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Mount Pleasant
Women's tennis clinches first place in Big Ten season
a
By MARC DILLER
DAILY SPORTS WRITER
For the first time in school history, the
34th-ranked Michigan women's tennis team
jumped into first place in the conference this
weekend. The Wolverines defeated 24th-ranked
Wisconsin and 10th-ranked Northwestern, Sat-
urday and yesterday, respectively, at Liberty
Sports Complex.
"These were definitely the two biggest wins
of my career and in Michigan women's tennis
history, to beat two top-25 teams back to back
in the same weekend," Michigan coach Bitsy
Ritt said. "This is the best tennis we've played
all year as a team."
The Wolverines (9-1 Big Ten, 15-6 overall)
solidified atleastrunner-up status in the confer-
ence with their 5-4 victory over the Badgers (5-
2,9-8).
With Michigan and Wisconsin tied 4-4,
the Wolverines eked out a three-set victory
over Wisconsin's No. 2 doubles team.
Co-captain Liz Cyganiak and her freshman
sister, Sarah, defeated the Badgers' Marjon
Copier and Colleen Lucey.
The Cyganiaks rebounded from a one-set
deficit taking the second set, 6-3.
The tandem, down 4-2 in the third set and
battling its third deuce of the seventh game,
triumphed when Liz hit a forehand winner
down the line.
The Cyganiaks swept past their opponents
in the next three games, boasting a 6-4 victory
to claim the match and the meet.
Earlierin the season, thepairfaced asimilar
predicament against Illinois and emerged vic-
torious.
"I was relaxed playing out there with my
sister because we've been in similar situation
before," Liz said. "We felt that if we could get
it close, then Wisconsin would break down in
the end."
The No. 3 doubles team of juniors Jaimie
Fielding and Simone Lacher defeated Jamie
Fouret and Stephany Benz, 7-5,6-2.
Lacher, celebrating her 21st birthday, also
claimed victory in the afternoon's most excit-
ing singles matchup, claiming a 7-5, 2-6, 7-5
win over Fouret.
The Wolverines' No. 1 singles player, the
younger Cyganiak, and No. 4, sophomore
Angie Popek, achieved victory as well on the
afternoon.
Sarah defeated Marija Neubauer in straight
sets, 6-3, 6-1, and Popek went the distance
against Benz before triumphing, 5-7,6-2,6-4.
Yesterday, Michigan exceeded its expecta-
tions and climbed to the top of the Big Ten with
its 6-3 defeat over the Wildcats (7-1, 13-1).
On the heels of her impressive doubles
victory the day before, Liz crushed
Northwestern's hopes for victory with an ex-
hausting three-set win over Joanna Feria, 6-3,
4-6,6-4. The match lasted aMichigan women's
tennis record five hours and 10 minutes.
"It was a mentally and physically grueling
match," Liz said. "If I was going to stay out
there five hours for atennis match then I figured
I might as well win it."
Lacher completed her perfect weekend with
a singles win over the Wildcats' No. 6, Mary
Beth Novak, 6-1, 4-6, 6-4. She garnered an-
other doubles victory while paired with Field-
ing, toppling Novak and Anna Scharfeld, 6-3,
7-5.
"I felt very confident out there," Lacher
said. "I want to carry this all into the Big Ten
meet and do it there again."
Sarahalso impressed all with herweekendls
See TENNIS, Page 13
Baseball splits with Iowa
Wolverines remain tied for third
By SCOTT BURTON
DAILY BASEBALL WRITER
Some baseball gurus say that a good
indication of how a baseball team is going to
fare in the midst of a playoff race is how the
depths of the pitching staff perform.
But others will wryly point out that a
team can't win if it doesn't score runs.
Hence is the conflict of the third-place
Michigan baseball team (9-7 Big Ten, 15-17
overall) after this weekend's series split
with Iowa (9-7, 17-19-1) that left both teams
tied for the last playoff spot in the Big Ten.
Yes, the Wolverines' pitching continued
to impress and improve in the four-game
series. However, the hitting disappeared in
costly fashion in several decisive moments.
"I thought going into the season our pitch-
ing was going to be our strong suit and that's
what I'm seeing," Freehan said. "All in all
we've got some good hitters. But if you look
at the number of one-run losses we've had
this year, that's the thing that's hurt us."
Michigan had its chance to pull ahead
from Iowa in the Big Ten race in yesterday's
second game, after taking two out of the first
three contests of the weekend. However, the
offense was baffled by the pitching combi-
nation of Justin Schulte (1-3) and Kurt
Belger, managing just two hits in a 6-0 loss.
Mark Temple (1-2) - filling in Heath
Murray's spot in the rotation -pitched an
admirable game, retiring the first nine bat-
ters he faced. Unfortunately, the defense
that often picks untimely moments to fall
apart, did just that in a decisive four-run
fourth.
