Site: Tampa, Fla.
Event: Speedline Invitational
Results: #14 Michigan 4, Florida Atlantic 1; #14 Michigan 4, Georgia 3
Records: U-M (9-5)
Next U-M Games: Friday, March 5 -- vs. Mississippi State (11 a.m.), Florida State (3 p.m.) at Speedline Invitational (Tampa, Fla.)

Wolverines Open Speedline Invitational with Pair of Wins

TAMPA, Fla. -- The 14th-ranked University of Michigan softball team opened Speedline Invitational play with two come-from-behind wins Thursday (March 4), extending its season-best win streak to four games. The Wolverines (9-5) beat Florida Atlantic University, 4-1, and the University of Georgia, 4-3, in the first day of tournament pool play.

In the first game, Florida Atlantic went ahead 1-0 on a second-inning home run. Michigan tied the game with a run in the third, then took the lead for good when Melissa Taylor's (Deerfield, Mich./Summerfield HS) two-out single in the fourth scored a pair of runs. The Wolverines added an insurance run in the sixth.

Taylor, Catherine Davie (Westlake Village, Calif./Westlake HS), Traci Conrad (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way HS) and Kelsey Kollen (Cerritos, Calif./Mater Dei HS) totaled two hits each. Marie Barda (Darien, Ill./Hinsdale South HS) picked up the win in relief (2-1), throwing five strikeouts while allowing two hits.

After trailing 2-0 midway through the second inning against Georgia, Michigan scored twice in the bottom of the second and two times in the third, then held off a fifth-inning Bulldogs rally. Davie's double in the third inning vs. Georgia scored Conrad for the game-winning run.

Tammy Mika (Brighton, Mich./Brighton HS) went 2-for-2 with a sacrifice fly in the third. Kate Eiland (Fresno, Calif./Clovis West HS) collected the win in relief to move her record to 6-2.

Michigan continues pool play with games against Mississippi State (11 a.m.) and Florida State (3 p.m.) on Friday, March 5.

Linescores

Score by Innings		1	2	3		4	5	6		7		R	H	E
Florida Atlantic		0	1	0		0	0	0		0		1	7	1
Michigan (8-5)		0	0	1		2	0	1		x		4	10	0

FAU -- Shoff, Sutcliffe (4) and Marshall. Michigan -- Kate Eiland, Marie Barda (4) and Kim Bugel. W -- Barda (2-1). L -- Shoff. 2B -- Michigan, Catherine Davie.

Score by Innings		1	2	3		4	5	6		7		R	H	E
Georgia (7-6)		0	2	0		0	1	0		0		3	9	0
Michigan (9-5)		0	2	2		0	0	0		x		4	6	3

Georgia -- Coffelt, Rhodes (3) and Pimento. Michigan -- Jamie Gillies, Kate Eiland (3) and Kim Bugel. W -- Eiland (6-2). L -- Coffeldt. 2B -- Michigan, Catherine Davie, Rebecca Tune.

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