Monday
May 23, 2005
sports.michigandaily.com
sports@michigandaily.com
She migORn TSil
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12
Ritter cruises, Blue rolls
into Super Regional
By Scott Bell
Daily Sports Writer
Coming into the regional final on Sunday,
North Carolina's softball team was looking for
back-to-back wins to secure an upset over the
heavily-favored Wolverines. Seven innings later,
its glass slipper was shattered as Michigan shut
down the Tar Heels, 6-0.
The power pitching duo of junior Jennie
Ritter and sophomore Lorilyn Wilson, along
with two three-run innings, gave Michigan
(58-4) its second consecutive regional cham-
pionship.
"We've got two more games before we get
(to the College World Series)," Ritter said.
"We're ready to do it, and we want to do it."
Ritter (31-1) retired the first 13 batters of
the game and sent 15 of the 16 batters she
faced back to the dugout - striking out 10.
In the bottom of the fifth, shortstop Anna
Evans doubled hard to left field to end Ritter's
chance at a perfect game.
"(Ritter)'s just been outstanding all year,"
Michigan coach Carol Hutchins said. "I'm so
proud of Jennie Ritter. She's really getting it
done for us and she's one of the major reasons
we're where we're at."
While the end of Ritter's no-hitter attempt
may have been anti-climatic, any hopes of a
North Carolina upset were gone when fresh-
man Samantha Findlay crossed home plate
in the top of the fifth inning. With her team
already ahead 3-0, Findlay came to the plate
with freshman Allesandra Giampaolo and
senior Jessica Merchant on base. Sitting on
a 1-0 count, Findlay connected on an inside
pitch from Tar Heel pitcher Crystal Cox and
sent it over the left field wall.
"We've just been working on seeing the ball,
and I just tried to get a good pitch and take a good
hack at it," Findlay said. "I don't look for home
runs - I just try and hit the ball hard."
The first of the Wolverines' runs came
across the plate in the second inning. Junior
Becky Marx came to the plate with the bases
loaded and one out. She singled into right
field, scoring Findlay from third base. An
error by rightfielder Jessica Young allowed
senior Nicole Motycka to score as well. Senior
Tiffany Haas hit a sacrifice fly that scored
junior Stephanie Bercaw for the third run of
the inning.
The No. 1-ranked Wolverines' weekend
was very reminiscent of their showing in last
week's Big Ten Tournament. Like the previ-
ous weekend, Michigan wasted no time, jump-
ing ahead early and then cruising to victories.
After an 8-1 victory against Canisius on Fri-
day, Michigan continued its dominance with a
5-0 triumph over Seton Hall. The win against
North Carolina in the final game completed
the trifecta, giving the Wolverines their second
straight regional championship.
I
I
Junior Jennie Ritter pitched 17 innings last weekend and notched three victories.
Ritter picked up all three victories on the on Sunday to win the Lincoln regional.
weekend, giving up just six hits in 17 innings "I haven't really thought about Washing-
of work. Findlay and Merchant both had two ton," Hutchins said. "I was only thinking
home runs during the three-game regional. about North Carolina and Michigan. We'll do
Michigan now stands two wins away from our homework. I know they're a fine softball
its second straight appearance in the Col- team, and they come from a fine softball con-
lege World Series. Its lone obstacle is No. 16 ference. We'll have our hands full, and we'll
Washington (34-20), who defeated Iowa 2-0 need to play good softball."
'M' Nine secures playoff berth
By H. Jose Bosch
Daily Sports Writer
STATE COLLEGE - The Wolverines needed just one win
over the weekend to secure a spot in the Big Ten tournament.
They made a statement and collecting three instead.
The Michigan baseball team capped off a successful weekend
with a 8-4 victory over Penn State, improving its overall record to
40-15 and finishing the Big Ten season with a 17-12 record.
Michigan put on a clinic in its series against Penn State (13-19
Big Ten, 28-27 overall). The Wolverines displayed solid pitching,
great defense and clutch hitting to show the Nittany Lions - and,
more importantly, the rest of the Big Ten - that they are hitting
their stride at just the right time this season.
"We're very confident," senior Matt Butler said. "Now that we
have a little momentum going, and we're getting back to the win-
ning track that we had early on in the season, we don't really fear
anyone we play."
Things finally started to go Michigan's way offensively yester-
day, when the team scored four runs in the second inning against
Penn State starter Matt Carroll.
The inning started inconspicuously with junior A.J. Scheidt
popping out to the shortstop for the inning's first out. But sopho-
more Leif Mahler then started things off with a single up the
middle. Sophomore Eric Rose followed as he slapped a single
just past the diving third baseman Scott Gaffney to put runners
on first and second.
Junior Chris Getz notched his second hit of the game - anoth-
er scorcher past Gaffney - to score Mahler from second base.
Rose advanced to third when the throw from the outfieldbounced
high over the cut-off man's outstretched glove.
With runners on first and third, freshman Doug Pickens
drilled the ball off the tip of the third baseman's glove, scoring
Rose. After senior Kyle Bohm popped out, a single from Butler
loaded the bases for senior Jeff Kunkel, who drove in the final
two runs of the inning with a single through the hole between
first and second base.
"We definitely kicked it up a notch today," Michigan coach
Rich Maloney said. "The guys really wanted to get to 40 (wins),
and it was nice to see them accomplish that."
The Wolverines' bats had a difficulttimebreaking out, produc-
ing just 12 runs in the first three games while winning two by a
combined three runs.
On Friday afternoon, the Wolverines fell to the Nittany Lions,
4-3, in 11 innings.
Bohm was Michigan's only source of runs that day, driving
in all three. The starting first baseman went 2-for-5 including
a towering two- run home run in the first inning over the left-
centerfield fence.
The Nittany Lions won the game in the 11th inning when Gaff-
ney hit a single that fell just short of the charging Rose in center,
scoring Penn State third baseman Colin Runt from second base.
"Give (Penn State) credit," Maloney said. "They battled and 4
fought their way back, and they didn't give up."
Michigan came back strong on Saturday, sweeping the double-
header by scores of 5-4 and 4-2.
Acting as the closer in both games, senior Derek Feldkamp
threw six innings - allowing only three hits and striking out one
while shutting down the Nittany Lion bats.
"I thought Derek Feldkamp was outstanding,"Maloney said. "I
thought he pitched today. We know he has an excellent arm, but I 4
thought he was really pitching."
The Wolverines' three wins marks the first time since 1989
that Michigan has won at least 40 games in a season. That year,
the Wolverines won 49 games and reached the NCAA Regionals,
where they were defeatedby Witchita State.
Junior Chris Getz went 2-for-5 with three runs and 1 RBI In yesterday's