ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Fourth-ranked Michigan kicked off its homestand in decisive fashion, cruising to an 11-2, five-inning win against Indiana on Friday evening in front of 1,415 fans at the Wilpon Complex, home of Alumni Field. It is the Wolverines' eighth consecutive win.
Aidan Falk led Michigan with a career-best three hits, including a pair of run-scoring singles as part of the Wolverines' 10-run second inning. Sierra Lawrence posted two hits and two runs batted in, while Sierra Romero and Tera Blanco drove in three runs apiece.
Megan Betsa (19-4) was solid from the circle, fanning 12 Hoosier batters while allowing two runs -- just one earned -- off four hits and four walks. It is her sixth double-digit strikeout performance in 11 starts.
The Hoosiers took advantage of U-M miscues to strike first in the top of the second inning, taking a pair of walks before scoring on a misfielded grounder to second base.
Michigan responded with 10 runs in the home half. The Wolverines loaded the bases with no outs and plated runs in five consecutive at-bats, including back-to-back RBI singles from Falk and Abby Ramirez before Romero knocked out a three-run home run.
The Wolverines wasted little time before reloading the bases -- on a hit-by-pitch and consecutive walks -- and Blanco took advantage, looping a two-run single down the line into shallow left field. Falk followed with an RBI single up the middle.
Betsa's got herself into a bases-loaded jam with no outs in the top of the third and walked in a run but struck out the in the next three batters on 13 pitchers to get herself out of it with no more damage done. She added two more strikeouts apiece in the fourth and fifth frames.
After failing to convert on a bases-loaded, no-out situation of their own in the third, the Wolverines padded their lead in the fourth when Lawrence ripped an RBI double down the left field line.
