BIG TEN TOURNAMENT Gillies comes through in clutch Monday, May 11, 1998 - The Michigan Daily - 15 By T.J. Berka Daily Sports Editor For the balance of the season, the fortune: the Michigan softball team depended on the With the combination of pitcher Sara Griff 31-1 record and catcher Melissa Gentile's home runs, the second-ranked Wolverines h *rrpiled a 52-5 record. But this weekend, the two G's we enough, and Iowa placed Michigan in the lo bracket Friday with a 1-0 victory over Gri Instead of folding, Michigan placed its hop the shoulders of a third G - sophomore pit Jamie Gillies. And Gillies didn't disappoint Gillies, overshadowed by Big Ten Pitchi the Year Griffin the whole season, broke oi that shadow Saturday evening, defeating I twice to help the Wolverines grab their foi ' nsecutive Big Ten Tournament champions 'Gillies did a real nice job to hold us ti one run, and then to turn around and come b CHAMPS Continued from Page 20 The leader of Saturday's hit parade was catcher Melissa Gentile. In the fourth inning of the first lowa game, Gentile doubled on a hit that ded near the warning track. After she got back to the dugout. see- ond baseman Melissa Taylor was over- heard telling the power hitter that she was due for a home run in her next atbat two innings later, with the score tied I-1, Gentile blasted a home run over the left-centerfield fencee that almost went into neighboring Ray Fisher Stadium. After Gentile touched all the bases, Taylor was again orerheard: "I told yout *at you were due." Taylor wasn't the only one who had confidence in Gentile. Hutchins "had a comment to me before I hit my home run," Gentile said. " lutch came over to me and said, 'Skeeter, it's time for vou to dance."' Gentile and the entire Michigan dugout were dancing at the end of the first game as the horer sparked a five- run inning for the Wolverines. 4 "Our team is so contagious," Gentile said. "It's like the measles- if one per- son hits, everyone hits. It's been like that all year. We just need one person to get it started In the first gamte Saturday against Minnesota, Sat Griffin pitched a sever- hit shutout, imrprov ig tier record to 31- I on the year with the 4-0 victory. In the first day of the tournament, the Wolverines had trouble generating 'ffense. in Friday's second game, Iowa took a 1-0 lead on a fourth-inning home run by Shawnte Vallejo. That was all the scor- ing that the Hawkeyes needed as they silenced Michigan offensively. The main problem for the Wolverines on Friday was that their usually powerful offense floundered against Iowa's Leticia Castellon. "This isn't our gane," Michigan ach Carol Hutchlins said after the loss. Woc're an offensive ear that scores a lot of runs, and today we just couldn't get going" Despite the offensive woes, Griffin's pitching propelled Michigan to a 1-0 vic- tory over Minnesota in the first game. and pitch as long as she did," Iowa coach Gayle Blevins said, In the first game against the Iawkeyes, who had not yet lost in the tournament, Gillies gave up an early run, and it looked as if Griffin might have to go back in. But Gillies fought back, shutting out the Hawkeyes the rest of the way and opening the way for the Michigan offense to pepper Iowa's Leticia Castellon for five sixth-inning runs in the 6-1 victory. Gillies only allowed three hits and retired 10 of the Hlawkeyes' last 12 batters. Gillies, as impressive as she was in the first game, saved her best for the sudden-death championship game against the Hasikeyes that followed. She retired the first 15 Iowa batters, bringing a perfect game into the sixth inning. "Mum was the word in the dugout," Gentile said of the team's mood as Gillies' no-hit bid progressed. "If anyone had said anything they would have gotten popped." The Hawkeyes finally popped a couple of sin- gles through the Wolverines' defense in the sixth and broke ip Gillies' bid for perfection, but Gillies had played her role well enough. She left the game and Griffin wrapped up a 5-1 victory. With a 16-2 record on the season, Gillies was not exactly a liability coming into this week- end's play. She seems to save her best for lowa, only giving up one run in three games against the 1Hawkeyes this season. The Hawkeyes "have always been our big rivals, and I think everyone just steps up for a challenge," Gillier said. If there was one possible knock against the Wolverines this season, it was their pitching depth. Coaches, reporters and maybe even opponents wondered if Michigan was vulnera- ble once Griffin was out of the pitching circle. This weekend not only reaffirmed Michigan's depth, it also added another G to the Wolverines' list of big-time players - Gillies. Michigan pitcher Jamie Gillies had one of her best days ever - two wins, one run, five hits over 12 innings. 'M' endures role reversal to wM* By T.J. Berka Daily Sports Edtor When you're the No.2 ieam in the country adversity is sorething that doesnt com' into play very often. The Michigan sotball team. in compiling a 48-4 record coming into this rieckends ig en Tournament, taced very .. --------..litie adrersity. In fact, the Woverines ruon the regular season conferene title bS a whopping 7' 1 2 gaies. Co mmentasy Considering the cae ith which ....--- --- \iiehigan cruised throughr the Big Ten schedule, how wrould the Wolverines perform if their backs were against the wal ? Friday, Iowa put the \'olverines i1 jLirst that position, shutting out Michigan, 1-0, and sending the Wolverites into the losers bracket of the tournament. "We lust hare to rrrry about (Minnesoa) tomorrow," Michigan coach Carol Hutchins said after the loss. "We can't be looking toward the championship game right now." Winning the championship game looked to be a difficult task for the Wolverines, as it required Michigan to win three games on Saturday, a feat that had not been accomplished dur- ing the first three years of the tournament. After shutting out the Golden Gophers in the opening game. the Wolverines rcnsilt up against the Hawkeyes, needing a vic- tory to force a championship game. lowsa started Leticia Castellon, who had frustrated the Wolverines the previous day. Castelon stayed sharp for a while, but Micihigan eventually fought back. using a three-rn home run by catcher Melissa Gentile to break open a I-I deadlock it the fifth inning. The home run was a mammoth shot which few into the pine trees in left-center field -- perhaps spurring the Wolverines to greater heights in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. "I think coming through the losers bracket makes this wina lot more sweeter," Gentile said. "We could have just as easily Just hung our heads. Michigan didn't hang its heads though. Instead, the Wo erines learned to fight from behind, ani maybe even put themselves in position to hang something else - a champi- onship banner Pam Kosanke had six putouts in Michigan's championship win over Iowa. Dily sports. We do softball like none other. INTERESTED IN EASILY MAKING UP TO IN AN EXPERIMENT? Earn up to $50 in a five session computer-controlled dynamic decision making experiment where each session lasts one hour or less. 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