Bloomington, Ind. — In a game filled with offensive struggles, all Michigan freshman outfielder Lexie Blair needed was one pitch. Blair launched a solo home run over…
Bloomington, Ind. — In a game filled with offensive struggles, all Michigan freshman outfielder Lexie Blair needed was one pitch.
Blair launched a solo home run over the right-field fence at Andy Mohr Field to end an eight-inning duel and send top-seeded Michigan to the semifinals of the Big Ten softball tournament with a 1-0 walk-off victory Friday over No. 9 Illinois.
The Wolverines (41-11) advance to play No. 5 Wisconsin in the first semifinal on Saturday.
BOX SCORE: Michigan 1, Illinois 0 (8 inn.)
“I was just trying to stay loose,” Blair said. “I don’t like to think too much, but right before I had Kenzie (teammate Mackenzie Nemitz) telling me just to be me. Little things like that are helpful just to know the team is on your side. Even though the game is on the line, we were still keeping our energy high.”
Blair’s homer, her sixth of the season, was one of just seven hits for the Wolverines off Illinois’ Taylor Edwards (5-8).
Michigan and Illinois (32-23) battled back and forth over the course of seven innings before anyone broke through. Every time a team was on the verge of scoring, a defensive play would end the threat.
Illinois second baseman Avrey Steiner doubled off Michigan runners in the third and fourth innings after catching line drives hit at her.
