Michigan fails to seize the big moments in NCAA Regional final against Oklahoma State

The Michigan softball team’s matchup against No. 5 Oklahoma State was bound to have big moments. 

That’s expected in the NCAA Tournament, but the stakes were raised in Sunday’s Regional final. A loss for the Wolverines would send them home while a win would force them into a doubleheader — so mundane plays became crucial, and every at-bat became key. 

In playing on the biggest stage Michigan has experienced this season, controlling and thriving in those moments would be paramount. Against the Cowgirls, the Wolverines had to be virtually perfect. 

The Wolverines are familiar with the concept of big moments. After getting swept by Northwestern, Michigan coach Bonnie Tholl proposed a solution that didn’t involve a tweak of technique or a tangible adjustment.

“We are learning every moment to play in the big moments, to live in the big moments,” Tholl said April 7. “That is what we need to do … and I think it’s going to pay off.”

It did, to the tune of a 14-game win streak after that series sweep. The Wolverines’ offense improved significantly, and their defense sharpened up too. And since then, Michigan has continued to preach living in the big moments, all while accruing a 19-3 record.

But on Sunday in Stillwater, Okla., surrounded by throngs of rowdy fans in orange and black, the Wolverines folded when facing those big moments.

Michigan’s descent began as most descents do. 

It started with a peak, when the Wolverines tallied four hits and a run in the opening inning to knot the score at one apiece. It was a big moment that was quickly trumped by a bigger one, when the bases were loaded two at-bats later.

The chance to build an early lead, and potentially spark an upset, was clear.

“Those hits aren’t gonna be abundant,” Tholl said. “ … One more key hit, we can maybe score two, and it might change the complexion of the game.”

But Michigan couldn’t get a hit, and its slow yet steady decline began.

Following the Wolverines’ silent second inning, Oklahoma State’s batter popped a ball up just short of the circle. But as Michigan senior first baseman Keke Tholl ran in to secure it, sophomore third baseman Maddie Erickson did too. The resulting cross-field collision, although ending in an out, left Keke with a limp and the Wolverines’ infield much shakier than before. Whether it was the pressure of the moment or a simple miscommunication, Michigan’s defense started to unravel.

Another big moment arose in the top of the fourth. With two outs and a runner on first, Erickson couldn’t corral a ground ball, as it rolled under her glove and through her legs. While the missed inning-ending opportunity didn’t result in any extra runs to extend the Wolverines’ deficit, it was another fissure in Michigan’s defense.

Nearly every time the Wolverines faced a big moment, they failed to turn it into anything significant.

For five consecutive innings, Michigan’s batters were stifled and held hitless. For 17 at-bats, in 17 opportunities, the Wolverines couldn’t produce.

And when freshman center fielder Jenissa Conway lined a double in the seventh frame to end Michigan’s five-inning hit drought, it was too late — the Cowgirls were one out away from capping off the 4-1 win. After overwhelming the Wolverines for five straight innings, Oklahoma State kept its control in the final moment of the game.

Maybe it was the pressure of facing the best team Michigan had seen all season. Maybe it was the buildup of a few mishaps in the infield. Maybe it was just nerves coming to the surface in the Wolverines’ biggest match of the year.

No matter what the cause was, the outcome was evident. When the big moments materialized, Michigan couldn’t capitalize.

The post Michigan fails to seize the big moments in NCAA Regional final against Oklahoma State appeared first on The Michigan Daily.


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