arVTM aplno Junior Michael Harris tied for the individual title at the Big Ten Championships this weekend at Minnesota. Page 15. Ze aIThcigutnUQilg SPORTS Monday May 17, 1999 Softball drops Big Ten final Minnesota upsets top-seeded Michigan, 3-2, at Alumni Field By Jon Zemke Daily Sports Writer Harrison intentionally walked designated hitter Melissa Gentile, loading the bases to face Rebecca At practice before the Big Ten softball tournament Tune. Earlier in the day Tune, faced with the exact situ- last-Thursday, Michigan softball coach Carol Hutchins ation, belted a grand slam against Penn State to begin ended the short workout with a few words of wisdom. an 11-0 rout. Minnesota was in their hotel at the time She talked about a runner who tried so hard to impress and did not know of the play. his father that he kept falling down throughout the race. "Sometimes it's going to click between you and the Bruised and battered he finished dead last, but his pitcher and whatever they're throwing it's going to hap- father was still proud of him. Hutchins moral wasn't to pen," Tune said. "And it happened for me" try hard, but to relax. The Wolverines ended up tripping Tune walked scoring Davie from third to end over their own few mistakes as they lost in the champi- Michigan's scoring for the day. Klaviter came back on onship game against Minnesota, 3-2. with two outs left in the game finishing off Michigan's Minnesota's Dana Ballard, pinch hitting in the top of chances at the conference title. the seventh, poked a looper into left field to score the Big Ten pitcher of the year Mane Barda (22-3) game winner from second base. The two-out single matched Minnesota all the way to the end, recording marked the second time on Saturday that Minnesota nine strikeouts, catching six looking. cane from behind to win in the seventh. "I wasn't trying to strike everyone out," Barda said. Michigan opened the game with two runs in bottom "They just watched a lot of pitches that hit the corner." of the first as they shelled Minnesota's workhorse pitch- Keeping the Golden Gophers scoreless for five innings, er, Steph Klaviter. Big Ten player of the year Traci the first three without a hit, Minnesota's Shannon Beeler Conrad (3-4) led off for the Wolverines and ran out an hit a 1-0 Barda pitch over the left field fence. Her 13th infield single. Catherine Davie later lined a shot over homer tied the game at two. Barda responded by striking second base to score Conrad from second. out four of the last five outs of the inning. Stephanie Volpe next hit a long single off the right "Beeler had that look in her eyes when she came up," field fence moving Davie to third. With runners on the Hutchins said. "We should have walked her I guess." corners Minnesota pulled Klaviter in favor ofjunk-ball Earlier Saturday Michigan lost to Minnesota again, reliever Michelle Harrison. 2-1. Klaviter pitched a five-hitter with five scoreless "They were hitting some pitches down and hard and innings as Jaime Gillies matched her, allowing five hits we knew that if anything could offset the down hard and no runs until the seventh. Gentile led off the fifth pitches, it was the slow junk that (Harrison) was throw- with a towering solo shot into the center field conifers. ing," Minnesota coach Lisa Bernstien said. Minnesota answered with the winning run on a long (M) 10 nine lo By Michael Kern Daily Sports Editor The Michigan baseball team head- SuAb a ed into its weekend series at Penn m s State in third place in the Big Ten, Hospital training in USEn and and south holding a slim one-game lead over America. Graduates .llgible to practice in fourth place Indiana. US and abroad. Transfer studWithslceoIndiana ered, clerkehips avalable. All you nees With a 6-1 win in the first game of mt have completed pre-medical require- Saturday's doubleheader, and two FormrlaIfomatocall Indiana losses at first-place Ohio 404 355 1412 or 770 465 9966 State, Michigan (15-13 Big Ten, 29- w c"becetactedviae-maillat 27 overall) was guaranteed a spot in admissionsfaism-edu the four-team Big Ten tournament Our web address is for the third time in four years this a coming weekend at Ohio State. 