2A - The Michigan Daily - Special Section - June 13, 2005 w F W Road to the championship The season had its ups and downs, but the Wolverines' balance ultimately carried them to the national title. Scott Bell * On Softball OKLAHOMA CITY - Did you hear that? That loud noise on Wednes- day night was the sound of thousands of softball fans collectively sighing in relief. And it didn't come just from Ann Arbor fans. Sure, the people of Ann Arbor and those affiliated with the Michigan are elated, but the Wol- verines' win stretches much further than that. Michigan's 4-1 win over UCLA on Wednesday marked the first time a team east of the Mississippi River had ever won a softball national cham- pionship. In the 23 previous years prior to the Wolverines' dramatic win, none of the national champions called the Eastern Time Zone their home. So along with the pressure of trying to uphold the No. 1 ranking for the past four months, Michigan also had the weight of the majority of the softball community on their shoulders as well. So how did they do it? How did Michigan put together such a great sea- son to make way for this groundbreaking performance? How did Michigan - who had to play their first 33 games of the season on the road because of poor weather conditions and didn't hold its first outdoor practice of the year until halfway through the season - manage to defy all odds and win a National Championship? How did they man- age to topple arguably the three best pitchers at the time of the College World Series - National Player of the Year and Texas ace Cat Osterman, Tennessee strikeout queen Monica Abbott and UCLA's red hot Anjelica Seldon - facing them five times collectively in four days and still manag- ing to prevail? How did they beat a team from the mighty Pac-10 on the sport's grandest stage? It's simple: They played Michigan softball. You don't know what Michigan softball is? Michigan softball is being balanced. Whether it's junior Tiffany Haas and her 91 hits on the season at the top of the order, freshman Samantha Findlay - the tournament's Most Outstanding Player - and her 77 RBI in the middle of the order or the clutch hitting of juniors Stephanie Bercaw and Becky Marx at the bottom of the order, Michigan showed its depth throughout the season, and especially during the week-long World Series. Michigan softball is being dominant and not backing down to compe- tition. Nothing exemplifies this better than junior ace pitcher Jennie Rit- ter. Her gutsy performances throughout last week against the nation's best pitchers are what Michigan softball is all about. She threw hundreds of pitches during the series, and still showed no signs of letting down her bulldog mentality. She finished the season with a 38-4 record - tops in the nation - and was there for the Maize and Blue whenever she was needed. Michigan softball is leadership. Whether it's the leadership at the top with legendary coach Carol Hutchins and her near thousand wins at Michi- gan or the leadership provided on the field from seniors Jessica Merchant and Nicole Motycka, Michigan softball never lacks good people making good decisions. But most importantly, Michigan softball is never giving up. It's never getting discouraged when the team is practicing indoors at Oosterbaan Fieldhouse when the rest of the nation is practicing outside. It's not giv- ing up after a discouraging loss to Tennessee. It's coming right back and eliminating them the next night. It's the players not hanging their heads after a loss against UCLA, coming back and putting together two magical comeback victories. It's Marx hitting a home run with a handful of outs left in the team's season. It's freshman Alessandra Giampaolo legging out infield singles with the season on the line. It's junior Grace Leutele fielding a sharp line drive when she knows if it gets by her, the season is over. And it's Findlay com- ing to the plate and letting the nation know that it is Michigan's turn to be the dominant force in softball. So that's what Michigan softball is. And that's how to win a National Cham- pionship. hOW IT HAPPENED IN OKLAHOMA CITY vs. DePaul 3-0 vs. Texas 4-0 vs. Tennessee 0-2 0 0 4 4 Top right: Michigan catcher Becky Marx watches as UCLA celebrates during its five-run sixth inning. Above left: Pitcher Jennie Ritter was 5-2 in Oklahoma City, including a 10 inning masterpiece against UCLA in the deciding game of the championship series. Above right: Senior Nicole Motycka drove in two runs in the first game of the Women's College World Series. BRUINS Continued from page 1A momentum and looked to be in control of the game after jump- ing ahead in the second inning. With the bases empty and two outs, Dodd - UCLA's No. 8 hitter - took a 0-1 pitch from Michigan starter Jennie Ritter over sophomore Rebekah Mili- an's glove and over the leftfield fence. After Michigan tied the game up, the best chance for UCLA to seal its third consecutive national championship came in the ninth inning. Kristen Dedmon blooped a leadoff double just short of a diving Giampaolo and was subsequently moved to third base by way of a Krista Colburn bunt. Dodd then found her way to first base after Ritter walked her on four straight pitches. Ritter rebounded by getting Ashley Herrera to pop up to Haas at second base. Duran - who was 2-for-3 on the night when she came to the plate - was intentionally walked. Ritter and the Wolverines escaped the inning after Bruin Tara Henry hit a sharp grounder to Leutele, who threw it to an out- stretched Findlay to secure the third out. "I knew we could get out of it because we had gotten out of it before," Ritter said. "I wasn't worried because I know my defense does a great job." Ritter improved her record to 38-4 for the season. She allowed four hits and five walks, striking out four in the pro- cess. Findlay's three hits and four RBI on the night propelled her to Most Outstanding Player honors for the series. She ended the tournament with a .409 batting average, notching nine hits and eight RBI - both tops for the series. Findlay, Ritter, senior Jessica Merchant and junior Stephanie Bercaw were named to the All-Tournament team. "It's just a great team, and I couldn't have asked for a better team to play for," Findlay said. "I would take this team over nn individal awards. because this team has meant the world SOFTBALL Continued from page 1A There's also a genuineness and a humility in how the players interact with coaches, reporters, the staff at Alumni Field - even crazy fans. When Ritter was introduced at the celebration last week, a twentysomething male in the crowd jumped up and down hold- ing a sign that read 'Ritter ... will you marry me?" Rather than roll her eyes or exhibit any signs of being complete- ly weirded out, Ritter turned around, smiled and snapped a picture of the guy with her camera. You just wouldn't see that from the star of the football team after it won a national title. Later that night, Merchant was asked to address the crowd. She thanked them for coming and then had to fight back tears when talking about her teammates, telling them and everyone there that just being parta ofthe team was enough for her. It was one of the most honest expressions of emotion I have heard in a long time. The national title? Just a really large cherry on top of an even more impressive sundae. But this championship is more than a cherry to me. I don't get to be part of the team, but I do get to bask in its reflective glory. If the football team or the hockey team doesn't win a national lar-season CCHA crowns the hockey team has won. In that time, the Wolver- ines have also played in eight Women's College World Series, compared to five Rose Bowl appearances and nine trips to the Frozen Four. All the softball team lacked was a national championship - until it's history-making win in Oklahoma City last week. For all the reasons I listed and doz- ens more, you should embrace this team. The Wolverines deserve it. And I'm pretty sure they would be more than happy to share their title with every stu- dent on campus. Because you might not believe it now, but it's pretty cool to be part of any national championship - espe- cially this one. And if it's the only one I get, I'll be proud to have been part of it. Maybe in 20 years, you'll look back and realize Samantha Findlay is your hero, too. WANT SOFTBALL PHOTOS? ri .%i %:" j :i/; : .:}{yi iri f° 14' +: : ? . rr.Fyr. . 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