BTN.com staff, May 29, 2015
Michigan moves on in the winner's bracket! The Wolverines top Alabama, 5-0! #WCWS pic.twitter.com/QeD6wJVt2u
— NCAA Softball (@NCAAsoftball) May 29, 2015
No. 3 Michigan used stingy pitching and a pair of home runs to knock off No. 5 Alabama, 5-0, in its opening game of the Women's College World Series on Thursday evening at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium.
[ MORE: View the official NCAA tournament bracket ]
The Wolverines, winners of 26 consecutive games, will play No. 7 UCLA at 9:30 p.m. ET Friday night.
Sophomore RHP Megan Betsa (31-4) was superb from the circle, scattering four hits and a walk while fanning six Crimson Tide batters en route to her 11th complete-game shutout of the season.
Sophomore leftfielder Kelly Christner gave U-M an early advantage with a first-inning solo shot, and senior catcher Lauren Sweet added breathing room in the fourth, pounding out a her second grand slam of the season. The home runs accounted for two of the Wolverines' four hits off Alabama All-American Alex Osorio. Junior second baseman Sierra Romero and junior rightfielder Kelsey Susalla also posted hits in the four-run fourth.
Alabama threatened with a pair of hits in the sixth and put another runner with two outs in the seventh, before Betsa issued a three-pitch strikeout to end the game.
"Michigan did what Michigan does"
— Jordan Taylor (@7ordan7aylor) May 29, 2015
Pretty good way to put it. One down! Congrats girls!
Go blue. Way to get it done pic.twitter.com/2HN72nCxPX
— Samantha Findlay @samfins13 (@samfins13) May 29, 2015
Congrats to @umichsoftball on beating Alabama 5-0 in #WCWS #GoBlue
— Desmond Howard (@DesmondHoward) May 29, 2015
— Mike Hart (@MHart2032) May 29, 2015