Wagner goes the distance, forces decisive third game
MICHIGAN 1, FLORIDA 0
OKLAHOMA CITY — Haylie Wagner hadn’t started in more than two weeks, but she was ready when called upon.
The senior threw a completegame shutout, and Michigan beat Florida and ace Lauren Haeger 1- 0 on Tuesday night in the Women’s College World Series to force a deciding third game for the national championship.
Wagner earned the start based on her overall play at the World Series, and she kept it going. On Tuesday, she threw a perfect seventh inning and struck out the final two batters to help the Wolverines ( 60- 7) even the best- of- three series 1- 1.
“I knew it was going to be tough,” she said. “But I just went out there, attacked them, and I wasn’t going to let them beat me.”
Wagner is 3- 0 at the World Series and has thrown 19 innings without allowing an earned run.
Florida snapped Michigan’s 28- game winning streak Monday night, and the Wolverines vowed to come back ready.
“We rebounded from last night,” Michigan Coach Carol Hutchins said. “They got it together, our leadership got them together, and they came out here and they just played Michigan softball. They had great enthusiasm, and they had great heart.”
Kelsey Susalla’s single knocked in Sierra Lawrence in the first inning for the game’s only run. Haeger, the national player of the year, gave up only four hits, but she got no support and fell to 31- 2 on the season.
Florida ( 59- 7) could have become the first team to repeat since Arizona in 20062007. Now, Michigan is still alive for its first title since 2005. The teams meet today in a winner- take- all game.
Florida put runners on first and second with one out in the fourth, but failed to score.
Michigan missed a chance to extend its lead. Lawrence doubled in the fifth inning, but Sierra Romero hit into a double play to end the inning.
Florida’s Kirsti Merritt reached second in the sixth but did not advance.
Wagner got Haeger to pop out to start the seventh. Haeger had been 7 for 12 with three home runs in the World Series heading into that atbat.
“I just went after her,” Wagner said. “I attacked her, and I was going to find a way to get her out. And I was going to jam her up, I was going to throw my change- up, I was going to go outside. I was going to do whatever I can, and when I got her, I was pumped and I was excited.”
Both teams are in good position with their pitching staffs. Haeger threw just 68 pitches, Wagner threw 81, and regular starter Megan Betsa is rested.
“They can go back with Wagner [ today] if they want to go living off that momentum, or back to Betsa, who’s had a good season as well,” Florida Coach Tim Walton said. “I guarantee you that however many pitchers they have on their team and however many pitchers we have on our team, [ today], you’re going to see them all, no matter what it takes.”