10 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Wednesday, April 10, 2013 - 7A The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Wednesday, April 10, 2013 - 7A Six straight for Michigan Fifth-year senior offensive tackle Taylor Lewan spurned the NFL Draft to return to Michigan. Trey Burke, point guard for the basketball team, faces a similar decision. Lewan can relate to Burke By SHANNON LYNCH Daily Sports Writer Recently, the Wolverines have been pumping out wins and championships in all corners of their athletic department - soft- ball, swimming and diving, gym- nastics and basketball, just to name a few. Tuesday night, the Michigan baseball team kept pace. The Wolverines (4-2 Big Ten, 17-14 overall) battled MICHIGAN 4 No. 18 NOTRE DAME 1 Notre Dame in South Bend and earned a 4-1 victory, extending their winning streak to six. Michigan hasn't had this many victories in succession since 2010. "We're just trying to contrib- ute in a positive way," said Michi- gan coach Erik Bakich. "We're just happy to be a part of the big- ger picture because there's not a better time to be associated with Michigan athletics than right now." Sophomore right-hander James Bourque earned the win for Michigan, striking out four in 5.1 innings. Fellow sophomore right-hander Matt Ogden also struck out four and picked up the save, allowing only one hit in 3.2 frames. "We were pitching to contact," Ogden said. "We had aggressive hitters who swing right up to bat, and we just let them get them- selves out pretty much." Increasingly, Bakich has been able to rely on the pitching staff, a change from years past. "Our pitchers have alot of con- fidence right now," Bakich said. "They've really done a nice job buying into pitching with quick tempo and forcing contact. Let- ting our defense work." Pitching to contact wasn't the only thing this team came to South Bend prepared to do. A number of well-timed hits also gave Michigan the edge over Notre Dame. Michigan catcher Cole Mar- tin got the offense running in the third with a double, then By LIZ VUKELICH Daily Sports Editor The conclusion of the basket- ball season means the eyes of the Michigan athletic community are on sophomore point guard Trey Burke and if he'll decide to leave Michigan and enter the NBA Draft. Taylor Lewan knows that feel- ing all too well - it's been three months since the Jan. 9 press NOTEBOOK conference when the fifth-year senior tackle announced his decision to stay with the Michigan football pro- gram one more year instead of entering the NFL Draft. Lewan doesn't envy Burke's decision at all, but now that all the attention is off his status at Michi- gan, he's focusing on things a little bigger than him. "I (stayed) for my team," Lewan said. "Now that that's over, my focus is Team 134 and it's not about (how) I stayed. If I stayed and we go 3-9 then that doesn't matter. It's notabout me, it'll never be about me." Lewan's newest priority? Nur- turing a youthful offensive line in preparation for Saturday's spring game and embracing his new lead- ership role. "I've tried to take it to a whole new level," Lewan said. "My big focus the last couple years has been the offensive line, and I've taken it to being the whole team now. It's cool to see guys that are starting to follow." Lewan, though, has been reluc- tant to praise the line too much based off what he's seen this spring. The unit is still struggling with the minute details, such as hand placement, and needs to become more aware. It appears redshirt freshman guard Kyle Kalis has been mak- ing enough progress this spring to probably lock in the starting job, and he has Lewan's full approval. "It's cool to see the transi- tion from just one season doing a scout team to the spring and how much more they've retained just in those few months," Lewan said. "If everybody focuses on their assignment, does their job, that's how you win games. Everything's a one-on-one battle." SPRING AWAKENING: Satur- day's scrimmage in Michigan Sta- dium signifies the end of spring practice and the end of the Wol- verines' first marking period, so to speak. The players spoke of some per- sonal goals they hope to accom- plish by Saturday. But some goals are a little broader than others - in addition to his own objectives for the spring, part of senior cor- nerback Courtney Avery's goals includes mentoring the younger defensive backs. The Wolverines are blessed with enough depth at secondary to keep a healthy rotation dur- ing practices, but with freshmen constituting about a quarter of the defensive backs, there's still a little bit of a learning curve. That's where Avery, and his fel- low upperclassmen, come in. "After you take your reps and you're on the sideline, you watch your position," Avery said. "That way you can get your mental rest, and you can help coach them. The coaches on the field aren'tgoing to be able to catch every little thing." COUNTING ON CLARK: It might only be spring