Blue hitters take three on the road from Wildcats_ The Michigan Daily - Sports Monday - April 6, 1992- Page 7. Golfers 14th in Kentucky invite by Brett Forrest DailySports Writer by Andy Stabile D aily Baseball Writer I The Michigan baseball team went into this weekend's four-game stint at Northwestern riding a five-game winning streak. The Wolverines couldn't come out of the weekend with the streak intact, but did man- age to take three games. The Wolverines (6-2 in the Big Ten, 11-14 overall) pounced on the O Wildcats (2-6, 9-17) early and often in the front end of Saturday's doubleheader. Michigan's three first- inning runs were enough for junior Eric Heintschel, who started and went the distance to pick up the victory. The Wildcats could muster only one run in each of the third and fourth innings. Michigan went on to score five more runs and win, 8-2. In Saturday's second game, the Wolverines couldn't get passed the pitching of Northwestern's Jason Sandt. Michigan's Bubba Wyn- garden knocked in Kevin Crociata for the team's lone run, which stood until Northwestern hit reliever Todd Marion for three runs in the sixth inning. Michigan lost by that 3-1 score. Yesterday belonged to the Wolverines, as they pounded Wild- cat pitching for 10 runs in the first game. Michigan scored in clusters with two in the third inning, two in the fifth, three in the sixth, and three more in the seventh. Dennis Konuszewski picked up his second victory of the season, going five and two-thirds innings. Todd Marion closed out the game to pick up save No. 5 on the season. Steve Buerkel and Scott Winterlee both went 3-for-5 in game one. Winterlee's effort extends his r hitting streak to eight consecutive games. Sophomore Nate Holdren hit a towering fly ball that dropped in r for a double and cleared the bases for three RBI. Much like Saturday's nightcap, yesterday's second game proved to be a pitchers' duel. Michigan's Heath Murray held the Northwestern bats scoreless through seven, but Wildcat pitching did the same to Michgian. In the eighth, with runners on the corners, Buerkel hit a grounder up the middle with Scott Timmerman stealing. Buerkel was thrown out, but scored Wyngarden, who originally reached base on an error. The Wolverines held on to preserve the 1-0 triumpth. -r Harsh weather conditions and a lack of practice time- doomed the Michigan men's golf team to a poor finish this past weekend at the Johnny Owens Invitational at Lexington, Ky. The Wolverines finished the 36-hole tournament in 14th place in a field of 19 schools, with a two-day score of 638. Michigan State holed out in the top spot with a total of 605 strokes. The competition was scheduled as a 54-hole event but was reduced to 36 holes due to cold weather and the poor condition of the course. "The weather was ob- scene," senior Anthony Dietz said. "It was in the 20s. "If you weren't concentrating and giving it your all, you could make nines and tens. The wind was gusting; there was sleet, it was raining, and the course was really hard." The weather was an element with which every team had to deal. However, Michigan was at a disadvantage in the number of practice rounds it had logged in the weeks leading up to their time in Kentucky. "I'll tell you what hurt us, in all honesty," Michigan coach Jim Carras said. "I'm not gonna make any ex cuses for the kids. What hurt us is that we haven't had a chance to play since we have been back from Florida - three weeks now. We haven't been outside to play one round of golf." The weather is something that has hurt the Wolverines for the entire spring campaign. They are seldom able to practice outdoors, yet they must compete against southern schools which have been playing for months on end. "You just cannot go out there and play' good golf if you haven't been out there playing, (consistently)," Carras said. "That's our dilemma." This time around, they faced a Michigan State squad coming off some free time down South. "State just came off their spring break and had been playing all last week," Carras said. "In fact, they evet" played this course Monday, coming back home from spring break." "It's almost comical. It's becoming almost sense,; less," Dietz said. "All the guys want to play well, but when we get to the tournament we haven't had any- practice, we're all off. We gotta have some decent weather and have a chance to do something. It just gets frustrating." There is a sense of urgency surrounding the teamr now. Time is running out for a berth in the NCAA Tournament. The next five tournaments will count for. consideration for All-Big Ten selection. There is a, feeling that the team has too much talent to be perform- ing the way it has been. "My feeling is this: In spite of the conditions, in spite of everything, if we've got the kind of team I think we have, we should not have kids shooting in the mid- eighties," Carras said. "I am very disappointed in those scores. I am disappointed because I know we're better.. than that." Michigan firstbaseman Chad Chapman crosses the plate in action earlier this season against Toledo. The Wolverines won three of four games against Northwestern this weekend. Softball splits twinbills with Northwestern by Shawn DuFresne Daily Sports Writer The Michigan softball team opened its Big Ten season last weekend at newly-renovated Varsity Diamond by splitting two doubleheaders with North-western. However, coach Carol Hutchins thought the Wolverines should have been more successful. The first letdown happened when the Wildcats (2-2 Big Ten, 12-14) stole away Friday's early game with the aid of Michigan defensive mistakes. The Wolverines scored three runs in the sixth inning to overcome a 2-0 deficit, but in the last inning, the Wildcats scored three unearned runs on two Wolverine errors. Northwestern pitcher Michelle Hawkins (8-6) shut out Michigan in its last at-bat to secure the 5-3 victory, while Michigan sophomore Julie Clarkson (3-6) suffered the loss. The other letdown was Michigan's defeat in Saturday's first game by a 5-0 tally. After scoring a run in the sixth inning, the Wildcats capitalized on three Wolverine errors and a wild pitch in the last inning, scoring four runs to secure the victory. There were bright spots for Michigan this weekend as well, notably Clarkson, who earned her fourth victory of the season (against six defeats) as she shut out the Wildcats in Saturday's nightcap, 2-0. Michigan shortstop Mary Campana tags Northwestern's Susan Harrelson while she tries to steal second base during Friday's action. The Wolverines won two games this weekend. The Michigan Daily . 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