Softball
at Notre Dame
Tomorrow, 2 p.m.
Notre Dame
S
RTS
Baseball
vs. Siena Heights
Today, 1 p.m.
Fisher Stadium
'M' baseball regains offensive punch
Wolverines kick off Big Ten season; take two of four from Hoosiers
By RYAN WHITE
DAILY BASEBALL WRITER
Michigan baseball coach Bill
Freehan isn't sure how to react to his
team splitting its two weekend double-
headers against Indiana in
Bloomington.
Saturday, the Wolverines (2-2
Big Ten, 6-12 overall) lost game
one of the series, 3-2, but rebounded
to crush the Hoosiers (2-2, 19-5),
13-3, in the second game. The two
teams also split Sunday's twin bill
with Michigan winning the first
game, 3-0, and Indiana taking the
series finale, 8-1.
"To come out of Indiana, with a
split - I guess I'm not totally un-
happy," Freehan said. "I thought
overall we improved, and our start-
ing pitching was good to outstand-
ing, but we had chances to win ev-
ery game."
Both Ray Ricken (1-3) and Ron
S* a*
Hollis (2-3) threw five-hit complete
game victories for the Wolverines.
Ricken's win came in game two of
the series, and Hollis tossed a shut-
out in game three. It was Hollis'
first career shutout and his first Big
Ten start since May I of last season
against Ohio State. His season ended
last year when he was diagnosed
with phlebitis.
Heath Murray (1-3) picked up the
game one loss, and Chris Newton (0-
1) took the defeat in the fourth game.
"Hollis pitched outstanding and
Ricken pitched very well considering
the conditions (rainy and sloppy),"
Freehan said. "Newton, and Murray
also pitched well for us."
Saturday's second game saw the
return of Michigan's bats, which had
been lost the weekend before against
Arizona State. The Wolverines ex-
ploded for 13 runs on 14 hits, including
a grand slam by second baseman Ryan
Van Oeveren in a six-run third inning.
In Sunday's 3-0 win, catcher Matt
Fluery led Michigan by going 2-for-3
and knocking in two runs.
Once again the Wolverines big-
gest problem was defense. After com-
mitting eight errors in three games
two weekends ago against Arizona
State, Michigan lowered the number
of mistakes to five in four games.
Unfortunately for the Wolverines, four
were in the same contest- the fourth
game. The fifth error came late in the
first game and gave Indiana the chance
to win.
"We let two games get away,"
Freehan said. "For us to be a good
baseball team we have to make the
most of our opportunities."
Michigan takes a break from Big
Ten action today to open the home
season at Fisher Stadium with a
doubleheader against Siena Heights
(8-15) beginning at 1 p.m.
"(Siena Heights) has a very good
program," Freehan said. "They'll give
us a good battle."
The Wolverines, who are 18-0
against the Saints, will send Matt
Ferullo (1-1, 3.86 ERA) and Matt
Humbles (1-3, 5.00) to the mound
today.
With four games against Michi-
gan State coming up this weekend,
Freehan is going to be making a num-
ber of different personnel moves.
"I'll probably use a lot of different
pitchers and players," he said. "I won't
be using the pitchers that are going
this weekend as much as I normally
would."
After spending more than a month
on the road, Freehan and his club are
looking forward to finally playing at
Fisher.
"It will be nice to play on our
home field," he said. "Hopefully the
weather will cooperate."
Matt Ferullo takes the mound in today's home opener vs. Siena Heights.
Softball splits six games
Ill California tourneyt
A 4Ye
Outdoor debut a success for women's track
BY BOB ABRAMSON
DAILY SPORTS WRITER
The Michigan softball team com-
pleted the tournament portion of its
season this past weekend with a strong
showing at the Cellular One Capital
One Classic in Sacramento, Calif.
The Wolverines (12-12) went 3-3 in
the tournament, losing to eventual cham-
pion California, 5-3, in eight innings.
"The kids know they are playing
well," Michigan coach Carol Hutchins
said. "We are starting to peak."
After going scoreless through the
first six innings, Michigan collected
three runs in the top of the seventh off
Californiapitcher Anne Walsh. Cheryl
Pearcy singled in Kelly Kovach for a
1-0 lead, and a subsequent single by
Mary Campana brought in Jennifer
Smith and Cheryl Pearcy to stretch
Michigan's lead.
