NORMAN, Okla. — The Michigan softball team couldn’t score on Kansas freshman Lila Partridge for eight innings on Friday and then proceeded to pile on four runs against her on Saturday without Partridge even recording an out.
That was one of innumerable ways in which the Jayhawks’ and Wolverines’ rematch differed from their prior meeting, and the most prominent was in the final outcome, as Michigan won 12-10 at Love’s Field to eliminate KU from the NCAA Tournament.
The hot start from the Wolverines set the tone as they jumped ahead early, but KU rallied from a five-run deficit to surge in front in the sixth inning — only for Michigan center fielder Jenissa Conway to respond with a decisive three-run home run.
”I think it just kind of wraps up our year,” KU coach Jennifer McFalls said. “It’s exactly who this team was. We fought all year long, we just never quit. And I mean, it came down to the wire. Honestly, it’s going to be a pretty strong memorable game for these seniors, and I just couldn’t be more proud of what they did tonight.
“It was tough. Nobody likes to lose. But yeah, finishing a game like they did tonight, it was a crazy game and I’m just proud of their fight.”
In a stark contrast to Friday’s pitcher duel between Partridge and Gabby Ellis, no pitcher that either team trotted out experienced sustained success. KU’s Chloe Barber came closest over three solid innings of action before she gave up Conway’s homer in her fourth.
Conway finished a triple short of the cycle with four RBIs for the Wolverines. Ella Boyer and Campbell Bagshaw drove in three apiece for the Jayhawks, who finished the season 36-21, their best record under McFalls with the first postseason trip of her tenure.
“I think just all we could say was that we loved each other, and as seniors, it was like, this is the best way that we could have ever gone out,” Emma Tatum said. “The only word I can come up with is thankful for who these people are and this team that we got to be a part of.”
KU opened the game with consecutive base hits up the middle off Erin Hoehn, who had not pitched for Michigan in either of its two previous regoinal games. Hailey Cripe flied out on the first pitch of her at-bat, but Boyer saw one she liked on a 1-2 count and sent it over the wall in right field to give the Jayhawks a quick (and brief) 3-0 lead.
Michigan, for its part, opened with four consecutive hits of its own. Indiana Langford legged out an infield single, Lauren Putz doubled to left field, Ella Stephenson hit a line drive to a similar spot to bring in Langford and then Conway went the other way to make it 3-2.
After a mound visit, matters did not improve for Partridge, who immediately threw a wild pitch inside that got past Boyer. Stephenson scored, as did Conway when Boyer misfired on her throw to third.
That was it for Partridge as Lizzy Ludwig entered in relief for her first appearance since May 1. She promptly allowed a solo home run to Lilly Vallimont before collecting KU’s first three outs.
Michigan continued to threaten in the second. The Wolverines had runners on first and second with one out when a ball hit by Stephenson bounced off Bagshaw’s glove as she was trying to make a tough catch in foul territory. The at-bat continued with a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly that boosted Michigan’s lead to 6-3, and Ludwig gave way to Blakely Barber.
Barber’s first pitch slipped out of Boyer’s glove for a passed ball and Putz scored. Conway sprinted her way to a triple, Vallimont walked on four pitches and Hoehn dropped a bloop single into right field to make it 8-3 before Barber got the third out.
The Jayhawks mustered a response in the top of the third. Anna Soles managed an infield hit, Cripe walked and Boyer hit a first-pitch single up the middle. Bagshaw delivered a two-RBI single that chased Hoehn.
In came Haley Ferguson. She hadn’t appeared in three weeks but kept the Jayhawks guessing for a time, sitting down two batters before the pinch hitter Tatum lined out to second base to strand a pair of runners.
Michigan then replenished its lead with an RBI single by Carr, prompting KU to go to its bullpen for Chloe Barber, who had pitched earlier on Saturday in a 9-0 loss to Oklahoma.
Ferguson loaded the bases in the fourth by hitting Boyer with a pitch, and then Bagshaw drew a walk to make it 9-6. However, September Flanagan flied out to end the rally.
Barber retired three Wolverines in order as KU forced its first scoreless inning. Michigan, meanwhile, went to sophomore Kat Meyers in the circle. She struck out Ava Wallace, allowed two singles, but then induced a pair of groundouts.
Barber gave up her first hit, a two-out double by Avery Fantucci, but sent pinch hitter Lily Palko down swinging.
Cripe and Boyer opened the sixth inning with two more singles before Michigan removed Meyers in favor of Ellis, who had already pitched 14 1/3 innings in the Wolverines’ first two games in Norman.
Bagshaw’s sacrifice bunt moved the runners over, and Flanagan brought in one with a single before Ellis hit Wallace to load the bases.
Linduff sent an 0-1 pitch down the left-field line to bring in two runs and tie the game, and then KU pulled ahead 10-9 on a sacrifice fly by Kadence Stafford that scored Wallace.
“I just knew my teammates were behind me,” Linduff said. “They took that timeout right before my at-bat, and I felt everyone’s energy behind me and I just knew that I was doing it for them.”
Michigan didn’t take long to respond. After Putz walked, KU tried to get the lead runner on a bunt by Stephenson and was unsuccessful. That set up Conway for the decisive 1-2 swing that sent the ball over the fence in left-center field.
Cripe provided a one-out single in the seventh, but Boyer struck out swinging and Bagshaw flied out to center field.
The Jayhawks will graduate a memorable group of seven seniors — Bagshaw, Cripe, Presley Limbaugh, Linduff, Ludwig, Jaeden Murphy and Tatum — that, as Cripe put it, “started with basically nothing and we’re finishing here in the postseason.”
“We’re grateful to have the team we did this year because we had so much fun, and it’s genuinely been the most fun team I’ve been a part of,” Linduff said.
