SPORTS sports.michigandaily.com sports@michigandaily.com 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 40 14