Softball at Penn State Friday, 3 p.m. Lady Lion Field SPORTS Women's Tennis at Iowa Friday, 2:30 p.m. Iowa City Page 8 The Michigan Daily Thursday, April 9, 1992 4 Softball splits with Bowling Green by Meg Beison Daily Sports Writer The Michigan softball team bat- tied Bowling Green in two hard- fought games yesterday to come away with a split decision. The Wolverines lost the first game, 3-2, but battled back to win the second, 3-0. The first game went into extra innings as Bowling Green scored the winning run in the bottom of the ninth. Bowling Green pitcher Jody Record went the distance and held the Wolverines to eight hits while improving her record to 12-2. Both teams struggled to cross the plate as Michigan left 11 runners on base, while Bowling Green stranded 10. The Wolverines scored first with a run in the third inning, but the Falcons came right back in the bot- tom of the inning to take the lead, scoring two runs of their own. Michigan evened the score at 2-2 in the fifth, but would not score again. Starting junior pitcher Kelly Forbis was replaced in the fourth inning by frosh Kelly Kovach. Kovach, who is No. 2 among Big Ten strikeout leaders, struck out seven Bowling Green hitters as she held the Falcons scoreless until the ninth, but recorded the loss bringing her record to 6-5. Junior Patti Benedict led the Wolverine offense going 2-4, with one RBI. Michigan, (2-2 Big Ten, 15-15 overall), came back to win the nightcap, 3-0. Tough pitching and strong defense held the Falcons to just four hits. Sophomoreapitcher Julie Clarkson, who leads the Wolverines with a 1.94 earned run average, struck out four and gave up one walk as she improved her record to 5-6. Kovach, although not on the mound, saw action in the second game and again was a key compo- nent. Kovach went 2-3, with one RBI as the designated hitter. Sophomore third base player Tina Martin went 1-3 with one RBI and one run scored. Michigan scored one run in the third inning and two in the fourth to secure the victory in the low-scoring defensive battle. Sophomore infielder Mary Campana led the Wolverines on the bases with three stolen bases on the day. The Wolverines will continue Big Ten action Friday and Saturday when they head east to face first- year conference opponent Penn State with doubleheaders both days. ,Michigan faced Penn State in a closely fought game earlier in the season with the Wolverines coming out on top, 4-2. Michigan coach Carol Hutchins believes Penn State is a tough team that is "going to beat some people." Michigan resumes Big Ten play leading the league in several cate- gories. The Wolverines .249 batting average and .296 on-base average are both the highest in the league. Junior centerfielder Kari Kunnen leads the Big Ten in runs scored with 14. Benedict is tied for the top spot in triples, while being tied for second in runs scored (10) and RBIs (11). Buerkel leads Blue over Detr by Ryan Herrington Daily Baseball Writer The Michigan baseball team is finding ways to win ballgames. For the second time in as many days, the Wolverines garnered victory from the jaws of defeat as they came from be- hind to win, 6-3, over Detroit Mercy yesterday at Ray Fisher Stadium. The victory upped the Wolverines record to 14-14 (6-2 in the Big Ten), no small accom- plishment considering they opened the season with one win in their first 10 contests. The loss dropped the Titans to 7-10. Michigan trailed, 3-1, heading into the sev- enth inning when senior co-captain Steve Buerkel smashed a Tim Bruce delivery over the left field fence for his first home run of the season to make it a one-run game. The center fielder's heroics were not over as Michigan entered the eighth. Matt Copp led off the inning with an infield single. Todd Fracassi, making his first appearance as a Wolverine, attempted a sacrifice bunt, but no one covered first, allowing Michigan to have runners on first and second. Rodney Goble continued the rally with an- other infield hit, loading the bases for Buerkel. He continued his fine performance with a sin- gle to left, scoring two, including the go-ahead run. Scott Winterlee ended the scoring with a double down the line to send home the Wolverines final two runs. Todd Marion closed out the game and col- lected his seventh save of the