Running in the Land of Lincoln The Michigan men's track and field team, which was originally slated to be idle this weekend, will instead be hitting the cinders at the University of Illinois Spring Sports Festival on Saturday. The team will be looking to build on a first-place finish at last weekend's Colonial Relays, where junior Neil Gardner won the 400-meter hurdles and the Wolverines outscored second-place Seton Hall 42-31. lot Thursday April li, 1996 Wolverine softball splits with Spartans By Dan Stillman Daily Sports Writer EAST LANSING -In extra innings, Michigan State's Keri Lemasters parked a two-out, 1-0 pitch over the leftfield fence to give the Spartans a 6-4 win over the Michigan softball team in the first game of a doubleheader yesterday. The Wolverines (8-2 Big Ten, 29-10 overall) escaped from East Lansing with a split after eeking out a 3-2 victory in the nightcap. Trailing 4-3 going into the seventh inning ofthe first game, the Wolverines scored a run off a passed ball to force the game into extra innings. After Michigan went down in order in the top of the eighth, Wolverine pitcher Sara Griffin quickly retired the first two Spartan batters in the bottom of the in- ning. But an infield-single by Spartan center fielder Tiffany Yager set the stage for Lemaster's game-winning home run. "Keri is a really good hitter," Griffin said. "I just threw her something flat inside." Michigan State (2-6, 18-13) took an early 2-0 lead with runs in the first and third innings. The Wolverines rallied to tie the game in the fourth. Michigan first baseman Traci Conrad reached first on an error to start the inning. Following a Griffin single, third baseman Tracy Carr's sacrifice bunt moved the runners up. And one out later, second baseman Jessica Lang lined a single to deep right center to score Conrad and Griffin, and tie the game. Things soon fell apart for the Wol- verines, however. A Spartan single, combined with a throwing error by Carr on the ensuing bunt, gave Michigan State runners at first and second with nobody out. Michigan coach Carol Hutchins then took starting pitcher Kelly Holmes out of the game in favor of Griffin, who retired Lemasters for the first out of the inning. Lang then dropped a ground ball for the Wolverines' second error of the inning, which loaded the bases for Michigan State pitcher Stacey Smith, whose two-run scoring single gave the Spartans a 4-2 lead. "(Holmes) didn't have her best stuff," Hutchins said. "Her drop ball was a little fat." The Wolverines cut the lead to 4-3 in the sixth before tying the game in the seventh. Griffinwho took the loss, came right back out to start the second game. Defense decides outc( By Andy Knudsen Daily Sports Writer EAST LANSING - Keri Lemasters, the first batter for the Michigan State softball team in yesterday's double- header, drove a Kelly Holmes pitch deep to left field. Freshman leftfielder Cathy Davie raced to the-corner, extended her glove hand, jumped, caught the ball, and bounced off the tall outfield fence at Michigan State's Old College Field. It was a spectacular catch robbing Lemasters of an extra- base hit. You would think this would be an omen for a great defensive contest - but you would be wrong. The Michigan and Michigan State softball teams com- bined for four errors and three unearned runs in yesterday's extra-inning opener. "You play bad defense in a tight game, and you're not going to come out on top," Michigan coach Carol Hutchins said. Dmes for Michigan Someone must have hexed both team's gloves before the fourth inning, in which three of the gaffes occurred. It started with Spartan second baseman Patti Raduenz stumbling underneath Traci Conrad's routine pop-up and dropping the ball. Conrad then advanced to second on Sara Griffin's first of four singles for the day, moved to third 'oh Tracy. Carr's sacrifice, and hit paydirt on Jessica Lang's tWo run single. But when the Wolverines took the field in thebottom half of the inning, they saw Michigan State's error andraised the ante. Carr picked up Tiffany Yager's bunt and tried to throw~out pinch-runnerJ ill Nanak at second. But the throw was off target and could not be corralled in time. The bases were loaded after a Stefanie Nolfsinger grounder bounced out of Lang's glove: setting up a two-nm single by pitcher Stacey Smith. See SOFTBALL, Page 12A ed a 3-2 pitch up the inthe Wolverines' third and final run of I single that cut the the game. one run. Throughout both games, the Wolver- vould get no closer, inesmanagedtoshutdown Raduenz(l- n (17-5) got the next 4, 1 RBI), whose nine home runs and