ball, but Lewan is already anticipating postseason accolades for his team- mates. On Tuesday, he expressed little doubt that junior defensive end Frank Clark will make the All-Big Ten team, and that's based only on the times he's gone up against Clark in the limited num- ber of spring practices. Senior defensive tackle Jibreel Black agreed and admitted he's happy to have Clark on his side of the line of scrimmage. "Frank's been running the ball the best I've seen (since) the first play of his freshman year," Black said. "I can see the whole D-line being All-Big Ten talent." NOTE: Angelique Chengelis of The Detroit News reported Tues- day that the spring game will be a situational scrimmage. Junior right fielder Michael O'Neill had an RBI on two hits in South Bend. headed to third base on a sac- rifice bunt and scored on a wild pitch. The Wolverines added a pair of runs in the fourth when freshman third baseman Jacob Cronenworth scored off a double from junior right fielder Michael O'Neill. He then followed Cronenworth home on a double from sophomore designated hit- ter Kevin White. Bourque held off the Fight- ing Irish until the bottom of the sixth, allowing one run before Bakich called in Ogden, who struck outtwo and quickly ended the inning. After loading the baseswith no outs inthe seventh, Michigan responded with a run of its own. O'Neill, who is batting .353, was one of four Wolverine bat- ters to pick up two hits in the game. O'Neill and White both had one RBI and a run each in four at-bats. This Michigan team, like so many others, is currently on a roll. The winning has been con- tagious. "I believe we have momentum on our side," Ogden said. "It's a little unexplainable, so we're going to roll with it, keep doing what we do, keep the good mojo going, and look forward to the next game." Red-hot Wolverines use eight-run first inning to top Broncos By ERIN LENNON left-hander needed just 81 pitches alla worked two walks to load the right field for her second hit of the Susalla earned her second start in Nicole Sappingfield. Daily Sports Writer through five innings to secure her bases for the ninth batter in the game. The single put the Wolver- as many games, while Blanchard "We want to get people in as second shutout and 11th win of the lineup, junior center fielder Lind- ines up 8-0 and knocked Shem- - who is the usual starter at first much as we can," Hutchins said. For the second time this week, season. say Doyle. Doyle knocked in two berger out of the game. - got her second start of the sea- "Susalla keeps getting better, and the No. 12 Michigan softball team Michigan sent 12 batters to the runs with a single up the middle to Senior second baseman Ashley son behind the plate in place of that is why I'm so pleased with scored plate in the bottom of the first put Michigan up 4-0. Lane loaded the bases once more sophomore catcher Lauren Sweet. her. She keeps improving even eight runs W. MICHIGAN 0 inning, stringing together seven "We had to keep playing our for Michigan, but a strikeout from "I've made a few adjustments to though she does get erratic play- in the first MICHIGAN 8, hits and four walks from.Western game," Hutchins said. "We have to " freshman left fielder Sierra Law- my swing. I've been tryingto focus ing time. Her start is a great credit inning in Michigan pitcher Becca Shem- keep building on what you're good rence ended the inning and left the more on seeing the ball and hitting to her. All those kids have worked Tuesday's victory over Western berger. The Wolverines' patience at no matter who the opponent is. runner stranded. with my backside," Susalla said. hard so I'm really excited to see Michigan. paid off - they scored five of their We had an opportunity to swing The Broncos threatened with "Keeping those things in mind has them get better at it." While the Wolverines (9-0 eight runs with two outs. Fol- our bat, and we swung well in the the bases loaded and no outs in definitely improved my hitting." 'The win extended Michigan's Big Ten, 32-7 overall) were held lowing a triple from senior third first." the top of the second, but Wagner Early-game scoring allowed winning streak to 14. For the scoreless in each of the next four baseman Amy Knapp, sophomore Junior catcher Caitlin paired two strikeouts and a force Hutchins to insert freshman Bran- Wolverines, patience and balance innings, the early lead was enough pitcher Sara Driesenga, who was Blanchard fought off 11 pitches out at home to work out of the jam di Virgil and senior co-captain in the batter's box, paired with for sophomore pitcher Haylie the designated player, and fresh- in her second at-bat of the frame without yielding a run. After an Jaclyn Crummey into the outfield strong pitching in the circle has Wagner to earn an 8-0 win. The man first baseman Kelsey Sus- before sending a line drive into outstanding weekend at the plate, for Doyle and senior co-captain kept them perfect at Alumni Field.