season. But Michigan's key player was Buerkel, who ended the game 4-for-5 with a home run, three RBIs, two runs scored and two stolen bases. It ut-Mercy marked his 46th multiple-hit game in his 131 games. "Late in the game we used to just roll over and die," Buerkel said. "But that eighth-inning rally won the game for us. It's little things like that which we've improved on." Michigan's bats were hot all day, belting out 13 hits. However, the Wolverines were un- able to capitalize on their opportunities, stranding nine runners in the first six innings and 12 for the game. Buerkel felt that with the team hitting as well as it was, it was only a matter of time before the runs would cross the plate. "We were putting pressure on them all day," Buerkel said. "We just weren't coming through when we had to. It just a matter of get- ting the key hit when we needed it. Things fell for us in the eighth inning." The Wolverines used five pitchers, includ- ing Marion. Eric Heintschel started the game and pitched two hitless innings. Heath Murray followed and gave up the Titan's three runs in his two innings of work. Eric Persinger and Dennis Konuszewski also pitched, with Konuszewski earning the W. These four are the probable starters for this weekend's Big Ten home matchup against Minnesota. The Golden Gophers are 14-14 with a 2-6 record in the Big Ten. They play the Wolverines in a pair of doubleheaders Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. Buerkel feels very confident about this weekend's matchup. "I think we've learned how to win basi-* cally," Buerkel said. "We had to learn how to win. We lost a lot of one run games and now we're winning them." Michigan's Eric Persinger pitches during the Wolverines' 6-3 victory over Detroit-Mercy yester- day. The Wolverines, now .500, play a home series against Minnesota this weekend. Injury-ridden M' netters fal short a,.,.gainst West Virginia, 6-2 . by Todd Schoenhaus 4 n Daily Sports Writer The Michigan men's tennis team attempted to win its first non-conference match of the season yesterday against West Virginia. Playing without three starters and handicapped by injuries affecting the play of two others, the Wolverines (3-3 Big Ten, 3-11 overall) did not have a fair shot. Despite losing, 6-2, the makeshift Michigan lineup put forth a strong effort. Captain David Kass provided one of the victories, defeating Mark Booras, 6-3, 7-5. "My match went pretty well," Kass said. "The guy is 6-foot-8 and has one of the biggest serves in college. I knew that if I could return serve alright and break him once each set, I could probably hold my own serve and win the match." Mitch Rubenstein tallied the second victory, drop- ping Manola Mourk, 7-6, 6-2. Rubenstein moved up a spot from his normal third singles slot to fill in for Dan Brakus (exterior rotator cuff). Terry London, still feeling the effects of an intestinal disorder, lost to Joran Bergwak, 7-5, 6-1. Adam Wager was also defeated in straight sets, falling to Steve Flannigan, 6-2, 7-5. "I didn't serve or return well today," Wager said. "He served effectively while I struggled. Besides, be- fore most of my matches Jalen Rose gives me a pep talk in class - for this match I missed out on my talk." Fellow frosh Greg Artz played the only three-setter of the day. Not a usual starter, he lost to Steve Duffin, 6-3, 4-6, 6-1. Grady Burnett became the third rookie in the singles lineup when John Lingon could not play be- cause of tendinitis in both knees. Rod Stuvela tri- umphed over Burnett, 6-1, 6-4. Down 4-2 after singles, Michigan still could have won the match by sweeping doubles. However, Kass could not play due to forearm tendinitis aggravated in his singles match. Mike Nold, who played two years ago, made his season debut while filling in for Kass. Nold teamed with London to challenge Booras and Rod Gonzalez. West Virginia won the match, 6-3, 7-5. Lingon, not having the mobility to play singles, paired up with Scooter Place at second doubles. Place was filling in for Eric Grand (fractured toe). The Mountaineer tandem of Bergwak and Flannigan was triumphant, 6-2, 7-5. Third doubles was not played be- cause West Virginia had already clinched the victory. "The important thing is to realize we went with a makeshift lineup consisting of