ut. .506 batting average earned her four s took an early 2-1 intentional walks on the day. s looked to manufac- The Wolverines and Toledo play a st. doubleheader at 2 p.m. today at nning triple knocked Michigan's Alumni Field. *. "°"° >. :. -- ,a: Olympian and world-record holder TomW Dolan announced yesterday that he will give up his final year of college eligibilty. Dolanwill- not smq Michigan survived a seventh-inning scare in the nightcap and gained a split with a 3-2 victory. With Michigan up 3-1in the seventh, Griffin hit the first batter of the inning. Lemasters followed with a single before Griffin retired the next two bat- ters on a ground-out and a strikeout. The Big Ten's leading hitter, Spar- tan senior second baseman Patti Raduenz, then line middle for an RB Spartan deficit toc The Spartans w however, as Griffi batter to ground o The Wolverine lead as both teams ture runs in the fir Conrad's fifth-i for Blue in '96-'97 . G* [ Blue youth shines on glorious I i .' K: R u., *<; . . _ .? Michigan's Derek Besco is safe at second trying to stretch a single to a double in the Wolverines' 6-5 victory over Hillsdale yesterday. Michigan's rightfielder later tagged out a runner of his own, nailing Charger Aaron Pederson, the potential tying run, at the plate. JOE WESTRATE/Daily spring dayL: By Will McCahill Daily Sports Writer "It seemed like it was 80 degrees out here," Mike Cervenak crowed after yesterday's 6-5 victory over Hillsdale, and boy, was he ever right. It was, indeed, a glorious day for base- ball, a day when the crisp calls of the umpires match the long, clear rays of sunlight - a day for players and fans alike to bask in the little joys of the game. Yesterday's time at the park was, well, summer to the winter that was the ¢ , - - _ > ... d ,.: ', ,« ._ _. w _. ^ w. x++ li r.:3.. ~ , ;,:' , .z .. M' baseball just gets over the Hill, 6-5 sA L last game the Wolverines played at Ray Fisher Stadium. That was last weekend against Minnesota, and the frigid breeze brought snow- flakes tumbling from the steel- grey sky. By James Goldstein Daily Sports Writer Eight is enough? Nope. The Michigan baseball team survived a late-inning rally by Hillsdale as Wol- verine stopper John Arvai - Michigan's ninth pitcher of the day - sealed Michigan's 6-5 win over the Chargers yesterday at Ray Fisher Stadium. Arvai entered the game for Pete Martay with two outs in the ninth inning and Hillsdale's Ryan Soldan at second base. The Michigan side-armer quickly got the count to one ball and two strikes on Charger leftfielder Jason Hensley, who represented the tying run. The Wolverines' closer bent down, hurling the ball in his side-armed fash- ion. Hensley reached out with his bat, getting just a piece of the ball. Arvai jumped off the mound to grab the drib- bler up the first-base line and fired to Michigan first baseman Brian Besco for the final out of the game. The game wouldn't have gone down to the final out if the Wolverines' pitch- ing staffcould have held on to a 6-1 lead in the sixth inning. Michigan's Marlon Wright allowed three hits and gave up one run in the sixth. And teammate Brad Scheiner didn't fare any better in the seventh. Scheiner walked the leadoff batter. Mike Dunham followed with a slow grounder that Michigan second baseman Bobby Scales snagged and held on to as Dunham reached first. One out later, Soldan smackeda base hit up the middle to knock in a run. The big hit came when Aaron Pederson hit a soft-liner that fell between Ryan Bush and Jason Alcaraz in left-centerfield. After an- other walk, out went Scheiner and in came Ryan Kelly. All of a sudden it was 6-5 with two men aboard. "I was getting a little nervous toward the end," Michigan third baseman Mike Cervenak said. "But I had a lot of con- fidence in our pitching. They were re- ally hitting their spots. And we were making the plays behind him." And that's what saved the Wolver- ines - a play in the field. Catcher Ben Schemmel hit Kelly's third pitch be- tween first and second base. Around came Pederson from second - but Michigan's rightfielder Derek Besco picked up the ball in short rightfield and fired a perfect strike to Mike Seestadt, who easily tagged out Pederson at the plate to deny Hillsdale the tying run. Matt Herr started the game for the Wolverines, pitchingforthe firsttime this season after playing withthe hockey team. Herr pitched just one inning and retired the Chargers in order, striking out one. "Matt's going to be fine," Michigan coach Geoff Zahn said. "But he's not in shape yet by any stretch of the imagina- tion. It's going to take him a little