By shutting out Ohio State 9-0, the Michigan softball team didn’t just advance to the Big Ten Quarterfinals — it also reignited an offense that recently hasn’t been on its best game. And the Wolverines offensive dominance was largely owed to the bottom of the lineup and its ability to under pressure.
“When the second half of your lineup is turning the lineup around and they’re getting hits, and
they’re being productive, it’s going to be a good day for the Wolverines,” Michigan coach Bonnie Tholl said.
And on Wednesday, it was a good day for the Wolverines. Facing a team like the Buckeyes who have demonstrated incredible offensive power on the season, notably tallying 116 homers, Michigan was able to do what Ohio State could not — score.
“I asked them to be bold from the moment they stepped on the bus today,” Tholl said. “We’re gonna need that boldness when we’re stepping into the box and making plays defensively.”
Starting with redshirt junior catcher Lilly Vallimont batting in the five hole, the second half of the Wolverines’ lineup tallied nine of the 12 total hits made throughout the game. These hits propelled Michigan to a win that silenced a potent Buckeyes offense even without the help of its most prolific hitter: sophomore right fielder Lauren Putz, who was previously batting .448 on the season and who is just two homers shy of tying the personal home run record set by former infielder Sierra Romero in 2013. However, against Ohio State on Wednesday she faced an unusual slump, unable to make contact with the ball during any of her at bats. She reached base only once due to one of the Buckeyes’ routine fielding errors.
Luckily for the Wolverines, Putz didn’t need to be on her game for them to excel. Though it took an inning for the bottom of the lineup to warm up, senior third baseman Maddie Erickson instigated the top of the second with a powerful double that reached the center field wall. A long-ball single by senior second baseman Janelle Ilacqua plated Erickson at third, poised to score. But the top of the order wasn’t able to capitalize off the setup on the field and the inning ended without any more movement, stranding two runners on base.
But again, the second half of the lineup stepped up in the top of the third. Redshirt junior Lilly Vallimont stepped up to plate with one out on the board and slammed her 10th home run of the season far over the top of the center field wall and the net that doubled its height. Following Vallimont’s solo homer, a double from freshman shortstop Kiley Carr that escaped the left fielder’s mitt and a walk drawn by Erickson set the game board up just right for Ilacqua to send a single into an empty space, bringing Carr home. Ilacqua would tally another hit in the top of the fourth that brought another runner across the plate, going 3-for-3 from the nine spot in the batting order.
“It’s really important to just go ahead and have your best at bat,” Ilacqua said. “And not really let, ‘Oh, there’s a runner on third base,’ or, ‘I need to score an RBI,’ and those kinds of thoughts seep into your mind. Just go up there and try to hit the ball hard. And then it’s also knowing and having faith in our pitching staff and our offense, and if I don’t get it done, next inning it’ll get done. It really takes off a lot of the pressure.”
Without its usual offensive instigator at the helm, the bottom of Michigan’s lineup didn’t clam up. On the stage when it was needed most, the Wolverines spread the production throughout their lineup and outhit Ohio State.
