April 25, 2003
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - No. 16 Michigan's bats came alive in the eighth inning, as a bullet single to the pitcher scored the deciding run, giving the Wolverines a 2-1 edge over the Boilermakers in Game 1 of the series.
Melinda Moulden started the UM rally with a double through the right center gap. The next batter flew out, before Jessica Merchant singled to center field to put runners at the corners. Starting pitcher Leighann Burke reentered the game and intentionally walked UM's starting hurler Marissa Young, who had moved to first base after coming off the mound, to give the Boilermakers the force out at home. Burke then had to face relief pitcher Nicole Motycka, who came in to pinch hit for Lisa Mack, who was 0-for-2 on the day. The first pitch was a strike. Motycka chopped the second back at Burke, who couldn't recover in time to get the out at the plate.
The teams traded hits in the first three innings, but neither could capitalize on the base runners.
The first rally of the game came as Young put Jesse Jones aboard in the fourth with a two-out walk. Cheryl Buergler came in to pinch run and run she did as Andrea Roush sent a double straight up the left field line and Buergler rounded the bases to score the first run of the day. Roush stole third as Young walked designated player Laura Martin aboard. Pinch runner Katie Absher swiped second, before Shelli Messer received a free ticket to fill the empty spot at first and load the bases. The Wolverines then looked to Motycka to get them out of danger, and she delivered, striking out the next batter and stopping the bleeding.
Michigan tied it up with an unearned run in the bottom of the inning. Monica Shock and Merchant led off the inning with a pair of singles to shallow center field. The runners stayed put after a fly out and a strikeout, but a fielding error by the shortstop on a Grace Leutele grounder allowed pinch runner Michelle Teschler to score from second.
The Wolverines threatened in the sixth, but couldn't convert. The team started with a lead-off bloop single to shallow right field followed by a sacrifice bunt. They put a second runner aboard via walk, but a foul out to the catcher got Purdue out of the inning unscathed.
Both teams went down 1-2-3 in the seventh to force the extra stanzas.