OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – The Michigan Wolverines softball team fell to Florida, 4-1, in the rubber match of the Women's College World Series National Championship game Wednesday night.
Michigan, which was looking to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of its first softball championship in 2005, forced a Game 3 against the Gators with a 1-0 win Tuesday night. Haylie Wagner tossed a complete game shutout to defeat Lauren Haeger, the nation's best pitcher, in that game.
Recommended Videos
But Florida got to Wagner early in Game 3, scoring three runs in the first inning to put the Wolverines in a deep hole. The big blow came off the bat of Taylor Schwarz, who scored two with a single to left center.
Wagner lasted just 1 1/3 innings and allowed four runs. She was replaced by Megan Betsa in the 2nd inning.
Haeger took the early lead and ran with it, retiring the first six Wolverines she faced. She hit the first two batters of the 3rd inning, but bounced back to strike out Kelly Christner with the bases loaded to escape without any damage.
Betsa kept Michigan in the game, holding Florida at four runs with four scoreless innings, allowing just one hit.
Michigan finally got on the board in the 5th with a Sierra Romero RBI single to center field. Christer once again came to the plate with two outs as the tying run, but flew out to right center to end the threat.
Betsa lasted until the 6th inning, when Wagner came back in to get out of a bases loaded, one-out jam. Michigan entered its final at-bat needing three runs.
Abby Ramirez led off with an infield single to set up the top of the order, but Haeger retired Sierra Lawrence, Romero and Christner to end the game.
The win gave Florida its second straight National Championship in women's softball. The third-ranked Wolverines finished the season 60-8, with half of their losses coming against the champs.