Monday, May 10, 2010
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
11
'M' sweeps Spartans
By LUKE PASCH
Daily Sports Writer
The No. 2 Michigan softball team
entered this weekend's series against
Michigan MICHIGAN STATE 0
State with MICHIGAN 10
bitter memo-
ries on its }
mind. MICHIGAN 4
In last MICHIGAN STATt 1
year's final
regular season game, a relatively weak
Spartan lineup upset the Wolverines
2-1 and ended their 21-game winning
streak in the process.
In this year's renewal of the home-
and-home series, Michigan's in-state
rival wasn't given the same chance, as
the Wolverines shut out the Spartans
10-0 in Ann Arbor and won 4-1 in East
Lansing.
"Obviously, it taught us a lesson
last year, and that was to go out there
and don't take anyone lightly," senior
leftfielder Angela Findlay said. "You
got to go out there, and you have to
play the same, whether you're playing
Michigan State, Kentucky (or) Ala-
bama."
Saturday's matchup at Alumni
Field was the last regular season
home game for Michigan's five senior
starters - catcher Roya St. Clair, des-
ignated player Nikki Nemitz, third
baseman Maggie Viefhaus, center-
fielder Molly Bausher and right fielder
AngelaFindlay. They were honored on
the field alongside their parents before
the game.
And it was a pair of those seniors
who owned the night.
St. Clair put on a show on both
sides of the ball, as she smacked two
doubles, drove in one run and scored
another.
From behind the plate, she showed
her prowess, gunning down Spar-
tan Karen Fox at second base in the
second inning. Findlay also had a big
day, as she drilled a two-run homer to
right center in the second inning and
scored two runs.
"I just watch (the seniors), and I'm
really proud," Michigan coach Carol
Hutchins said. "I'm like a mom. I'm
sad.
"I never look forward (to) this day
- I'm always kind of nervous about
it."
Junior first baseman Dorian Shaw
added to Michigan's power display
with her team-leading 18th homer
of the season in the second inning.
Sophomore second baseman Aman-
da Chidester contributed three RBI
of her own on a solo shot in the sec-
ond frame and hits in the third and
fourth.
Junior pitcher Jordan Taylor got
the nod on Saturday. She pitched five
innings of one-hit ball, striking out
nine and walking none in the effort.
Sunday afternoon's matchup at
Old College Field in East Lansing had
a much different look than the day
before, as Spartan starting pitcher
Lauren Kramer, who was forced from
the mound after two innings of work
on Saturday, allowed just two hits
through the first six innings.
Michigan State held a 1-0 lead
entering the seventh inning - it was
just the second time all season that
Michigan hadn't scored heading into
the final frame.
"I was thinking the same thing the
whole game, 'What is wrong with
this place?' " Chidester said. " 'I do
not want to come out of here with
another loss like last year.'"
But that was when the wheels
came off for Kramer.
A down-and-in pitch to start the
inning got away from her, hitting
Viefhaus in the ankle. In the follow-
ing at-bat, Kramer mishandled St.
Clair's sacrifice attempt, allowing the
senior to reach base.
Then, after hitting Shaw on the
thigh, Kramer loaded the bases.
Chidester stepped into the batter's
MARISSA MCCLAIN/Daily
Senior catcher Roya St. Clair had two doubles and an RBI against MSU on Senior Day.
box and wasted no time. With one
swing of the bat, she smashed a grand
slam far beyond the left-field fence,
handing the Wolverines (16-1 Big
Ten, 44-6 overall) an insurmount-
able three-run lead.
"(We weren't). swinging at our
pitches," Chidester said. "Swinging
at her pitches was the big thing, and
once we settled down and started
swinging at our pitches that we need-
ed to swing at, things started to turn
around for us."
Nemitz came back to the mound in
the bottom of the seventh to finish off
the Spartans. She gave up just three
hits on the day, striking out 10 and
walking two.
