The Michigan Daily - Thursday, Marcn 29, 2001-- 9A
'M' nine take game
two after losing first
By David Horn
Daily Sports Writer
In blackjack, the odds advise players
to split aces and eights - not sevens.
And in a baseball doubleheader, split-
ting is a disappointment. But such was
the case for the Michigan baseball team
in its two seven-inning games against
Oakland yesterday.
The second game was a Michigan 3-0
win, as sophomore Rich Hill pitched a
one-hit shutout - the first for Michigan
this season. But the first hand was a
bust. Captain Bryce Ralston, still recov-
ering from a year's absence due to
"Tommy John" surgery, surrendered
three first-inning runs that would prove
to be the only offense in the game for
either team.
Ralston "is just not ready (to come
back) yet, and that was apparent today,"
Michigan coach Geoff Zahn said.
Ralston allowed the Golden Grizzlies
to rally with two outs in the first. A Kip
Harris single with two men on drove in
a run, and was followed by a line drive
to left by designated hitter Michael
Trozen. The ball was bobbled by
Michigan leftfielder Jordan
Cantalamessa, but was ruled a clean
double and Ralston was charged with
another two earned runs.
After that, the home team played 13
innings of shutout ball. But the six run-
ners left on base in the first game was a
frustrating statistic to bear. Centerfielder
Gino Lollio, who left two runners on
base in a groundout to third that ended
the Wolverine fifth, cites that as the key
trouble spot for Michigan.
"They kept shutting down our
momentum," Lollio said. "Games that
we do (leave runners on) are games that
we end up losing."
Bran Morenko pitched the dbmplete-
game for the visiting Golden Grizzlies.
"Give the kid credit," Lollio said. "He
wasn't throwing hard, and he wasn't
striking people out. He just got us out."
Sophomore Tim Leveque came on
in relief for Ralston in the top of the
third, and pitched five shutout innings
of his own. He has yet to relinquish an
earned run in 17.1 innings of work
this season.
Game two was won on the mound by
Hill. His eight strikeouts helped him
keep Oakland hitless after a Chris
Kimble single to lead off the game.
"I would have liked to have a no-hit-
ter," Hill said.
Unlike game one, the Wolverines'
bats helped out their staff. In the bottom
of the first, captain Scott Tousa stole
third and was driven in, courtesy of a
Chris Kimball error at short. Tousa
would contribute with his bat in the fifth
by driving in Blake Rutkowski with a
homerun to right.
"It's kind of like a bad movie with a
happy ending," Lollio said.
MARJORIE MARSHALL/Daily
Michigan coach Carol Hutchins won in
the 1,000th game of her career.
ISoftball
vins, ties
in opener
By Nathan Linsley
Daily Sports Writer
Coach Carol Hutchins was victori-
Os in her 1,000th career contest, and
the Michigan softball team won its
home opener yesterday at Alumni
Field.
The second game of the double-
header against Western Michigan
enided in a 3-3 tie when the game was
called on account of darkness after the
fifth inning. Hutchins's landmark
me in the first game, which the
lolverines won 5-0.
"Every home game is special, and
every game is special," Hutchins said.
"Honestly, I didn't view this game any
different than the other 999."
In the late game, the.Broncos took
advantage of a poor outing from fresh-
man pitcher Meghan Ritter to score
two runs in the first inning. Ritter,
who had been solid - she had a 2.21
RA in her four previous outings -
ve up six hits while facing just 12
batters.
"Ritter is a young pitcher who we
don't depend on to carry a load for
us," Hutchins said. "But I think she's
better than what she went out there
and threw."
In the third inning, junior co-captain
Kate Eiland relieved Ritter. It was her
4rst appearance this season after hip
rgery nine weeks ago. She pitched
ihree innings, and gave up one run.
"I feel like I've been out of it for so
long, I wasn't really sure what was
going to happen," Eiland said. "I did-
r't really have any expectations. It
Anded up going pretty well, I thought."
The Wolverines rallied from the
early deficit to take the lead by scor-
ing three runs in the third inning.
Iesignated player Stefanie Volpe pro-
*ded the spark with a double and a
run in the inning.
After the Broncos scored in the top
of the fifth, Michigan threatened in the
bottom half of the inning. Volpe rep-
resented the winning run on second
base with one out. But she was caught
stealing before two singles by
Michigan.
Volpe's success began in the first
*me, when she hit 2-for-2 with her
first homerun of the season.
--"I've been struggling a little bit, but
.I put it all together," said Volpe, who
-entered the game hitting just .227. I
s "got my head back on track and saw
the ball well."
For the day, Volpe was 4-for-4 with
two runs scored and three RBI.
The Wolverines benefited from stel-
'lar pitching in the afternoon game
om Marie Barda, who earned a
utout by recording seven strikeouts
and allowing just three hits over seven
innings.
MICHIGAN NOTES
Women's golf ends
match tied at seventh
*The Michigan women's golf team
ed for seventh at the San Antonio
Shootout in a field of 11 teams this
past Tuesday. The team had a total
of 633 strokes for the two-day
event.
"I was disappointed in the way we
plaved this weekend," Michigan
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