When junior second baseman Indiana Langford raises her bat for a slap hit, the outcome is usually a runner on base for the Michigan softball team.
But at the bottom of the first inning against No. 7 UCLA, when Langford tried to execute her signature move, the outcome was instead a groundout —- the Wolverines’ first out of the game. It was a moment that set the tone for Michigan’s afternoon at the plate, as the Wolverines (32-16 overall, 9-8 Big Ten) failed to match the offensive might of the Bruins (43-7, 14-3), losing 5-3.
Senior right-hander Lauren Derkowksi did her part in the circle. Buoyed by a staunch defense, Derkowski retired batters through strikeouts and forced groundouts. This was exemplified at the bottom of the second. The Bruins loaded the bases after a two-run inning with a chance to put Michigan into a 6-0 hole, but Derkowski delivered. Striking out infielder Kaniya Bragg, Derkowski stranded the three baserunners and quelled the threat.
“She had a really good command of what she was doing,” Wolverines coach Bonnie Tholl said. “She utilized her change up. There are a few more times that I thought that we could have gotten the strike out of the situation, but it didn’t work out that way. I was just really pleased with her composure, especially when there were runners all over the place.”
Michigan also managed to silence UCLA’s offense in both the third and fourth innings, reflecting a valiant effort from the Wolverines. In a surprising cameo, senior right-hander Emerson Aiken provided relief, yielding just one run in two innings pitched.
“They’re a very good hitting team and capable of putting a lot of runs on the board,” senior left fielder Ellie Sieler said. “I really thought their approach was good, and hopefully we can get some more runs for them these next few days.”
However, the Bruins’ arsenal of offensive firepower proved too grand for even Michigan’s ace to overcome. The Bruins possess six hitters with a batting average of .300 or better, and though Derkowski did her part to strike out or force out batters, when one hitter dropped another equally effective one stepped in to take her place. As such, UCLA simply had to stick to a small ball approach replete with regular contact and effective baserunning to put runs on the board.
And Michigan’s offense failed to display the same fireworks. The Wolverines tabled just two hits and did not advance a runner past first base until the bottom of the fifth inning. Michigan went three-up three-down in two separate innings.
But, signs of life flickered in the second half of the game. In the bottom of the fifth, the Wolverines put two runs on the board off the back of a missed throw to first base. And in the sixth, Sieler singled and scored freshman first baseman Lauren Putz.
However, these flickers never amounted to more than that. In the seventh inning, the Bruins tacked on yet another insurance run. With the lineup turning over to the back end of Michigan’s order, the Wolverines found that it was too little and too late.
“We found ways to get ourselves back in the game and give ourselves a chance in the last inning to win it,” Tholl said. “And we just fell short in our effort tonight.”
And the game ended the way it began for Michigan — Langford grounding out to shortstop in an attempt to get to first. It illustrated the Wolverines’ offensive deficiencies that had persisted all game, and that had ultimately sunk them to defeat.