time, but he's going to help before it's over." Zahn used the mid-week game as an opportunity to get his reserves some playing time. Scales started at second, Brian Kalcynski played at shortstop - everyday shortstop Kelly Dransfeldt moved to designated hitter - and Seestadt got the start at catcher. The Wolverines got off to a 3-0 lead in the first inning highlighted by Cervenak's liner off Schemmel's glove at third base. Two runs scored, and Derek Besco's sac- nfice fly knocked in another. Michigan stretched out its lead in the fourth inning as Scales lined a double over Hensley's head in leftfieldtoscore Dransfeldt from second. Michigan goes to Detroit-Mercy to- day for a 3 p.m. game. By Doug Stevens Daily Sports Writer Sorry, Michigan sports fans, but it comes with the territory. Part of the glory of being a studen~ an institution that receives some o finest high school talent in the country is that these athletes soon discover tha they are too dominant for, well, the res ofthe country. Hence, it is time too on to the next level. Swimmer extraordinaire Tom Dolan arguably the best in the world in hi sport right now, is the latest Wolverm to forgo his final year of eligibityt pursue loftier goals. Although Dolan will remain ijAh Arbor the next two years to work to ward his degree and train with th #ei the nine-time NCAA champion tilpn longer compete as a Wolverine. While there is currently no prefes sional swimming circuit for Dolawt turn to, there are other reasons for 'h decision. For one, Dolan will be competilig i the 400 individual medley, the 2 and the 400 freestyle at the 01l: this summer in Atlanta. Since he is no longer a coI et athlete, success at the Olympics wil open numerous doors financially, in cluding the opportunity to receivespn sorships from major corporations "On an NCAA level, I have achievle every goal I could ever want to," Dola said. "I have an opportunity this sum mer with the Olympics being in lanta. With the restrictions the NCA has on what we are allowed to do i regard to publicizing ourselves and o sport, I came to the conclusion th4t need to take advantage of the opport nity that has arisen." It is truly a high priority for Dolan t get his name publicized in hopes- becoming sort of an ambassador forh sport ofswimming in the United Stafe "More than anything else, I want t help promote the sport," Dolan sai* hope to go out and give clinics and talk I hope to make my name a little bigger(i hopes of improving my ability to pub cize the sport). I do not see the sport swimming as a secondary sport." Dolan, with the support of his fa ily and coach Jon Urbanchek, decide that NCAA restrictions would pr hibit him from fully participating i the Olympic experience and in re senting the University. The ju announced his decision to his tea mates earlier this week. "The window ofopportunity in swi ming is pretty much during the Oly piCs," Urbanchek said. "Unfortunatel the Olympics are not next year. Rig now, swimming needs a role model a more exposure. Tom Dolan will repr sent the sport well. "He won nine NCAA titles andhe Michigan to the team title in 199 time for him to move on, and take t opportunity to expose swimming on national scale. Swimming needs som one to pick up the sport and publici it." It wasn't just a great game from that angle, either. Although the contest was a little closer than it should have been (the Chargers, after all, are in NCAA Division II), the benefits for the Wol- verines are immeasureable. The game was everything Michigan coach Geoff Zahn could possibly have wanted. After weeks offutility in trying to play mid-week, non-conference games where he would get a chance to juggle things around, to look at young players who wouldn't normallysee actionin con- ferenceplay, Mother Nature finally smiled upon the first-yearcoach andgrantedhim his wish. And a win, besides. Nine Wolverine pitchers came in to face Hillsdale. A pairof different catch- ers occupied the other half of the bat- tery. Players normally confined to the outfield or to roles as pinch-hitters or runners got to test the infield waters - what Zahn was looking for, and just what the doctor ordered. And, lest one forgets, on a nice day, to boot. This is a young team. There are only four seniors on the roster, three of whom play regularly. What this team needs is experience. All the young regulars have been accumulating it since the team's first game nearly six weeks ago, and it's already starting to pay dividends. Michi- gan is in first place in the Big Ten, and See BASEBALL, Page 12A go,-aw- , 00. FREE ., .4% 44 BUCKET. r w.. .