SPORTS
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MONDAY
MAY 24, 2004
Washed out: Weather, drama
extend NCAA Regional
-k
I N T "By James V. Dowd
Daily Sports Writer
Seven teams reached their destiny and
earned a place in the Women's College
World Series this weekend, but it seems
the Region VI Tournament in Ann Arbor
is destined to never end. Rain delays
have slowed almost every game of the
douhle-elimination tournament. Top-
seeded Michigan sqnandered ans early
scoring opportunity and a phenomenal
pitching effort before an Oregon State
walk-off home run forced a deciding
game. Torrential rains and lightning sus-
g pended that game until today.
After Oregon State knocked off Illi-
rk } xnois-Chicago to narrow the field to two
y teams, they were matched up against
previously unbeaten Michigan, who
only needed to win one of two games to
advance. The Wolverines got off to a
quick start with infield singles by sec-
ond baseman Tiffany Haas and center
fielder Megan Doe. After junior Nicole
Motycka struck out, Oregon State pitch-
er Monica Hofan loaded the bases by
TONY DING/Daily hitting Wolverines' shortstop Jessica
Michigan celebrates Tiffany Haas's 3-run home run in its win over Oregon State on Merchant with a pitch.
Saturday (top). The Beavers await Vanessa lapala after Sunday's 1-0 win (bottom). Michigan was unable to capitalize.
When first baseman Jennifer Olds came
up, she reached first on a fielder's
* FOR COVERAGE OF TODAY'S REGIONAL FINAL, choice as Haas was thrown out at the
GO TO SPORTSMICHIGAAN DAILY.COM plate. Catcher Monica Schock, who had
sparked rallies with several key hits
Walk-off home run stalls Blue
throughout the tournament, flew out to
end the inning.
Wolverines' coach Carol Hutchins
was disappointed in her squad's inabili-
ty to take advantage of their early suc-
cess at the plate.
"It hurt us," Hutchins said. "Obvious-
ly we had a chance to jump on them.
You cannot underestimate the demeanor
that goes on insa game."
The next six innings wereda classic
pitcher's duel; neither team could
muster more than a few weak singles.
Ritter gave up only two hits in the
game, striking out 10. In a game when
Hutchins did not have much to compli-
ment, she praised Ritter's performance
and gave her the start in the final game
as well.
"Through the first game she was
pitching so well," Hutchins said. "We
had to pitch another game. We'll pitch
(Ritter) as long as she'll hold out."
Oregon State's Hoffman settled down
after her rocky start, giving up only two
hits once she escaped the first inning.
After pitching a complete game against
Michigan the night before, and tough-
ing it out through five and two-thirds
innings in their victory over Illinois
Chicago, she was undoubtedly tired, but
according to Hutchins, Michigan's weak
bats aided her in her complete-game
shutout.
"I did not think that we had good at-
bats," Hutchins said. "I think Hoffman
threw some great pitches when she
needed to, but I also think that we
allowed her to play her game. I thick
our offense let us down."
Michigan third baseman Grace
Leutele and Merchant connected on"-
near home runs in the second and fifth
innings, respectively, hut both were just
foul down the left field tine.
Heavers' catcher Lisa Allen reached
first on a base hit to the gap in right-
center in the second, but Oregon State
was down to its last out before anyone
got a solid piece of a Jennie Ritter pitch.
First baseman Vanessa Iapala broke the
scoreless tie with a game-ending home
run over the center-field fence.
After Ritter had pitched so well for so
long, a single slip-up extended the dou-
ble-elimination tournament one more
game.
"It was a curveball," Hutchins said.
"But I don't think it had the best curve
on it. (Ritter) has thrown some great
ones, but that wasn't one of them."
The tournament's final game began
with Oregon State taking a one-run lead
on a home run from the previously
struggling Kelly Peterson. Peterson had
struck out twice against Ritter in the
previous game, but finally got her num-
ber in the top of the first during final
game.
See BEAVERS, Page 12
By Eric Ambinder
Daily Sports Editor
Bottom of the seventh inning. Two out. Nobody on.
No score.
With its season on the line, Oregon State's Vanessa Iapala
was at the plate staring at Michigan pitcher Jennie Ritter.
Iapala, Oregon State's best hitter, was long overdue for
some offense, hitting just 1-for-14 in the Regional tourna-
ment at the time.
Ritter had thrown a near-perfect game up to that point,
giving up just one hit through six and two-thirds innings.
A win for the Wolverines would send them to the College
World Series. A loss for the Beavers would end their season.
Then a Ritter curveball met Iapala's desperate bat.
"(Ritter) threw a fat one down the middle, inside," said
lapala about her game-ending home run. "All I have to say
is better late than never. I've been in kind of a slump."
Kind of?
lapala had just two hits in her last 29 at-bats, despite hav-
ing a team-high batting average of .338 going into the game.
"(The pitch) was probably more down the middle than I
had hoped it to be," Ritter said. "It was a mistake that I
made that they took advantage of."
Even lapala was surprised at her towering walk-off
home run.
"I had trouble seeing (the pitch)," Iapala said. "I knew
that (Ritter) was going to try to get ahead (of the count),
and I knew I was going to swing at the first pitch, so it
kind, of worked out."
Before s rrend ring the winging hore run, Ritter had
one of her best outings of the season.
"Outstanding," said Michigan coach Carol Hutchins
about Ritter's performance. "It was the best she's thrown."
The Wolverines kept the game close, struggling against
Oregon State's Monica Hoffman - one of the tournament's
best pitchers. Ritter and Hoffman struck out a combined 16
batters in the game.
"Both pitchers were throwing phenomenal," Oregon State
coach Kirk Walker said. "It was definitely a pitcher's duel
going on. When that's happening, you kind of expect that it's
going to be one big swing. It just happened to be on our
side, so it was a good thing for us."
Scoring just four runs in their past three games, the
Wolverines relied on the arm of Ritter to keep them in con-
tention. She earned a complete-game victory against Cani-
sius on Thursday night, struck out the last three Notre
Dame batters in a 1-0 win on Saturday afternoon and
pitched 4.2 strong innings of relief in a 3-2 win over Ore-
gon State later that evening.
Whew.
"Every inning I just went in there and tried to get outs,"
said Ritter of her overall performance in the tournament.
"(Hutchins) always tells me that I can't score runs for my
team. I don't hit. So I did the best I could for defense and let
the offense pull through."
Ritter had been so good in the double-elimination tourna-
ment that Hutchins decided to stick with the sophomore for
Michigan's title game against the Beavers, which began late
yesterday. Hutchins made her decision - and stuck with it
- during the middle of yesterday's dramatic 1-0 loss to
See RITTER, Page 12
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