Softball vs. Western Michigan Today, 3 p.m. Kalamazoo SPORTS Baseball at Siena Heights Today, 3 p.m. Fisher Stadium The Michigan Daily Wednesday, April14,1993 Page 9 Blue hitters sweep MSU, 3-1,8-3 Michigan's Forbis allows one run in doubleheader victories by Scott Burton Daily Softball Writer From a Wolverine fan's perspective, yesterday was a perfect day to catch a doubleheader. The sun was shining, a gentle spring breeze cooled the air, and the Michigan softball team was playing its first home game of the year against Big Ten foe Michigan State. And the Wolverines (6-2 Big Ten, 18-8 overall) certainly did nothing to ruin the perfect day. They swept the Spartans (2-8,7-18), using apotentcom- bination of pitching, offense and spec- tacular defensive plays to roll to 3-1 and 8-3 victories. "I think State is an improved team, and they were out to beat us, but we hung on tough and played a couple of good games," Michigan coach Carol Hutchins said. "We've got to play well to win in the Big Ten and I thought that's what we did. I was pretty proud of us." Depsite the sweep, the Wolverines were impressed with the Spartans feisty play. "If they are not ranked, they should be," said Kovach. "They are a good, solid team and they have a really good pitcher." Michigan's bats, which have fluctu- ated from being powerful to being silent throughout the year, came alive in its second-game victory. The Wolverines pounded Out 13 hits against Spartan pitchers Alina Baron and Shelly Wynn, and came up with seven runs in the final three innings. "Our hitting is very contagious," Hutchins said. "When a few of us hit, we all hit. And when a few of us don't, we all don't. We've been a little spo- radic, but on the whole we have the capability of being explosive offen- sively, and you saw a little bit of that today." Although the game was relatively close (5-3 after six innings), four Spar- tan errors broke the game open for the Wolverines. "We let them back in the game," Spartan coach Gloria Becksford said. "We let them score those five late runs and we didn't play good defense." The Kunnen sisters were the cata- lysts for Michigan's offensive effort in the game. Catcher Karla Kunnen ex- ecuted a perfect suicide squeeze to score Patti Benedict in the fifth inning. And center fielderKari Kunnen addedaRBI triple, a single, a walk and a run scored. "I felt pretty good. I felt really con- fident at the plate," Kari Kunnen said. "Against Northwestern, I started get- ting on base a little more and started getting more confidence. And I saw the ball real well today - that helped." Starting pitcher Kelly Kovach rolled for most of the game, but hit hard times in the sixth inning, allowing three Spar- tan runs on three hits. She was replaced by Kelly Forbis, who shut the Spartans down the rest of the way. "Her drop ball wasn't dropping, and I think she lost her confidence a little bit," Hutchins said on Kovach's sixth inning lapse. "They were on her, and we had to do what we had to do (by replac- ing her with Forbis)." and only one of its runs was earned. Fortunately, Forbis (12-3) was on her game, limiting the Spartans to three hits and no earned runs. "Kelly Forbis is having her best season ever and she has just been totally solid," Hutchins said. "I'm excited for her and I'm really proud of her, because she has worked so hard." Michigan State was not so excited about Forbis' pitching, though. Having been through a tough Big Ten stretch this last week that included being swept by conference leader Iowa, Forbis' pitch- ing wasjustanotheradded frustration to its season. "I think we are a good hitting club, we just don't show it all the time," Becksford said. "We are in a hitting slump right now, but if we could have scored two runs and held them that would have been great - but we just couldn't do it." Michigan will hope to carry the momentum from its sweep of Michigan State into today's game against Western Michigan. The Broncos (4-13) have struggled this year, losing all ten of its Mid-American conference games. Western Michigan is led by pitcher Brittney Cannavino. She carries a 1-7 record and a 2.96 ERA into today's game. Cannavino also leads all Bronco hitters in average (.359) and RBI (11). Despite her efforts, Western Michigan has been outscored 64-48 and outhit .252-.235 by its opponents. I / t l 3 'g ';r, .. .. - \ ': a . ... ..:. ,.. e , .. ' >, Kari Kunnen "I don't know what happened," said Kovach, who raised her record to 8-5 with the win. "I wasn't throwing my best stuff and they were hitting hit. Sometimes that happens and there is nothing you can do about it." Michigan's 