many guys who wouldn't be playing if it weren't for injuries," Wolverine coach Brian Eisner said. "I am fairly pleased with how we did, considering many of our top guys had to sit. West Virginia is a good team that played real well. They are just as solid at 4, 5, and 6 singles as they are at the upper three." Eisner does not think that Brakus, Lingon, and Grand will be able to compete this weekend, when Michigan hosts Minnesota and Iowa. However, he is not too concerned about what goes down in the record column. "My biggest concern is that we get prepared for the Big Ten Championship in early May," he said. "It's not as important if we win or lose before then." 0 Jays overcome two Fielder homers DETROIT (AP) - Cecil Fielder's two home runs and six RBIs weren't enough to overcome homers by Roberto Alomar and Pat Borders, as the Toronto Blue Jays outlasted the Detroit Tigers 10-9 Wednesday. Fielder, who hit 51 home runs in 1990 and 44 more last year, hit his second and third homers and matched his career high with the six runs batted in. Neither starter lasted long. Detroit's Frank Tanana (0-1) yielded five runs on four hits in two innings. Todd Stottlemyre gave up five runs on four hits and seven walks in 4 1-3 innings. Ricky Trlicek, in his major league debut, gave up two runs on two hits in two-thirds of an inning, before Tom Henke came on in the sixth. Henke, the third of five Toronto pitchers, allowed one hit in one inning for the win. Dwayne Ward got the last six outs for the save. The Blue Jays scored three in the second and three in the fifth. The Tigers scored four in the bottom of the fifth. Dave Winfield raised his batting average to .800 with a first-inning single that scored Joe Carter. But the Tigers got that back in the bottom of the inning when Dan Gladden reached on an error by third base- man Kelly Gruber, moved up and scored on a sacrifice fly by Fielder. Alomar, who hit nine homers last season, keyed the fourth with a shot that cleared the screen in left-center, about 390 feet from home plate. Manuel Lee's RBI grounder drove in John Olerud, who started the rally with a walk. Candy Maldonado and Devon White scored on Alomar's homer. - Maldonado entered the game when outfielder Derek Bell broke a bone in his left wrist while batting in the third inning. Fielder, who has homered in both Detroit games this season, hit a 2-0 pitch into the second deck in right- center, well above the 370-foot sign, with two men on. Fielder then homered into the second deck in right-center with Alan Trammell on in the eighth. Tennis legend Arthur Ashe announced yesterday he has AIDS. Ashe, in 1975, was the first Black man to win Wimbledon, before retiring in 1979. DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY PEER ADVISING PROGRAM PRESENTS ASHE Continued from page 1 whose immune systems are weak- ened by AIDS. In November, former Los Angeles Lakers basketball star Earvin "Magic" Johnson announced he was carrying the AIDS virus. Johnson has not developed the dis- ease itself. Johnson's agent, Lon Rosen, said in Los Angeles that Johnson is ar- ranging to speak with Ashe. "Earvin wants very much to speak to Arthur," Rosen said. In a statement, Johnson extended his support and prayers to Ashe and his family. "It takes great courage and strength to make such an announce- ment," Johnson said. "I'm sure Arthur will meet this challenge head on and become a leading voice in the fight to educate, raise funds and in- crease awareness to all, especially our youth." He said he would work to teach others about AIDS and said he was inspired by Johnson's work. Ashe's heart operations in 1979 and 1983 occurred before testing of blood for the AIDS virus made blood transfusions safer. Dr. John Hutchinson, director of cardiac surgery at St. Luke's Hospital in New York City when, Ashe underwent both operations- there, said he would check with the hospital to see whether blood prod- ucts were used in either operation. "It is possible he received the blood product," said Hutchinson, now director of cardiac surgery at Hackensack Medical Center in New Jersey. "There are many other ways to acquire this other than cardiac surgery." W1.411 la Tn r M 7 (4 WI,7 maitlal (m Tin WAV rn m 4 rr-)) T-m (L 1117_L1 Ll1 1 E El E JE~ U S *- 'a n a ann MIA k.