In the bottom of the seventh, the
Bears stormed back to collect three
runs off Kovach, sending the game
into extra innings. In the bottom of
the eighth, Kovach surrendered a one-
out, two-run homerto Melanie McCart
*to give the Bears the victory.
"We were outstanding against
California," Hutchins said. "We had
timely hitting, but we just couldn't
hold them down any longer. Kovach
was just tired."
Kovach's start against California
represented her second pitching outing
of the day. Kovach pitched a 3-0 shut-
out against Pacific earlier on Saturday
to help catapult the Wolverines into the
second round of championship play
against California.
Kovach (7-7) struck out 27 batters
in 30 innings in the tournament, pick-
ing up two shutouts, one save, and
was named to the all-tournament team.
The Wolverines got off to a good
start in the pool play portion of the
tournament on Thursday and Friday,
winning its first two games.
Kovach threw a 1-0 shutout over
Sacramento State. Michigan's lone run
came on a fourth-inning RBI double
from freshman Jessica Lang.
Against Connecticut, Michigan
trailed 2-0 heading into the sixth inning.
But three runs in the bottom half of the
inning gave Michigan a 3-2 lead, and
Kovach earned the save with her sev-
enth inning appearance. Freshman Kelly
Holmes (5-4) got the win.
In the other games, Michigan lost
to Toledo, 1-0, Hawaii, 12-8.
Here is the remaining schedule for the
Michigan baseball team:
March
29 Siena Heights (DH) 1 p.r
April
*2 at Michigan State (DH) 1 .
*3 Michigan State (DH) 1. p.r
5 Eastern Michigan 3 p.r
6 at Western Michigan 3 p.r
*9 at Penn State (DH) Noor
*10 at Penn State (DH) Noo
13 Notre Dame 3 p.r
*16 Iowa (DH) 1 p.
19 Detroit Mercy 3 p.
20 at Eastern Michigan 3 p.
23 Ferris State (DH) 1 p.r
*30 Ohio State (DH) 1.p.
May
*1 Ohio State (DH) 1 p-
3 at Ferris State 1 p.rr
4 at Central Michigan 3 p.i
*7 Minnesota (DH) I p.i
*8 Minnesota (DH) 1 p.
10 at Saginaw Valley 7 pa
11L Xavier 2. p.ir
*14 at Illinois (DH) 1 p.r
*15 at Illinois (PH) 1 p.r
.m.
n.
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i.
llm.
P.M
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By DOUG STEVENS
DAILY SPORTS WRITER
After an indoor season that brought
the Michigan women's track and field
team a Big Ten title and a seventh
place national standing, the Wolver-
ines hit the "great outdoors" for the
first meet of the spring season. The
team's two week respite concluded
this weekend as they headed to the
deep South for the Alabama Relays.
Although the meet lacked the pres-
tige of the NCAAs, the Alabama Re-
lays had its share of respected competi-
tion. The field included national indoor
champion Louisiana State, and power-
houses Alabama and Tennessee.
However, the Wolverines didn't
back down to the rest of the field, as
many of the athletes achieved per-
sonal bests in their respective events.
Two weeks after winning the na-
tional championship in the distance
medley relay, the Wolverines won
both the 4 x 800- and 4 x 1500-meter
relays in Alabama.
"The runners really had to con-
tend with a wind which affected their
times," assistantcoach Mike McGuire
said. "We are capable of 30 seconds
faster in the 4 x 1500."
The Wolverines showed the coun-
try that their strengths spread beyond
the track by turning in fine perfor-
mances in thejavelin, discus and shot
put. Carrie Stewart won the javelin
with a 155.10 foot throw, a distance
that provisionally qualified her for
the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
While Rhonda Meyers and Jayne
Greiner each got personal bests in the
discus and shot put respectively.
Also turning in a strong performance
was Laura Jerman. She placed fourth in
the heptathlon with apersonal best 5120
points, which was good enough for
NCAA provisional qualifier status. In
addition, Jerman finished in second in
the 400-meter hurdles with a school
record time of 1:00.33.
"We had a good opening meet,"
McGuire said. "It is just a matter of
making the transition outside. We have
to get back in the saddle and get going."
"..i'i T."t
19-22 Big Ten Tournament at Battle Creek~
Home games at Fisher Stadium in bold
* Denotes Big Ten conference games
m ia W~iING WIT. APTbI
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