OKLAHOMA CITY – A three-run sixth by Michigan powered the Wolverines (59-6) to a 6-3 win over No. 5 LSU and earned them a trip to the WCWS Championship series, Sunday afternoon ASA Hall of Fame Stadium.
It will be the first series appearance for Michigan since it won it all in 2005, the first year of the three-game format. The Tigers (52-14) season comes to an end with their highest finish since reaching the semifinals in 2004.
Michigan will face defending champion Florida in the championship series, which starts tomorrow, June 1 at 8:00 ET.
Sierra Lawrence came up with the big hit in the decisive sixth, roping a two-run double just inside the third base bag. The second attempted double steal of the inning plated the final run as Lawrence slid safely home to make it 6-3.
For the second straight game, Haylie Wagner (24-2) picked up the win in relief. She tossed 3.1 innings of scoreless ball and allowed two hits, struck out five and walked one. Megan Betsa started and went the first 3.2 innings, allowing three runs on four hits with five punchouts, two walks and two hit batters.
Lawrence finished 1-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored. Tera Blanco and Lindsay Montemarano each finished 2-for-2 with a run scored for the Wolverines.
Each team posted a run in their respective second and third innings. The Tigers opened the scoring on a sacrifice fly from Constance Quinn. Sierra Romero laced one down the leftfield line off the video tower to even things up in the bottom of the third.
In the fourth, both teams pushed across two runs. The Tigers regained the lead on a two-run, two-out double by Bailey Landry. However, a two-out RBI single by Abby Ramirez followed by a throwing error on a double steal quickly made it a new ball game at 3-3.
Sandra Simmons was the lone Tiger with more than one hit, going 2-for-3 with a run scored and two stolen bases. Carley Hoover (18-7) suffered the defeat in 5.1 innings of work She allowed six runs, five earned on eight hits with four walks and three strikeouts.
