The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Thursday, A pril 2, 2009 - 5A Big bats help Blue notch first two conference wins Junior Mike Dufek went 3-for-5 with three doubles and three RBl, including the game-winner, in yesterday's win over Oakland. 'M' gets hot in fifth, comes back from -0 deficit to top Oakland By RYAN KARTJE offense's hands to manufacture Daily Sports Writer key runs. Three hours and forty-five Michigan baseball coach Rich minutes into the game, with the Maloney peered up at the score- sun going down in right field, board during the middle of the Dufek slammed a pop fly deep third inning against Oakland yes- into centerfield. Oakland cen- terday. terfielder Justin Wilson lost his He said later he was embar- footing and the strong wind blew rassed at Dufek's ball past his glove. Sopho- what he OAKLAND 13 more centerfielder Ryan LaMarre saw, and MICHIGAN 14 beat the throw to home to notch so was the eventual winning run. the rest of his clubhouse. Dufek's third double of the day After dropping two games to was the difference, as the slugger sub-.500 Mid-American Confer- led the offensive surge with three ence teams, the Wolverines found RBI in the Wolverines' 15-hit themselves down 8-0 at home to effort. another team they were supposed Maloney used five pitch- to beat. ers up to that point - including "Itwas alowpoint for allofus," the three-hurler third inning - Maloney said. "I didn't want to and with the final half-inning say anything; I just hoped some- approaching, Dufek approached one would step up." his coach. Maloney's silence must have "He told me he wanted the spoken louder than any mid-game ball," Maloney said. "They were speech could have - because so tired of losing. There was no with two outs in the bottom of doubt in my mind, (to put him the fifth inning, the Wolverines in)." rallied with a nine-run offensive As Michigan's closer for the explosion and solid play down the second day in a row, Dufek stretch' to win in marathon fash- allowed just one hit to end the ion, 14-13. game in swift fashion and regis- After last weekend's series ter his second save of the season. against Iowa, both senior out- "He was lights out, and he's fielder Kenny Fellows and junior been doing it all season," Fellows first baseman Dufek expressed said. "For him to come out and their displeasure that the offense give us that double and go back couldn't complement the pitch- onto the mound and finish it, that ers' solid efforts. was huge." When each Wolverine pitcher But Dufek's double wasn't the in the Grizzlies' six-run third only gamechanger yesterday. inning lasted just one out yes- With the bases loaded in the terday, and junior reliever Jeff fifth inning, Fellows slammed the DeCarlo left the game with an ball down the third baseline to ERA over 17, both Fellows and score two and spark the Wolver- Dufek knew that it was in the ines' comeback. Fellows, who has the highest batting average on the team at .374, has coupled with Dufek to stimulate the offense for much of the season thus far. "It came from all angles today," Dufek said. "And then you see the other guys doing it, and it boosts the confidence that a lot of guys didn't have. Our hitting was con- tagious." Senior second baseman Kevin Cislo, who was originally scratched from the lineup after tweaking his shoulder against Bowling Green on Tuesday, told Maloney that he wanted to be a part of the effort. And in the top of the ninth inning, the tri-cap- tain got his wish. Maloney said that his captain's determination told the tale of the comeback effort. "We were down so far men- tally," Maloney said. "Psychologi- cally, we needed that game. So when two guys approach me and say they need to come in, that says something." With an important three-game series against Penn State loom- ing this weekend, the Wolver- ines needed a mental comeback to maintain strong positioning in the Big Ten. At this time last season, the Wolverines had won eleven straight games after a 5-5 start, a turnaround that led them to a 42-12 record and a top seed in the Big Ten Tournament. Wednes- day's win could be that catalyst that Michigan need to make the same kind of run. "We've been making mistakes," Maloney said. "But we're still 17-8 - 17-8 with a whole new roster. That's something." Viefhaus and St. Clair guide team to doubleheader sweep in State College By MIKE FLOREK Daily Sports Writer With the sky permanently stuck in a depressing shade of gray and the stadium bleachers nearly empty,the Michi- MICHIGAN 9 gan soft- PENN STATE 1 ball team resumed its quest MICHIGAN 11 PENNSTATE 3 for Big Ten supremacy during yesterday's doubleheader against Penn State. With the temperature in the 40s in State College, it was the Wolver- ine bats that impressed the minis- cule crowd of 75 as Michigan won 9-1 and 11-3. The wins were Michigan's first in Big Ten play. After two losses to then-No. 14 Northwestern on the opening weekend of Big Ten play, Michi- gan (2-2 Big Ten, 24-9 overall) was ninth in the conference. The two wins put Michigan back into the middle of the pack. With no postseason conference tournament for the first time since 1994, the regular-season games are more important than in years past. "If we did (feel pressure), we didn't show it," Michigan coach Carol Hutchins said. "We can't get caught up in the standings. Our goal is to make it and have a deep run into the postseason and have a chance to get it to the (Women's College) World Series, so we need to play every game like we're fight- ing for that." Junior catcher Roya St. Clair, who hits fifth in the lineup, led the way at the plate. She was 4-for-7 CIF EER/Deiaily Junior Roya St. Clair, shown here against Kent State, went 4-for-7 and hit her fourth home run of the year in yesterday's doubleheader at Penn State. and hit a home run in the first game, her fourth this season. "We need that from Roya," Hutchins said. "She's in the RBI slot in the lineup. We need her to stay consistent at the plate ... how- ever she did it, I hope she stays with it." After sophomore pitcher Jordan Taylor gave up three runs in the first inning of the second game, Hutchins swapped one All-Amer- ican for the other. She brought in junior Nikki Nemitz, who won the first game. Nemitz went on to throw six scoreless innings and ten strike- outs against the Nittany Lions (0-, 9-17). Junior third baseman Maggie Viefhaus picked up where St. Clair left off in the batter's box in the second game, going 3-for-4, driv- ing in five runs and adding her, fifth home run of the year. 'I've been striking out a lot late- ly," Viefhaus said. "I was just try- ing to put it in play and she put it over the plate, and I got the good part of the bat, and it went out." Michigan will have justtwo days to prepare before Purdue comes to Ann Arbor for a two-game series this weekend. The Boilermakers are 3-1 in Big Ten play and sit at second in the conference behind Northwestern. "Getting games in helps us more than anything," Viefhaus said. "We're at the point in the season where you don't really need to practice anymore. You're either on your game or you're not." The Wolverines will play in their optimal weather conditions again this weekend - the forecast projects the temperature in the high 40s. The only difference from yester- day is that it looks like more than 75 people will likely be in atten- dance at Alumni Field. now" I SPRING OPEN HOUSE SALES EVENT I Huge selection on motorcycles, dirt bikes, ATVs, snowmobiles, scooters and MORE! We are new and improved and under NEW MANAGEMENT. Food, games, prizes, and entertainment for all 3 days! Nicholson Enterprises, Inc. 4405 Jackson Road Ann Arbor, MI 48103 1-800-825-5158 www.nicholsonfun.com 123 MPG Estimated* ArborVitae Women's Center We provide the following services FREE of charge: Pregnancy testing Ultrasounds Women's health and abortion info Material support and referrals Spiritual support A r bor Vit a Day and Evening Appointments Available " Feisty 49cc, air-cooled, 2-stroke engine produces zippy power for perfect around-town performance. 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