The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/315684
BIG TENS/NCAAS: SOFTBALL It's not every day that the Michi- gan softball team cracks into ESPN SportsCenter's top 10 plays of the day. But, following a dramatic 5-4 upset win over host Arizona State in the NCAA Tempe Regional May 18, that's exactly where the highlights ended up. Michigan had beaten the Sun Devils 4-3 earlier in the day to force an all-or- nothing final game to advance to the Super Regionals. Down 4-3 heading into the final in- ning and facing Arizona State's Dallas Escobedo, one of the best pitchers in the country, with 19 career NCAA Tourna- ment wins to her name, the Wolverines rallied in the final inning. Sophomore outfielder Sierra Lawrence jacked a solo home run, her second of the game and third of the regional, to knot the score at four. On the very next pitch, senior first baseman Taylor Has- selbach crushed a deep home run to center field, giving Michigan its first lead of the day. Hasselbach, had, to that point, had a rough tournament. In the four previ- ous NCAA Tournament games — an 8-7 win over San Diego State May 16, a 4-1 loss to Arizona State May 17, a 9-1 win over San Diego State May 17 and the aforementioned 4-3 triumph over Ari- zona State — Hasselbach had gone just 1 for 10 at the plate. "When I went up, Sierra Lawrence just told me she believed in me," Hasselbach said. "She knows I can do it. I'm due, and just to see the ball and just keep it sim- ple. It's indescribable just because there was a lot of overcoming [challenges]; it's a lot of courage, and this team has a lot of bravery, and I think we showed that today." That left Arizona State to try to rally in the bottom of the seventh inning. With one runner on base, Amber Freeman jacked a bomb to center field — and, U-M Wins League Regular-Season Title, Advances To Super Regionals Senior first baseman Taylor Hasselbach delivered the go-ahead home run in the sev- enth inning to help U-M notch a dramatic 5-4 upset of Arizona State in the NCAA Tempe Regional. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS