University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Michigan
#24 Softball Upsets #5/8 Michigan, 1-0
February 08, 2009 | Softball
Feb. 8, 2009
BOCA RATON, Fla. - Brandice Balschmiter threw seven shutout innings, scattering six hits, while Carly Normandin and Whitney Mollica provided all the offense that was needed to give RV/#24 UMass softball the upset victory over #5/8 Michigan, 1-0, in its final game of the FAU "Kickoff" Classic in Boca Raton, Fla. on Sunday morning. With the victory, Elaine Sortino's Minutewomen improve to 4-1, the program's best start since 1987 (5-0).
The Minutewomen jumped on Wolverine's starter Jordan Taylor early. Normandin set the tone by leading the game off with a double to the right field corner. Then with one out, Mollica laced a single up the middle to score Normandin for the game's lone run.
It was the senior captain's fifth RBI of the season (grand slam vs. Maryland) and 130th of her career, tying her with Samantha Cardenas for fifth all-time at UMass.
UMass threatened again in the second, with Michelle Libby (double) and Carly Morin (single) getting back-to-back one-out hits off Taylor. Michigan then brought in lefty Nikki Nemitz, who got out of the jam when both UMass runners were thrown out on a first-and-third double-steal attempt.
Nemitz pitched well over the duration of the game allowing one hit and retiring the last 14 batters she faced, but Balschmiter (3-0) was up to the task on this day, striking out six and walking just one. The senior right-hander pitched herself out of jams whenever she needed to, picking up key strikeouts at opportune times.
There was no more opportune time than in the bottom of the fourth when Michigan put runners on first and second with one out. Balschmiter struck out Roya St. Clair for the second out and then induced a fly ball to Normandin in center to end the inning. She ended the game by retiring the last five batters.
Normandin finished the day 2-for-3, while Mollica, Libby, and Morin had the other UMass hits. Amanda Chidester and Dorian Shaw had two hits apiece for Michigan.
The game was a match-up of 1,000-win coaches, UMass' Sortino, now with 1,021 career wins (seventh among active coaches), and Michigan's Carol Hutchins, with 1,064 wins (fifth active). UMass assistant coach Jessica Merchant was a two-time All-American shortstop for Hutchins, graduating in 2005.
The Minutewomen have a weekend off before they head to Cathedral City, Calif. for the Cathedral City Classic. There they will face a tough five-game slate with match-ups against NC State, #13 Tennessee, #4 UCLA, #6 Oklahoma, and National Champion #3 Arizona State.
