Youngstown State's bats silenced by Michigan in first round of NCAA Regional Softball Tournament

May 20, 2006

Michigan 4, Youngstown State 0

Ann Arbor, Mich. - The Youngstown State softball team knew they were confronted with a daunting challenge when pitted against All-American pitcher Jennie Ritter and the defending national champion Michigan Wolverines (41-13) and both lived up to the billing. Ritter, who walked just one batter, fired her fifth career no-hitter with 15 strikeouts to lead the 13th-ranked Wolverines to a 4-0 victory over Youngstown State (22-26), Friday, in the NCAA Regional Softball Tournament at Alumni Field.

Youngstown State junior Karlie Burnell allowed just four hits and yielded four runs took the loss for the Penguins.

In the bottom of the second inning, Michigan's Alessandra Giampaolo belted a solo home run, her first of the year, to give the Wolverines a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning.

Michigan extended its lead to 2-0 in the bottom of the third after Tiffany Hass reached and advanced to second on an error by YSU center field Bethany Hafley, moved to third on Rebekah Milian's sacrifice bunt and scored on Becky Marx's sacrifice fly.

After two two-out walks, Giampaolo doubled to right-center field to plate pinch-runner Michelle Weatherdon and Samantha Findlay for the game's final two runs.

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