Home runs push Michigan past Kentucky, into NCAA Tournament regional final

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The Michigan softball team lived to see another day, as it gained revenge on Kentucky in an elimination game Saturday night.

Propelled by two two-run home runs and solid pitching from its secondary pitchers, the Michigan softball team lived to see another day, as it gained revenge on Kentucky in an elimination game Saturday night.

In a game beginning just a half-hour after Michigan's walk-off win over Northern Colorado, the Wolverines scored two runs in the second and third innings, and took down the Wildcats, 4-2, to advance to the regional final of the NCAA Tournament. Michigan will face No. 5 Oklahoma State at 3 p.m. ET Sunday, and will need to beat the Cowboys twice to advance out of the regional.

Still, the Wolverines (43-17) will happily take their shot at Oklahoma State after going 2-0 in elimination games Saturday. At the plate, Michigan only mustered six hits, but made them count. In the second inning, Lilly Vallimont sent a homer down the left-field line one pitch after Jenissa Conway reached via hit-by-pitch to make it 2-0.

The following inning, Indiana Langford opened the frame with a single, then cleanup hitter Keke Tholl belted her team-leading 14th home run to left field to make it a 4-1 game, driving Kentucky (31-24) ace Stephanie Schoonover from the game.

Michigan only mustered one single the rest of the game, but had already done enough damage to dispatch the Wildcats. Giving ace Lauren Derkowski a game off to rest, the Wolverines got four strong innings from Erin Hoehn. She improved to 15-5 on the season, allowing eight hits, two unearned runs and walking none in her first game appearance of the postseason. Kentucky — who beat Michigan, 4-3 in walk-off fashion Friday — plated runs in the third and fourth innings, but ultimately left seven runners on base to Michigan's three. 

In relief, Hannah George earned her second save of the season thanks to three innings of shutout, no-hit work. Kentucky didn't strike out once in the game, but also only twice even advanced a runner to third base, and closed the game with nine straight outs.

While the Wolverines are undoubtedly more confident than they were at the beginning of Saturday, they will have their work cut out for them against Oklahoma State on Sunday. The Cowboys are 46-10 on the season, including 21-7 against RPI top-50 opponents. Led by potential All-American pitcher Lexi Kilfoyl, Oklahoma State has outscored Northern Colorado and Kentucky by a combined 12-2 margin this weekend.

The Cowboys are also playing on their home field, there they are 19-1 this season, with their lone loss coming to No. 1 Texas earlier this season. In all, Oklahoma State is 6-2 in games against the nation's other top six teams in the country, making them a tough out on paper for Sunday.

But multiple times on Saturday, Michigan looked like it would struggle to make it to Sunday, so the Wolverines will take any opportunity they can get.