ANN ARBOR — A 35-game home winning streak came to a crashing end for the No. 2-ranked University of Michigan softball team, as Tennessee freshman Ivy Renfroe nearly no-hit the Wolverines in Thursday’s NCAA Super Regional opener.

The Wolverines (49-7) didn’t crack the hit column until the seventh inning, and were shut out for the first time all year, falling 5-0 to the Volunteers (45-13), who now control the best-of-three series.
Tennessee can get a knockout in Game 2 today at 4:30 p.m. (ESPNU), while Michigan would have to win two straight today to make its 10th appearance in the Women’s College World Series.

The Vols got three unearned runs in the top of the third, as an error on a grounder to Maggie Viefhaus at third opened the floodgates. U-M junior Jordan Taylor allowed just four hits and struck out 10, but was stuck with four unearned runs.

Dorian Shaw’s single down the left-field line broke up the no-hitter in the seventh. Amanda Chidester beat out an infield hit to put a pair of runners on, but Renfroe got a foul fly and a groundout to wrap up the shutout.

Michigan’s last loss at Wilpon Softball Complex was to Virginia Tech on the second day of the 2008 Super Regional.