VIERA, Fla. – Coming off an NAIA Regional appearance during the 2022 season. The University of Michigan-Dearborn (2-0) women's softball team kicked off a highly anticipated 2023 season with a pair of victories over Goshen College (1-4) on Monday (Feb. 27). The Wolverines played their first of what will be a grueling stretch of 17 games in 10 days at the USSSA Space Coast Spring Games.
Game One
The Wolverines wasted no time getting things started as they loaded up the bases in the bottom half of the first. Marisa Vermiglio and Gabby Rolak drew a pair of walks to score the first two runs of the season and give the Wolverines a 2-0 lead. Goshen would score their only earned run of the contest in the third when they led the frame off with a pair of singles, and back-to-back walks from Lanie Ellinger, helping the Maple Leafs cut the lead in half.
The Wolverine bats returned to work in the fourth when Ellinger helped her cause, driving in a run on a frozen rope to left field, scoring Amber Cheplick, and making it 3-1. UM-Dearborn would add two more runs in the fifth after Mia Nightingale saw her at-bat extended after a dropped pop-up in foul territory. Nightingale ripped the next pitch to right field for a two-RBI double, giving the Wolverines a 5-1 lead.
Ellinger (1-0) paced the Wolverines in the circle throwing a 150-pitch complete game and striking out nine batters. Ellinger surrendered three runs (one earned) on six hits and a trio of walks to win game one.
Game Two
The bats woke up in the second game scoring seven runs on 11 hits. Makenna Millhorn and Mia Nightingale each had two knocks and recorded an RBI. Millhorn doubled to the left field wall in the top of the first to score freshman Claire Muehlbrandt and give UM-Dearborn an early 1–0 lead. Grace Colclasure singled in Nightingale in the fourth to add another run to the scorebook.
The Wolverine's biggest inning of the day came in the fifth when Nightingale singled to right center to score Chloe Grimm. The next batter, newcomer Paige Maltby ripped a single to left field, scoring Vermiglio and Nightingale, and extended the Wolverine lead to five. Millhorn added her second rbi of the game in the sixth as she scored Cheplick on a single through the middle of the field. UM-Dearborn added their final run in the seventh, making it 7-0 heading into the bottom half. Goshen added one run but couldn't manage anything else, leading to a 7-1 final.
Sydni Uhlenberg (1-0) got credited with the win in game two after throwing a gem in the circle. Uhlenberg needed just 79 pitches (59 strikes) and scattered eight hits while surrendering the lone run in her final inning.
Up Next
Dearborn plays two more games on Tuesday (Feb. 28) against Ave Maria and Southeastern University at 4 & 6:30.
