Michigan softball drops a heartbreaker to Nebraska in Big Ten title game

The Michigan softball team lost in extra innings to Nebraska on Saturday in the Big Ten championship game.

It took extra innings to decide the Big Ten championship on Saturday between Michigan softball and Nebraska. But two runs in the eighth inning gave the Huskers a 3-1 win.

Cam Ybarra of Nebraska was awarded tournament MVP honors and very much deserved them after a leadoff homer in the first inning and a clutch double in the eighth that gave Nebraska its final lead.

The Wolverines rallied and scored a run in the fifth inning to even the score at 1-1 thanks to a two-out double from Audrey LeClair. Michigan softball had two runners on in the bottom of the seventh inning but a double play call that followed a review, and a pop-out ended the rally.

Alex Storako was given the loss in the circle after she allowed the home run in the first inning and the double to Ybarra that led to three earned runs.

Despite the loss, Michigan softball will make the NCAA Tournament as an at-large team. The Wolverines won’t be one of the 16-seeded teams so they will have to hit the road just as they did last season for the NCAAs.

What’s next for Michigan softball

23rd-ranked Michigan (36-16) will have to wait for the NCAA softball tournament selection show which will be shown Sunday on ESPN2 at 7 PM EST.  The 64-team tournament will start next weekend with regionals (16 4-team tournaments).

The 16 teams that win those double-elimination tournaments next weekend will advance to Super Regionals (May 26-29) and then from there the Super Regional winners head to the softball College World Series which will take place in Oklahoma City starting on June 2.