W fS ""ER WOODS
For the first time in nearly 30
years, the Michigan men's golf II
team wil compete in the NCAAWOdesdoy
me etMl.ay 1 1997 3
"We're going out to win"
Battery
rolls along
By Mark Snyder
Daily Sports Editor
Seniors Kelly Holmes and Jen Smith
- the battery for the Michigan softball
team - have played so many games
together over the last four seasons they
are bordering on psychic connection.
* So it is hardly surprising that they
were having similar thoughts during the
31-minute rain delay of Sunday's
NCAA Region 6 championship game at
Alumni Field.
'This could be my last game,' pitcher
Holmes thought, as she waited out the
delay against
C e n t r a I
Michigan. "Do I
really want to
cond with 1wo
losses?"
The two
seniors were at
the crossroads
of their careers
After three
seasons of rais-
ing the stan-
dards of the softball program, they were
facing their first elimination game of
this post-season.
"As a senior, I didn't want my last
home game to be a loss," Smith, the
catcher, said after the game. "There was
no way I wanted to lose."
Mother Nature gave the pair a chance
to ponder the situation.
Michigan held the advantage, 1-0, in
the second game of the day when the
heavens opened and fans fled the com-
fort of the lightning-friendly metal
bleachers for the safety of shelter.
At that point, Central hid as well.
The delay halted the momentum the
Chippewas gained following their vic-
tory in the first game of the day. In that
See BATTERY, Page 14
'M' spills Chips;
World Series
starts tomorrow
By BJ. LurIu
Daily Sports Writer
Central Michigan, Central Michigan, Central Michigan.
By beating the Chippewas in the final game of the regional
softball tournament this weekend, the Michigan softball team
can finally say goodbye to their foes from Mt. Pleasant and
hello to the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City.
Kelly Holmes picked up her 1Ith shutout of the season and
third of the tournament, and Cathy Davie slapped a tX4e-n
double in the seventh inning as the Wolverines (55-14-I)
defeated Central, 4-0 - the third meeting of the two days in
two days.
By winning the first game Sunday afternoon, 3-1, in extra
innings, Central (41-22) forced the final game to decide the
Region 6 champion.
Michigan got off to a strong start in the tournament Friday
afternoon against Cleveland State. The Vikings were led by 24-
game winner Amy Kyler. The game remained scoreless through
the first six and a half innings. In the bottom of the seventh, des-
ignated player Tammy Mika led off with a double. Then fresh-
man Pam Kosanke ended the game with an RBI single.
"Wed been telling our hitters all game, 'Get on top of the
ball, get on top of the ball,"' Michigan coach Carol Hutchins
said. "Fortunately, we had one of the people listen to us up at
the plate, and she just got a good piece of the ball."
Saturday, the Wolverines faced Central, which hairbeaten
Michigan Stalg on Friday by a score of 1-0. Amy Vedrode led
off for the Chippewas and singled. She would be the only
baserunner for Central all game, as Holmes retired the next 21
batters.
EVN PERIi/Spec iatothe
The Michigan softball team's senior battery of pitcher Kelly Holmes and catcher Jennifer Smith were
all smiles after guiding their team to its third straight berth in the Women's College World Series.
Oklahoma Cty, OK CScedule taorfst two days, alltimes CestralOyight Tins
Thursday, May 22 Friday, May 23
Game 1: Arizona vs. Massachusetts, noon Game 5 Winner Game 1 vs.
Game 2: Fresno State vs. UCLA, 2:30 p.m. Winner Game 2, 6 p.m.
Game 3: Iowa vs. Michigan, 6 p.m. Game 6: Winner Game 3 vs.
Game 4: Washington vs. South Carolina, 8:30 p.m. Winner Game 4, 8:30 p.m.
Notable: a Arizona is the defending champion.
a Michigan has never won a game at the WCWS.
. Michigan is making its third consecutive WCWS
.The championship game is Monday at 1 p.m. or
See REGIONAL, Page 14
615 Et Liberty ' 668-9329
DRAFTS
Porter.
t'-..-"
Baseball falls in Big Ten tourney
I
By Sharat Raju
*Daily Sports Editor
The Michigan baseball team has had
just about all it can stand of the Scarlet
and Gray.
Last weekend, the Wolverines (36-22)
lost twice to Ohio State (42-16) in the
Big Ten playoffs, finishing in second
place at Ray Fisher Stadium.
During the previous weekend - the
final regular-season series - Michigan
took two of four games from Ohio State
to win the Big Ten title. That's six games
against each other in 13 days - an aver-
age of one game every other day.
The difference was that this weekend,
the roles were reversed.
"It didn't even seem like we went
home," Ohio State centerfielder and
tournament MVP Mike Lockwood said.
"Revenge was in the back of our minds."
In Saturday's championship game, the
Wolverines faced the Buckeyes for the
second time in the tournament, having
lost to them Friday.
Michigan needed a victory to force an
additional deciding game on Sunday.
The fourth inning may have been the
most costly one for the Wolverines dur-
ing the game - and consequently the
tournament and season.
In the top of the fourth, with the score
knotted at one run apiece, the
Wolverines had the bases loaded with
only one out. Michigan had a chance to
blow the game wide open.
Michigan catcher Mick Kalahar -
the previous weekend's hero - popped
out to the shortstop, followed by captain
Kirk Beermann's short fly to first.
Zero runs scored. Three left on base.
"It was big because we certainly
would have gotten back into the ball-
game," Michigan coach Geoff Zahn
said. "it seems like the last couple days
we haven't been able to cash in with
guys on base."
See BIG TENS, Page 14
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