Michigan roundup: Softball ousted in NCAA Tournament; women's rowing wins Big Ten

The Michigan softball team climbed its way out of the elimination bracket but could never find any offensive rhythm against Oklahoma State’s tough pitching and saw its NCAA Tournament hopes end.

Oklahoma State, the No. 5 overall seed, defeated the Wolverines 4-1 on Sunday in the Regional final at Cowgirl Stadium and will host a Super Regional for the fifth-straight year. Michigan, under second-year head coach Bonnie Tholl, won the Big Ten Tournament to earn an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament, which the Wolverines missed last year for the first time since 1994. They finished this season 43-18.

"Incredibly proud of this group," Tholl told reporters. "Last year we didn't make the NCAA Tournament and they made a committment this year that we were going to make things different, so to have 43 wins on the season is quite the turnaround."

Tholl credited her assistant coaches and the players for putting in the work to "making Michigan relevant again, where we belong."

Michigan advanced from the elimination bracket by winning two games on Saturday, a 4-2 win over Northern Colorado and then a 4-2 win against Kentucky. The Wolverines had lost its opening game in the double-elimination regional 4-3 to Kentucky last Friday. They needed to defeat Oklahoma State twice on Sunday to make a Super Regional.

Oklahoma State pitcher Lexi Kilfoyl was the standout of the game. She gave up five hits and one run through seven innings and struck out eight. Michigan was retired in order in five straight innings beginning with the second.

"You're facing an All-American pitcher, and those hits are not going to be plentiful," Tholl said.

The Cowgirls (46-10) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on an RBI single from Tallen Edwards that scored Jilyen Poullard, but Michigan tied it that inning when senior first baseman Keke Tholl singled to right, scoring Ellie Sieler. The Wolverines, however, left the bases loaded.

The Cowgirls regained the lead in the top of the second, 2-1, when Lexi McDonald hit a home run to left field. At that point, Kilfoyl took over and Michigan could not generate any offense.

Meanwhile, in the top of the third inning, there was a collision on defense for Michigan which left Tholl with what coach Bonnie Tholl said on the ESPN broadcast was a turned ankle. She batted in the third, but sat out two innings before returning to bat in the bottom of the sixth.

While Michigan’s offense was stagnant, Oklahoma State took control in the fifth inning, 4-1, on two-run home run by Karli Godwin to left center.

Michigan pitcher Lauren Derkowski gave up seven hits, including two home runs, and she had four strikeouts.

"Went out there, trusted myself," Derkowski said. "I know they're a really good-hitting team, so give credit where credit is due."

Tholl, a former Michigan softball standout and longtime assistant coach to Hall of Fame coach Carol Hutchins, took over as head coach last season. The Wolverines went 26-25 and missed the tournament. Tholl said the players in the offseason said they wanted to be "driven and energetic" to return the program to postseason relevance. She is confident that will be a constant now.

"I have no doubt the work ethic is going to remain," Tholl said. "That's the legacy of Michigan softball."

Michigan rowers win Big Ten title

The Michigan women’s rowing team, ranked No. 9 nationally, won 189 of a possible 192 points to earn the program’s ninth Big Ten title on Sunday at Devil’s Lake State Park in Wisconsin. It was the third-highest team score in Big Ten championship history.

Michigan gets the Big Ten’s automatic qualifier for the NCAA championship May 31-June 2) in Bethel, Ohio on East Fork/Harsha Lake. This is the Wolverines’ 16^th-straight postseason appearance.

Michigan tennis in NCAA singles

The Michigan women’s tennis team lost in the NCAA quarterfinals to Pepperdine last Friday and now the NCAA Singles Championship begins Monday for three Wolverines in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Kari Miller, ranked No. 5 nationally, will face Stanford’s Alexandra Yepifanova (No. 29), Julia Fliegner, ranked No. 27, will play the nation’s No. 2-ranked player, Amelia Rajecki of N.C. State, and Gala Mesochoritou, ranked No. 58, will face Carolina Gomez Alonso (No. 34). Miller and Jaedan Brown, ranked No. 8 in doubles, will participate in the doubles event.

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