Hutchins credits her players' abil-
ity to focus on one pitch at a time for
the late breakthrough in Sunday's
game against the Spartans (4-14,
20-30).
"We try to stay focused on one-
pitch (softball), and I think you see
when we get away from it," Hutchins
said. "It's clear as day.
"If you start visioning last season's
ending, you start visioning negative
thoughts. And if you start trying too
hard to get a hit, you're not playing
Michigan softball."
Bauer leaves a lasting legacy on program
By MATT KRASNOFF
Daily Sports Writer
The Michigan women's golf team's
season has soon ended and, for one
graduating senior, it was the final
season of a brilliant career.
Senior Ashley Bauer was invited to
play as an individual this past week-
end at the NCAA Central Regional.
Since the team did not qualify for the
NCAA Tournament, Bauer traveled
to Columbus, Indiana alone. Just two
other golfers were there as individu-
als, and Bauer would have to finish in
the top two of the three individuals
in order to advance to the next tour-
nament.
Unfortunately, Bauer came up a
little short. Her final score of 29 over-
par tied her for 76th overall and third
among the three individuals.
Bauer battled winds of up to 30
miles per hour throughout the tour-
nament, and watching her struggle
in the final weekend of her collegiate
career was difficult for her coach of
four years.
"It was tough for me, because I
know how bad she wanted to play
well," Michigan coach Cheryl Stacy
said. "To finish off the year on kind
of a bad note was sad because she had
such a great Big Ten Tournament."
To most people, this tournament
was like any other, but for Bauer,
competing alone was a different
experience to say the least.
"Everything from going out to din-
ner, to staying in the hotel by myself
was pretty different," Bauer said. "It
was kind of an emotional weekend,
without the team being there and the
season ending."
But some of the team actually was
there.
Bauer's two younger sisters -
Meagan and Shana - who both play
on the team came along for support
with the rest of the family, and Stacy
said watching the family together
after Ashley completed the tourna-
ment was one of her fondest memo-
ries of the season - Stacy's first as
Michigan's head coach.
"(Ashley) was the best example of
what a Michigan athlete should be, as
far as what she did week-in and week-
out, her work ethic and her leadership
"(Ashley) was the
best example of
what a Michigan
athlete should be."
skills," Stacy said. "She's probably one
of the more coachable players I've had
the honor to coach. She's very respect-
ful and just a great person."
Bauer - who was recently named
first team All-Big Ten - has been
an "iron woman" for Michigan. She
played and started in all 48 events
that took place during her four-year
career.
Bauer also holds countless records
foraprogramthatposted itsbestteam-
scoring average in the last five years.
She is the all-time record holder for a
single-season scoring average (74.51).
She also holds the record for the
best single-round total (65) and the
record for the best score in 18, 36, 52
and 72-hole tournaments.
"She's broken almost every record,
and people are going to talk about Ash-
ley Baer for a long time," Stacy said.
"She's going to inspire so many golfers,
because all the girls are going to try to
beat her records. She set a standard
and I think as a new head coach that's
something that I'm really proud."
But even with all the wins and
records, Bauer hopes future Wolver-
ines simply recognize her commit-
ment and attitude.
"I loved it, so I hope I was some-
body who came to practice with a
smile and worked hard while I was
there," Bauer said. "I couldn't have
asked for anything better."
With her career at Michigan over,
Bauer is already looking toward the
future. She will have a few weeks off
before traveling to Spain on June 4,
where she will represent the United
States in the World Collegiate Cham-
pionship.
And with the real world setting in
for one of Michigan's best-ever female
golfers, Bauer embodies and endorses
an important message for her team -
especially her younger sisters.
"As it all closes, I just want them to
take advantage of every opportunity
while they're (at Michigan)," Bauer
said. "I don't think a lot of people real-
ize what's in front of them until it's
over.
"So make the most of it, practice
hard, and leave your mark here at
Michigan, because we're all so lucky
to be part of a wonderful opportu-
nity."