ROwING:
Michigan takes out Tennessee, then gives
No. 3 Southern Cal a run for its money.
- PAGE 2B
THE SPORTSMONDAY COLUMN:
Gabe Edelson takes a step back
to appreciate the train wreck
that is the New York Knicks.
PAGE 3
MEN'S TENNIS:
Netters crush Purdue, then fall
short in upset bid of Illinois.
PAGE 6B
)4
April 10,
2006
SPORTS Ol TD
1B
MICHIGAN 14, d - d
MICHIGAN 4
Sund
Bad first frame
mars weekend
S
By Nate Sandals
Daily Sports Writer
After a five-inning, 14-0 vic-
tory over Purdue in the first
game of yesterday's double-
header, the Wolverines retreat-
ed to their locker room. No. 12
Michigan returned to Alumni
Field 15 minutes later a differ-
ent team.
But the change was a negative
one.
Despite a seventh-inning rally,
the Wolverines fell to Purdue, 5-
4 in the second game of the day.
The difference between the two
games couldn't have been more
apparent.
"We didn't make the plays,
and we didn't pitch well (in
the first inning of game two),"
Michigan coach Carol Hutchins
said.
Junior pitcher Lorilyn Wil-
son started the second game
but didn't last long. In the first
inning, Wilson walked the first
batter, before Purdue's left-
fielder Tiffany Krcelich reached
on an error - the first of five
Michigan errors in the game. As
the inning continued, the Michi-
gan mistakes piled up, and the
Boilermakers capitalized.
After six batters and just one
out, Hutchins had seen enough.
The coach pulled Wilson and
senior Jennie Ritter, who pitched
all five innings of game one,
entered the game and finished
the inning quickly.
But the damage was done.
"We put ourselves in a hole,"
Hutchins said. "Then you see
the difference between hitting
when you're behind versus hit-
ting when you're ahead."
In the first game, Michigan
(5-1 Big Ten, 25-10 overall) led
the whole game, and the entire
lineup hit well. All 14 Wol-
verines that went to the plate
reached base at least once. The
highlight was a nine-run second
See PURDUE, page 4B
WOMEN'5GYMNASTICS
Positive
vibe leads
'M' to win
By Sara Uvingston
Daily Sports Writer
"Feeling the vibe."
The motto of the No. 10 Michigan women's gymnastics
team never seemed more true than on Saturday night at
Crisler Arena. The Wolverines came out of the gate strong
on vault and used that momentum throughout the night.
Michigan fed off the raucous crowd and won its second
straight NCAA Regional competition.
The team - ready to forget its disappointing fourth-place
finish at the Big Ten Championships - came into Regionals
eager to prove themselves on a national stage. The Wolver-
ines had two weeks off after the Big Ten Championships
and used the time to fine-tune their routines.
"This (winning regionals) was just really hard for us to
do;' Michigan coach Bev Plocki said. "The kids were so
disappointed after Big Tens and were determined to dem-
onstrate that what happened then was something they were
never going to let happen again. I'm just thrilled and excited
to have qualified to nationals. And to be coming out seeded
No. 1 is awesome."
Fifth-year senior Lauren Mirkovich continued her domi-
nance on uneven bars and won her third title, tying her sea-
son-high score of 9.900. Freshmen Tatjana Thuener-Rego
and Becky Bernard joined Mirkovich on the podium. They
finished second and sixth, respectively, as Michigan won the
event.
Ever since Thuener-Rego and classmate Huneth Lor jok-
ingly came up with the phrase "feel the vibe" early in the
season, the Wolverines have used it as a fun motivational
phrase to keep their spirits up. With such a tight-knit team,
the gymnasts constantly feed off each other's energy and use
the motto to remind them that their teammates have their
back whenever things go south.
"It has been a saying to pull us all together" junior Carol
McNamara said. "It's just about feeling the vibe as one
because we go out there as one and we compete as one. The
line is just a big pump-up to get us going."
And no one needed a boost more than McNamara, who
fell off of the balance beam for the second time in as many
meets. The junior was just seconds into her routine when she
lost her balance and slid off toward the end of the apparatus
in similar fashion to her fall at the Big Ten Championships.
But, the Wolverines didn't have the "vibe" at Jenison Field-
house two weeks ago, and McNamara's fall triggered four
consecutive falls for Michigan. The team scored a season-
low 47.475 on the apparatus.
