For the entire season, the Michigan softball team has struggled to defeat a ranked opponent. The Wolverines come up short every time, watching each game turn in their favor, before quickly falling out of grasp. For the returning Big Ten Tournament champions, this season has not been reminiscent of that once-successful team.
Michigan is a solid team, having proven its offensive and defensive capabilities. However, those pieces often aren’t simultaneously playing at their best. With only one more regular-season series before the Big Ten Tournament, the Wolverines need to put all the pieces together and click before their time runs out. Otherwise, the postseason will likely end just as their regular season — with no wins over a ranked opponent.
The pattern started almost instantly in a game against then-No. 3 Florida. In its season-opening weekend, Michigan was still sorting out some of its kinks and got run-ruled by a team it beat twice last season. The next weekend, the Wolverines faced then-No. 10 Georgia, holding the Bulldogs to a much closer margin than the Gators. But the game fell just out of reach due to a lack of offensive production.
With an opportunity for victory in a showdown with then-No. 8 Duke, Michigan finally had the chance to learn from the game against Georgia. But a third-inning defensive collapse, coupled with the Wolverines’ bats never heating up to their full potential, led to another shattering one-run loss.
“I’m going to tell you that I look at the field today and we didn’t get it done,” Michigan coach Bonnie Tholl said Feb. 27 after the loss against the Blue Devils. “But we are just as talented as the team that we played today, and a few miscues made the difference. And I truly believe that we need to mature in that area.”
Michigan’s next opportunity to demonstrate its maturity came against a conference opponent. For the first two games in the series against then-No. 6 Oregon, the Wolverines had a shot, even leading by two runs in the second game when heading into the bottom of the seventh inning. But both games saw a defensive collapse that led to two devastating losses.
It was a case of Michigan’s offense doing enough, while its defense just didn’t rise to the occasion. While the series against the Ducks showed a team that could potentially pull through, the Oregon series was just the middle of a never-ending story. And that’s a narrative the Wolverines simply can’t continue to keep writing if they want a chance at a successful postseason.
Two weeks later, against rival No. 24 Ohio State, Michigan suffered what was perhaps the most brutal series of its season, a 3-0 sweep. The Wolverines lost the first two games of the series again due to defensive collapses. And the issue was that Michigan couldn’t compensate with a strong offense. Under pressure, Michigan cracked — and that’s been one of the biggest differences between it and its ranked opponents all season: The ability to stay composed when it matters most.
The Wolverines’ opponents knew how to score when they were down, and that’s something Michigan has struggled with the entire season. As the team looks toward Big Ten Tournament aspirations, it’s something they need to address — and quickly.
“It seems like (losing has) happened to us a few weekends here against really top opponents,” Tholl said April 20 after the Ohio State series. “The game is trading blows. That’s what the game has come to. … The game isn’t going to adjust for us. We have to adjust to the game.”
With just one more shot to prove themselves this past weekend against the ninth-ranked Bruins, the Wolverines needed to finally click. Because, in actuality, Michigan is a good team. It has power hitters in sophomore center fielder Jenissa Conway and freshman designated hitter Lauren Putz, and it has some of the best fielders in senior shortstop Ella McVey and sophomore right fielder Ella Stephenson. The Wolverines just needed to execute a strong offense and defense simultaneously.
In the series against UCLA, Michigan found enough offensive production to keep the Bruins on their toes. But something just wasn’t there for the Wolverines, mainly in their offense. In Game 2, Michigan put up what was probably its best defensive performance to date, but again, consistent offense was nowhere to be found.
“I think you learn how to win in big moments when you do it a few times,” Tholl said Monday. “And trust me, if we would have had some of those victories earlier in the season, it’s a lot easier to beat Oregon. It’s a lot easier to beat Ohio State. It’s a lot easier to beat UCLA.”
Tholl’s right. Last season, Michigan got a taste of beating ranked opponents with early wins against Florida and sweeter wins against the unranked Buckeyes and Nebraska. The Wolverines knew they could do it.
Michigan has proven to have both an impenetrable defense and a fiery offense — they just haven’t happened at the same time. Simply put, the Wolverines’ biggest opponent seems to be themselves. If they can find a way to get their offense and defense going at the same time, they will pose a threat to the ranked teams at the Big Ten Tournament.
But that’s also been the most difficult part of Michigan’s season — finding ways to click. And if it can’t figure out ways to do so before time runs out, it risks ending the season without a single statement win in a season not nearly as disastrous as it looks on paper.
