But Canisius eliminated from NCAA softball tourney after losses
to Michigan, DePaul
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – With garlic-grown hurler Andrea Bunten on the hill, No. 8 seed Canisius shut down top seed Michigan for four innings in the first round of the NCAA Softball Tournament.
But a six-run fifth frame for the host Wolverines, including six hits and two home runs, foiled the Golden Griffins’ upset bid in Thursday’s 6-3 loss.
Bunten pitched six solid innings, striking out two and allowing six earned runs on nine hits and one walk. Michigan’s Jennie Ritter won her 23rd decision for her 19th complete-game victory with eight strike-outs.
Canisius took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fifth inning, but Michigan fired back with six runs of its own to take the lead for good. The Griffs scored two runs on two hits in the top of the sixth before Ritter closed the door.
The junior right-hander stepped back on the mound for Friday’s contest against No. 5 DePaul, which eliminated Canisius in the double-elimination tournament with an 8-0 shutout in five innings.
Canisius had runners on second and third with two outs in the second inning, but could not get a run across the plate.
Bunten, who broke the Golden Griffs’ career and single-season strike-out records this season, allowed eight runs on 12 hits and three walks. She also struck out three.
The Gilroy High product was the most valuable player of the MAAC Tournament, winning three straight decisions in the Metro Atlantic Athletic League to give Canisius (23-30) an automatic bid into the NCAAs.
