OKLAHOMA CITY — Lauren Sweet learned quickly after striking out in her first at-bat.
The senior catcher hit a grand slam her next time up to help the No. 3 Michigan softball team beat No. 6 Alabama 5-0 on Thursday night at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in the Women’s College World Series opener for both teams.
“My adjustment was to go up there and use my timing swing and really see a lot of pitches,” Sweet said. “I think that even though I got down in the count, I was able to come back and really see the ball and really see it down, so my game plan worked out.”
It was the kind of performance that has marked her final season.
“She’s having her best season as a senior, and you like to see that,” Michigan coach Carol Hutchins said. “It’s what we need. You want your seniors to be the leaders out there. She’s just been fantastic all year long. We just want her to keep playing as long as possible.”
Megan Betsa (31-4), a sophomore, threw a four-hitter and struck out six for the Wolverines (57-6).
“I think my biggest thing was getting past the first inning,” she said. “I knew I was going to have the jitters and the nerves, and if I could get past the first inning, I was going to be fine.”
Michigan will play UCLA, a 7-1 winner against Oregon in Thursday’s nightcap, at 8:30 tonight. Alabama and Oregon will play an elimination game at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
Michigan’s Kelly Christner hit a solo home run in her first World Series at-bat in the bottom of the first inning.
“The nerves were high,” she said. “Everybody was trying to calm me down before the game. I think I just went out there and realized the first at-bat that it’s just like any other game we’ve played the entire year, so I just focused on seeing the ball.”
Michigan added insurance against Alexis Osorio (21-9) in the fourth. Sierra Romero led off with a single into center field. Christner then drew a four-pitch walk and Kelsey Susalla singled up the middle to load the bases with nobody out before Sweet battled to a full count and then blasted a grand slam to right field.
The Wolverines only had four hits, and they left only two on base. Osorio didn’t allow a hit outside of the first and fourth.
“They had two key hits,” Alabama coach Patrick Murphy said. “Other than those two big swings, Lexi pitched a good game. We just didn’t do enough offensively to support her.”
Jadyn Spencer had two hits for Alabama in a game that started an hour late because of rain. But the rest of the team had only two hits.
Demi Turner was the only Alabama runner to reach scoring position, tagging up from first on a long fly ball by Haylie McCleney to advance to second base in the sixth. Turner and Andrea Hawkins, who had a pinch-hit single, had the Crimson Tide’s other hits.
Michigan has won all three meetings with Alabama this season, holding the Crimson Tide (47-14) to three runs. The loss was Alabama’s second shutout of the season. It also was the first time since 2009 Alabama lost its opening game at the WCWS.
“You’re not going to win very many games against a very good team, offensively like that,” Murphy said. “We had to put some more pressure on them, and we didn’t do that.”
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