NCAA Softball Event: Michigan’s Meghan Beaubien ‘dominant’ in no-hitter vs. Seattle

For the first time this season, a non-Big Ten softball team faced Michigan’s pitching staff on Friday.

The number 2 Wolverines, who topped the NCAA tournament with an ERA of 1.10, continued to dominate the circle. Senior Meghan Beaubien threw a no-hitter in a 2-0 win over Seattle No. 3, hit 12 and allowed only three base runners in a regional NCAA opener in Seattle.

“She was as dominant as the statistics would show,” said Seattle coach Geoff Hirai. “She did a great job mixing speeds and spinning the ball. She’s just a great mug.

“Sometimes you have to tip the cap over for what it is. We came across a circular saw. “

The no-hitter is Beaubien’s seventh of her career and the second in a row. They threw a perfect five-inning game in an 11-0 win over Rutgers on Saturday.

“It’s a nice little pride thing,” said Beaubien. “It’s nice to say that you didn’t get any hits in this game, but the most important thing is to get the win. The no-hitter is a fun little award, but I think the best thing for me is that it shows you what works and gives you confidence in the rest of the games in the area. “

Michigan head coach Carol Hutchins was furious on Sunday after her team failed to receive a top 16 seed, forcing them to travel across the country instead of hosting a regional one. The Wolverines clinched a Big Ten title with a 36-6 record, but played a conference-only schedule in 2020 that hurt the RPI.

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The new competition didn’t get Beaubien Friday into phase, but Michigan’s offense has been relatively calm. The Wolverines scored their first run in the third inning on a wild field and Taylor Bump hit their eleventh home run of the season in the six. They had six hits against Seattle’s Carley Nance, who led the Western Athletic Conference with a 2.84 ERA.

“The first night of the NCAA tournament can only be the toughest night,” said Hutchins. “And even on nights when we’ve had a lot of trouble, we usually don’t have it until later. I won’t lose it, more than half of our team has never participated as a starter in an NCAA tournament. I thought we started opening it up a bit and had some better cuts later in the game. “

It won’t get any easier for Michigan on Saturday when it takes on Washington with the number 1 at 6 p.m. The Huskies (42-11) also felt insulted by the selection committee and were given number 16 overall, despite ranking number 5 in the USA Today / Coaches poll.

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They beat Portland State 3-0 behind Gabbie Plains’ double on Friday. She started Friday with a 29-2 record and a 1.19 ERA with 302 strokes in 200 1/3 innings.

Hutchins didn’t reveal their pitching schedule for Saturday, but the Wolverines also boast Big Ten Pitcher of the Year in Alex Storako, who is 21-3 with 0.88 ERA.

“It’s a tough matchup,” Hutchins said of Washington. “Gabbie Plain is arguably one of the best pitchers in the country, and we have our own pitching team. I think it’s a difficult series and most of all we just have to trust ourselves and hold ourselves in position to have a chance of victory. “

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