1 ck leagu The Wolverines dropped three games of the series Field. Michigan started quick first game on Friday, tak lead after three innings Wolverines managed onlyc rest of the way and lostI score of 5-4. It looked as though start might still record a victc took a 4-2 lead into the fir But with one out and me and second, third basem Fagan homered, stealing The jersey playerf nzewbreed thtI tVel Blanchard --- the highest-rated recruit in the nation who had not yet signed a letter of intent - announc ing his decision first to his family on Mother's Day, and then to the public a day later, there was plenty of time for rumors. LaVel//s dpdai MicELLE sWE.LNv /Dary c/r sri 'r li/ e to Michigan's bats were swinging, but the Wolverines fir. That's r/ty couldn't quite connect against Minnesota, 'he '/ choose Al i I g ai us - fly ball to center. It allowed the runner to tag and score C i r r e n CHRIS before Volpe, Michigan's catcher, threw out the other Califrriria coach DUPREY runner at third. Ben Braun used Dupe's Michigan mercied Iowa on Friday 8-0, iced by anoth- to open api te Scoop er Gentile home run in the fifth. The dinger came E a syr e r is directly after a member of Michigan's Alumni band Michigan grm- yelled for Gentile to hit a homer so "she wouldn't have nasium for Lae// to shoot around to run so fast." Barda only allowed two hit . whenie /e as ijust a litt/e bot. That's "We have out most important tournament next," w/ he'/l/go to Cal. Lae/Ne/ ou//d love Hutchins said. "We're not going to hang our heads the opportnity to r/r with (Virginia about this very long ... They're going to have hold their recruit) Aajestic Mapp in co//ege. head up and work even harder to get it." That t h he '// become a Cavalier: And perhaps relax a little bit more in crunch time. With so-called "experts" psycho- analyzing the every move of a high school senior, Michigan coaches and ourney ot fans craved a shred of reliability. It was time for the truth - no mat- ter what the decision. 0 I the other for the Nittany Lions. It was the day after Mother's Day, at Beaver In the clincher for the Wolverines, one day after Blanchard had shared Bryan Ralston earned his eighth vic- the news with his family, when they ly in the tory of the season and improved his got their wish. "LaVell Blanchard has ing a 4-1 Big Ten record to 6-0 by pitching chosen Michigan!" boomed out Ann But the five scoreless innings, giving up just Arbor radio station WTKA, proud to one hit the four hits and striking out three. have been the main source of by a final Bobby Korecky pitched the final Blanchard updates throughout the two innings in relief, allowing no final days of tension. er J.J. Putz earned runs and striking out three on And that one sentence meant t ory as he just one hit. The Wolverine pitchers rebirth of Michigan basketball. nal inning. shut down the Nittany Lions' hitters, Sure, Blanhard's not the only n on first allowing just five hits. player in Lllerbe's first recruiting ass Shawn Centerfielder Brian Bush led the class. With Kevin Gaines' passing the game See BASEBALL, Page 15 abilities, Gavin Groninger's shooting touch and the multiple talents of Jamal Crawford and Leland O E M * * Anderson, the Wolverines could have survived without Blanchard. What is behind this public infatua- 1 ud a an d e a I tion with Blanchard? His 28.6 points - YICe*W ' t13t I per game average at Ann Arbor 1 aWeHmade 0f. I Pioneer is certanly a first-class so 1 00t off istec, but oier Mieigan prospects I $.oe ffMeal Size I have put up imrpessive numsbers T Smoothie or Fruit Shake I before - even at the junior college I **5O off Snack Size I level, which tops high school ball any 4G I Smoothie or I day. rtShakeSigning a McDonald's All- ;ES! " Frt.hakAmerican gives Michigan a degree of LIY Expires 8/31991 elbow room in the recruiting world, EprsiaI but even that wouldn't likely cause cE! 1 I the hysteria that surrounded t TR. * 522 E. Williams i Blanchard saga. Remember, Jem (Next to Cottage Inn) Ward was also a highly-touted player e Business Hours - tam-pmSee DUPREY, Page 15 U..m-m RECEIVE INSTRUCTION IN: TAEWO5# kImkIUA3U UKID 1n f, ".P' "'Ih- Our Cardio-ft Kickoxng program takes the music,exeieint and energy of aerobics but important self-defense techniques like jabbing,kicking,punching and blocking. Yu learn-while you burn at $00 calories per bout! I I LOWESTPRIC HIGHEST QUA S FASTESTSER * 1002 PONTIAC E u ,. cMa TAMKWoNNO I Ki OXING [734] 994-0400