Michigan’s season-long offensive inconsistency encapsulated in series sweep to Minnesota

In the second game of the weekend series against Minnesota, the Michigan softball team tallied 11 hits and 10 runs. And in the other two games combined, the Wolverines recorded seven hits and zero runs — encapsulating their offensive floor and ceiling. 

Entering the weekend, Michigan won two back-to-back dominant run-rule wins against weaker non-conference opponents. That dominance, though, quickly disappeared in the series opener against the Golden Gophers on Friday. After suffering an early deficit, the Wolverines slotted a single in the third and fifth inning — each at the start of the inning with no outs — but couldn’t amass any further offense. 

With Minnesota’s ace, right-hander Autumn Pease, in the circle, Michigan’s season-long offensive woes were on full display. The Wolverines’ bats fell silent as they struggled to utilize their small ball tactics to move runners along the base, let alone bring them home, leading to a shutout. 

“We need to shore up (offensive) area,” Michigan coach Bonnie Tholl said. “We need to competitively mature in the batter’s box and that’s been our achilles heel all season long.” 

On Saturday, the Wolverines’ offense attempted to combat their achilles heel. After scoring in the first inning, they were on the verge of letting the game slip away to the Gophers’ flourishing bats. But Michigan continued its productive at-bats, scoring on a single from senior designated player Lexi Voss in the third inning before breaking the game wide open in the fourth. 

With one out, a throwing error by Minnesota allowed sophomore shortstop Ella McVey to use her speed to reach second base. While a single advanced McVey to third base, another fielding error handed the Wolverines the opportunity to load the bases. And with the Gophers’ pitcher rattled, a walk tallied Michigan’s first run of the inning. 

“Errors are part of the game,” Tholl said. “When an opportunity opens for you, you have to make good on those opportunities … and we made good on some of their miscues.” 

Converting on the early lapses from Minnesota’s defense and pitcher ignited the Wolverines’ offense. Back-to-back RBI singles combined with Voss’s RBI double made it a game of inches, 9-7.  Michigan’s bats began to swing the momentum away from the Gophers and their pitchers only continued to falter. 

A wild pitch to the next batter from Minnesota, followed by an error from its catcher, brought two runners home. Later in the inning, McVey, who began the spree of runners, stepped onto the plate, slotting an RBI single. The Wolverines, in a matter of an inning, put themselves on top, 10-9. 

The scoring production in the fourth inning — almost reminiscent of their third inning against No. 18 Northwestern — displayed the heights of the Wolverines’ offense. Although it has been stagnant for most of the season, once it finds its rhythm at the plate, Michigan can capitalize on opportunities to match the offensive power of its opponents. 

“We just kept on making things happen, putting some pressure on their defense, (and) passing the bat,” Tholl said. “If we can do this in one inning, we can do this in multiple innings and it didn’t happen … we need to continue to hold on to that momentum and continue on.” 

The Wolverines recorded six hits and eight runs in the fourth inning, but the one inning that displayed the potential of their offense also showcased a key weakness — the heavy reliance on miscues from opposing defenses. 

The fielding error at the start of the fourth inning served as a spark, initiating the offensive flow. And the lapses on defense throughout the inning gave Michigan multiple chances to maximize its at-bats. An offensive strategy dependent on the actions of its opponents has worked in favor of Michigan at times, generating dominant innings, but it hasn’t been a sustainable solution. And its feasibility was under the spotlight through the weekend. 

After the fourth inning on Saturday, the Wolverines struggled to tally a hit. With a steady defense from the Gophers and no errors to take advantage of, Michigan went scoreless for the rest of the game. And that lack of run production bled into the Wolverines’ offense in the series finale. 

Utilizing an error in center field in the first inning, Michigan placed a runner on base. And feeding off of that energy, it tallied a hit every inning until the fifth inning. The Wolverines’ offense, though, soon returned to its Friday form, showing its inability to build momentum for itself without the aid of small spurts of energy from its opposition and leading to another scoreless game. 

At its height, Michigan can have a dominant inning like Saturday’s fourth inning, smothering the opposing defense. In the Wolverines’ nadir, though, their offense has repeatedly demonstrated its inability to maintain that consistency and create opportunities for itself. Instead, it waits for its opponents to gift them mistakes to convert on. 

Against Minnesota, Michigan did more waiting than taking action — something that can prove costly heading into the Big Ten Tournament.