But,on theirhome turf and in thelastmeetin Crisler Arena
for seniors Mirkovich, Jenny Deiley and Becca Clauson, the
Wolverines stayed on course. Michigan maintained its com-
posure and built off McNamara's clean dismount. Despite
Deiley's early close-call with the mat, the Wolverines won
the event and placed two gymnasts on the podium.
"At first, I was like, 'This can't be happening; " McNa-
mara said. "But when I went back to my team, I was so con-
fident in them, just with how we have been practicing and
the way everyone was looking. I knew they were going to
pick me up and finish strong. They were feeling the vibe."
"Let's go, let's go, let's go blue. Feeeel the vibe" the team's
signature cheer could be heard from their bench throughout
the beam event, and as the gymnasts headed to the locker
room for their bye rotation. While the Wolverines danced
in the locker room, trying to keep their momentum going
strong for floor routine, No.2 Utah was closing out the night
See REGIONALS, page 2B
Errors end win
streak for Blue
By David VandeVusse
Daily Sports Writer
Purdue beat Michigan yester-
day. But in reality, Michigan beat
itself.
After a dominating victory in
game one of yesterday's double-
header against Purdue, the Michi-
gan softball team committed five
errors en route to a 5-4 loss.
The miscues came early and
often.
After walking the first batter she
faced, junior pitcher Lorilyn Wil-
son fielded what appeared to be a
double-play ball. But the Salem,
Ore. native's throw sailed too
high for freshman shortstop Teddi
Ewing, and both Boilermaker run-
ners reached safely. Five batters
and three runs later, the infield
committed its second error, and
Wilson was pulled immediately
after.
"We didn't anticipate the ball
coming to us," senior Tiffany
Haas said. "A good defense needs
to expect the ball to come to them
on every pitch."
The outfield joined in on the
sloppy play, committing an error
of its own.
In the third inning, Purdue
shortstop Tricia Lilley hit a rou-
tine fly ball to centerfield. Sopho-
more Alessandra Giampaolo was
in position but failed to make the
play. The ball went in and out of
her glove, allowing Lilley to reach
second base.
The error proved costly. Boil-
ermaker DaQueta Johnson hit the
next pitch for a two-run shot.
Michigan committed two more
See ERRORS, page 4B
Stephanie Bercaw celebrates during Michigan's 1440 romp of Purdue at Alumni Field on Sunday. Unfortunately the
team couldn't sustain the momentum in the second game of the doubleheader, as its comeback bid fell short, 54.
'M'-Nine end Metrodome streak
By H. Jose Bosch
Daily Sports Writer
COLT.
ROSENS -
WEIG/ For
the Daily
Drew
DiGiore
and Luke
Bottke
eamed All-
America
honors this
weekend.
'Cinderella magc
can'L.t helo at NCA~
MINNEAPOLIS - For four
years, Minnesota's baseball team
has told itself, "There's no place
like home,
there's no placeM"
like home."
Ding-dong,
the Gophers are dead.
Michigan's 2-0 win over Min-
nesota yesterday marked the first
time since April of 2002 that the
Gophers have dropped a Big Ten
series at home. The last team to
take a series at Minnesota was Illi-
nois.
"(Minnesota) is one of the pro-
grams we need to get over the top of
in order to be a champion," Michi-
gan baseball coach Rich Maloney
said. "So this was big. To do it at
their place sends a nice message
that we're in (the Big Ten title hunt)
to compete, and we feel we have an
outstanding program on the rise."
second on a sacrifice bunt. Follow-
ing a groundball out and a walk,
sophomore Nate Recknagel came
up to the plate and drove a two-out
double deep into left-centerfield to
score two runs and give Michigan
the winning margin.
"It was just like any other (at-
bat)," Recknagel said. "I just went
up there and saw it and hit the ball
like I normally do. It wasn't any
different. You have to hit the ball at
key times when you need (a hit)."
As tight as yesterday's game was,
it paled in comparison to the emo-
tional win the Wolverines had in
the series opener on Friday night.
The Gophers took a 6-0 lead in
the bottom of the sixth after Min-
nesota's Luke MacLean drove a
single to rightfield to score team-
mate Kyle Daran. But Michigan
answered back with a four-run sev-
enth inning and a three-run eighth
inning. Sophomore Derek VanBus-
kirk knocked in the game-winning
runs in the eighth when he took
F
________I s .u