner will take on Kentucky at 2:30 and would have to beat the Wildcats twice (if necessary game would be tomorrow) to advance to Super Regionals.
Notre Dame in their ugly green uniforms.
the Michigan bats are almost as ugly. C'mon ladies, lay some aluminum.
Hitting from the DP slot continues to be a weak spot.
ND LF robs a HR. Not great.
Falk looks like shes swinging a golf club sometimes. That's not a great strategy with a changeup pitcher.
Falk hit better as a Junior, batting .347, although she tied for the team lead in strikeouts with 23 (in 150 AB). This year her average is down to .308, and she is leading the team in strikeouts with 43 (in 159 AB).
she keeps throwing that changeup..they KNOW its coming and they just stand there..gotta connect its coming all the time
this team is so lackluster at he plate, it's painful
Last night Kentucky had no problem hitting this ND pitcher, but Michigan has only scored 1 run against her in 11 innings.
I hate slap hitters. That is all.
Sorry, double post
They can be really effective if they can consistently chop it really hard into the ground... but it takes a lot of skill. From my viewpoint as a bystander following the team, Michigan has forced previous power hitters into this role because of their speed and the need to fill this made up role.
The changeup and smash it.
Yeah. I don't get it.
I could be wrong, but has a Michigan team had this little power in recent history? I would like to see how little home runs this team has compared to the past.
Michigan had 118 HR In 2015, 86 in 2016, 54 in 2017, and only 44 this year. Not a good trend.
Runners on 2nd & 3rd, 1 out. Now let's go!
Woo! 1-0 U-M!
Shit, not a good start.
Awesome.
Hutch would be gone. That was an embarrassment on National television.
in 2017. She's won Michigan's only National Championship in softball and was in the title game as recently as 2015. She coached the Big Ten's only National Championship and has the conference's most recent appearance as well.
She's a legend, and more importantly, she's a legend that is *still* winning Big Ten titles and recruiting nationally prominent players despite inherent disadvantages that cold weather climate teams have to deal with. She's also won 19 Big Ten regular season titles and 9 tournament titles and is a 17-time Big Ten coach of the year, including this year.
She's a consistent winner in the conference and has Michigan on the national scene year-in and year-out. She's not going anywhere, until she wants to.
On April 27 this team was 39-6, had won 33 of 34, and hadn't allowed more than four runs in a game all year. You'd fire a coach who's been a consistent winner because her team (which has just two seniors who play much) had 3 bad weeks?
These are the clowns I'm talking about when I say this time of year is bittersweet because it attracts them since it's on ESPN.
Just stay away and keep your ridiculous hottakes to football. Hutch is the winningest coach in Michigan Athletics history and college softball history you bozo.
ridiculous positions, at least use words and stuff. It's like your brain took a crap and forgot to wipe!
Dumb rule
So are they one out away from their season ending or do they go 9 innings like baseball?
We give away way too many outs forcing small ball on a team that can't bunt.
Wow that was pretty disappointing to watch.
Ah the traditional eliminated on a defensive fuckup. I am not a fan of this tradition.
Won the B1G Championship.
Disappointing end to a great season.
I think the program is still in fine shape, but if we aren't hosting a regional (or at least making a late run to Oklahoma City) we can't call it a great season.