Softball: Derkowski 2, Nemeth 0, and Another Big Ten Sweep

This weekend, the challenge was in getting to Penn State's star freshman Bridget Nemeth, who entered the weekend 21st in the country in ERA (1.43) and second in the conference to Northwestern's Ashley Miller. With a record of 21-3, would she prove to be Michigan's nemethis? (I deserve some down-votes for that one).

Derkowski has had an up-and-down season. No end of responsibility - she is the team's number-one pitcher and without her, the pitching staff wouldn't hold up at all. She has been great the last two weeks. This was her finest weekend as a Wolverine.

Winning this series meant locking the Wolverines into second place in the Big Ten, and even moving off the NCAA bubble - something that seemed impossible a few weeks ago when the Wolverines had an RPI just south of 100. Penn State was eighth in the conference and 62nd in Division I at 5.20 runs per game entering the weekend. Their RPI was 30th - best in the Big Ten.

All told, Derkowski threw 16 innings this weekend, allowing only 15 baserunners and two runs. And the Wolverines got to Nemeth just enough - tagging her with her fourth and fifth losses of the year.

Michigan went 4-0 this weekend, and is now on a 13-game winning streak. The Wolverines are 37-14 overall and 17-3 in the conference, trailing only Northwestern (17-2). They've clinched sole possession of second place, though they would need a Wildcat loss to claim first. Northwestern got a break this week - weather moved up their series-ending game at Nebraska to Saturday night. It was delayed into today after a series of thunderstorms came through in the fourth inning with Nebraska up five runs. More thunder and lightning kept the game from resuming today.

Tuesday: Michigan 9, Oakland 4

On Tuesday, the Wolverines traveled up the highway to Rochester to face Oakland in a recently-scheduled mid-week contest. On paper, you wonder about the move, since Oakland is 144th in RPI and they held the Wolverines to a pair of solo home runs in a 2-0 game last month. The Horizon League leaders are dangerous, but don't have powerful bats. Their RPI is solely due to weaker competition, but their pitching is solid and they've only allowed three home runs this entire season not hit by Michigan players. Seems like a situation where a loss could cause harm and a win doesn't help their NCAA chances.

Erin Hoehn started, stranded five runners on base in the first two innings and allowed two singles to open the third. Hannah George, getting more and more responsibility lately, entered and kept Oakland from breaking it open. Michigan tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the fourth with an Ella Stephenson triple. The Wolverines broke it open in the fifth with five more runs and then three in the seventh, Stephenson with two more RBI hits.

Friday: Michigan 2, Penn State 0

Nemeth made it look easy early, striking out five of the first nine batters she faced as the Wolverines went hitless until the top of the fourth inning. Derkowski was up to the Penn State challenge, though. Michigan broke through in the fifth, freshman Jenissa Conway walking, then stealing second with two outs. Ella McVey, providing a very steady presence at the bottom of the order (.349 on-base percentage), lined a single to left field, scoring Conway. The Wolverines added a run in the sixth when Maddie Erickson hit her ninth home run of the season, pretty much directly over the left-field foul pole (which is in fair territory, because baseball and softball love their contradictions).

Derkwoski came up big in her most important game of the season, allowing just three hits, walking three, striking out nine and hitting a batter over seven innings. Nemeth only allowed five baserunners in the loss, but the offense made them count.

Saturday: Michigan 14, Penn State 3 (6 innings)

Hoehn took the mound for Michigan's 50th game this season. A win would clinch the weekend series and at least a tie for second place in the Big Ten standings. However, the team's Achilles Heel emerged again - the pitchers are hitting opposing batters just about everywhere except the heels. With two out in the first and a 2-2 count, Hoehn hit Liana Jones, then cleanup hitter Gaby Garcia homered to give the Nittany Lions the lead. It was Michigan's 60th hit batter of the season - the Wolverines entered the weekend leading Division I by nine assaults.

This was expected to be the high-scoring game in the series. Penn State's pitchers aside from Nemeth were only 12-9 on the season. Michigan struck back in the second inning, quickly loading the bases and pushing across three runs on three hits. But Hoehn also loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning with one out, and Hannah George, as she has in most of Hoehn's starts lately, entered the game early. She struck out Penn State's leadoff hitter and most dangerous threat, Maddie Gordon, then induced a grounder back to the box to end the threat.

Erickson homered in the third, Conway homered in the fifth and Lilly Vallimont homered in a seven-run sixth inning to provide the Wolverines with a mercy victory. George went four and two-thirds innings, allowing four baserunners. She picked up the sixth victory of her career - all of them this April.

Sunday: Michigan 3, Penn State 2 (9 innings)

Derkowski struck out 12 Nittany Lions, her season high, in a nail-biter that turned on single at-bats several times. Keke Tholl opened the scoring in the fourth inning with an RBI single, Penn State countered. Tholl homered in the sixth inning (her 14th this season - most by a Wolverine since Sierra Romero's senior year), Penn State countered with a two-out RBI single in the seventh from a freshman pinch-hitter in the ninth spot in the order.

The Wolverines scored again in the ninth. With two out, Conway singled and stole second base. Vallimont lined a single into left field and coach Bonnie Tholl never hesitated to send Conway home, even though it looked like an easy out. The throw was a little soft (that's scouting for you; point Tholl) and Conway, one of two Wolverines with double-digit steals this season, slid under the tag. Derkowski took out the Nittany Lions in order in the bottom of the inning for the victory.

NCAA Overview:

Michigan entered the weekend 43rd in RPI. Penn State leads the Big Ten at 30th - Northwestern had some non-conference issues, like Michigan, and was 33rd. The sweep, especially since it was on the road, should move Michigan solidly into the mid-30s. That's almost a certain NCAA bid. Unless they're swept next weekend and fail to win a conference tournament game, I think the NCAA bid is going to happen.

Next Week:

The mid-week game hosting Notre Dame was canceled. The Wolverines host Ohio State to end the regular season next weekend. Entering today, the Buckeyes had the second-longest winning streak in the conference at nine games (mostly against the bottom of the league), and sit at the end of a log-jam of teams with 7-9 conference losses running from third to ninth in the standings. The Buckeyes were 55th in RPI going into the weekend, 30th in scoring, but 163rd in ERA. The Big Ten has been a hitting-rich league this year.

This will be the final home series for several Wolverines: Keke Tholl, Ryleigh Carricaburu, Jessica LeBeau and Hannah George. They will also honor fifth-year senior Kaylee America Rodriguez, who has missed the last two seasons recovering from cancer treatment. She has traveled with the team this year and is more a bench coach and constant inspiration. Maybe she'll get an at-bat next Sunday. The team would love to see that.