3-1 opening game vic- tory was quite a contrast to the second game. Michigan managed just six hits FILE PHOTO Wolverine pitcher Kelly Kovach in action last season. The sophomore hurler earned one of Michigan's two victories against Michigan State yesterday. AROUND THE HORN: Coaches' polls worth *their weightindr by Rachel Bachman Daily Softball Writer As if it weren't enough that a three-digit number determines the educational worth of every student at Michigan, value-determining numbers now pervade college sports, too. You've seen them: yearly, monthly, and weekly polls that are supposed to indicate how good a team is compared to its competitors. They're those lists that fall somewhere in between the letters to the editor and crossword puzzle. These lists are designed to chart a team's progress. For example, the Michigan softball team started the season ranked 11th in the nation, firstin theMideastRegion and first in the Big Ten.After losing to unranked Northwestern last weekend, the team's rank plummeted to second in the Big Ten. And, according to the NCAA poll, Michigan has slipped to 19th in the nation and is now only the third best team in its region. I'm not buyin' it. The pollsters have decided, based on a scant few games, that the Wolverines areno longer No.1 material. Did both pitchers break their arms while no one was looking? For a system that most softball aficionados respect and the casual fan does not think to question, ranking teams according to how a group of coaches feels about them is decidedly unreliable. And, for something that involves numbers, it is simply unscientific. And unscientific is exactly what sports are, which is why polls have no place in athletics. What do you think the 1980 U.S. hockey team was ranked the day before its legendary game with the Soviets? Whatrankings don'ttake intoaccount is the human element. Anumber doesn't indicate a hitter's intense hatred for the Michigan State pitcher who stole her chemistrynotes in high school. It can' ttell you how much a Penn State right fielder fears a Patti Benedict fly ball. And a number won't reveal how angry a given team is after its ranking plummets following a few losses. Especially with unpaid athletes such as those in college, any one of these intangibles is enough to decide a game. Perhaps you think I miss the point. Maybe you're muttering (with a mouthful See SOFTBALL, Page 10 Baseball looks to keep marching by Paul Barger Daily Baseball Writer Don't look now, but the Michigan baseball team (3-9 Big Ten, 9-24 overall) is on a winning streak. Yes, it is only three games, but it is a start. There is a good chance that the streak will be extended to five this afternoon as the Wolverines take on the Siena Heights Saints in doubleheader action at Ray Fisher Stadium. The Saints aremembers of the Wolverine-Hoosier confer- ence and went marching into yesterday's double dip against Spring Arbor with a 9-22-1 record. The visitors are on a four- game winning streak of their own, yet in 16 previous contests against the Wolverines, Siena Heights has lost all 16. While the Wolverines have not exactly garnered much respect this season while struggling at the plate and in the field. Siena Heights coach Gordie Theisen sees things a little differently. "(Michigan) has good Big Ten talent," Theisen said. "They can cause some similar problems as the teams down South." Onemustwonderexactly which teams down southTheisen is referring to. Although this is the first time in five years that someone has used such glorifying words to describe Michi- gan, Theisen has one valid point. Coaches in the South and throughout the Midwest have felt that the Wolverines are more talented than their record indicates. Specifically, East- ern Michigan coach Roger Coryell commented two weeks ago that Michigan has a lot of talent, but lacks execution. Last weekend's surprising effort at Penn State indicated that the Wolverines are on the upswing. Amongst other accomplishments, Michigan committed no errors in the doubleheader against the Nittany Lions, a far cry from the 19 miscues achieved in the first nine games of the season. Siena Heights, located in Adrian, Mich., is having a down year on the diamond. The 1992 squad produced a 29-31 See BASEBALL, Page 10 DOUGLAS KANTERI Daily Matt Copp tags out a Saginaw Valley player last week at Fisher Stadium. Michigan hosts Siena Heights today in a doubleheader. The Wolverines hope to extend their four-game winning streak. In 16 previous meetings between the teams, Michigan has never lost to the Saints. 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