"For the most part I was not upset with
anything Mark Temple did," Freehan said.
"We just didn't make a couple of plays
behind him. A couple of balls eluded us, a
ball gets away from the catcher and all of a
sudden we're behind."
Chris Newton (1-2) pitched whatFreehan
said was his finest performance as a Wolver-
ine in yesterday's opening game, a 5-1 Michi-
gan victory. Newton completed the game,
allowing six hits and notching three
strikeouts.
The Wolverines gave Newton a friendly
cushion to work with after an unusual five-
run outburst in the fifth.
Although Michigan managed only one
hit in the inning, it plated single runs with
the bases loaded after an error, a hits bats-
man and a walk.
Ironically, perhaps Michigan's bestpitch-
ingperformancecamein the Wolverines' loss
in the first game of the series - a 4-3, ten-
inning duel Saturday. Michigan's Ray Ricken
(2-4) pitched the whole game - his sixth
complete game of the year - while surren-
dering only five hits and two earned runs.
However, one of the two runs that weren't
charged to Ricken cost him the game in the
tenth. Ricken appeared tohave forced Hawkeye
Matt Ostrom into a double-play groundout
with runners on first and second and one out.
in Big Ten race
But second baseman Kevin Crociata threw the
ball away to first base, allowing Jim Cataldo to
score the winning run.
Michigan couldn't answer in the tenth
off of Hawkeye starter Colon Mattaise, re-
tiring in order. Mattaise also went the dis-
tance, allowing eight hits and three earned
run for his fifth win of the year.
Ron Hollis continued his impressive
pitching in the Big Ten in Saturday's cap-
per, a 9-3 Wolverine victory. Hollis (3-4)
pitched six and two-thirds innings, allowing
eight hits and three runs for his third confer-
ence win. He sports a 2.36 ERA in Big Ten
play, with 24 strikeouts in 26 innings.
"After that disheartening loss in extra
innings, Ron came back and gave us a lift,"
Freehan said. "He pitched an outstanding
game and allowed us to turn our bats on andl
score some runs."
Michigan's bats awoke from its first-
game slumber, rocking Iowa starter Scott
Smull (2-5) for nine runs in three innings.
Leftfielder Scott Weaver was the main vic-
timizer, nailing a bases loaded triple to cap
a five-run, second-inning. Weaver finished
with five RBI on the day, with two runs
scored.
JUU Il E aiy
Mark Temple delivers during the Wolverines' 6-0 loss to Iowa.
Hollis returns to form after bout wit
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By BRETT JOHNSON
DAILY BASEBALL WRITER
One more out. That's all Michi-
gan pitcher Ron Hollis needed Satur-
day against Iowa for his fourth com-
plete game of the Big Ten season.
Unfortunately, he ran into some
trouble in the top of the seventh in-
ning, and reliever John Arvai had to
finish the game to give Hollis his third
conference victory.
However, the seventh was only a
small blemish in the Ron Hollis come-
back story. Last May, Hollis entered
the hospital after being diagnosed with
a case of phlebitis. In layman's terms,
he had a blood clot in his leg. It was an
injury that cost Hollis the rest of the
season and a summer of develop-
ment.
However, that was the least of
Hollis' concerns. The problem could
have been much more serious than
just ending a season of pitching.
"When it came down to it, it could
have been life-threatening because it
was a circulatory problem," Hollis
said. "Thatput (baseball and life) into
perspective. It really was a shock to
think something that serious was hap-
pening to me."
Of course, Hollis was not the only
one worrying. His doctors put him on
medication and monitored the situa-
tion for most of the summer. His
coaches and teammates were equally
worried. Pitching coach Art "Ace"
Adams did not know if Hollis would
pitch again.
"There were a lot of worries,"
Adams said. "He was on medication
for about five months to make sure
Im
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h phlebitis
the blood wasn't reclotting in his legs.
We weren't sure if he was going to
come back, but he's 100 percent now'
and he's helping us."
Helping the team is exactly what
Hollis is doing. He is tied for the team
lead in Big Ten victories with three,
including wins at Indiana and home
against Michigan State and Iowa. Hiq
only Big Ten loss was at Penn State,
a game that Michigan head coach Bill
Freehan called his best outing of the
season.
"He was a little behind because he
didn't pitch this summer, but right
now he's one of our best," Adams
said. "He's got good command over'
all three of his pitches and that's why:
he's been successful."
However, it's the win over the;
Spartans that may symbolize Hollis'
complete recovery. In the home vic-:
tory, Hollis threw a no-hitter.
"When it first happened, it didn't
really hit me," Hollis said. "When the;
last pop-up came down, it felt really-
good to know that I could go out there-
and really shut a team down.
"I had a good game at Indiana anda
then I backed it up against State. It l
proved to myself that I could do it-
week after week."
If Hollis continues to put up the
See HOLLIS, Page -16
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