Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Wednesday, March 22, 2017 — 7A

Blanco leads ‘M’ past Bowling Green

The Wolverines may have had 

to wait six days longer than they 
wished, but they were ready out 
of the gate 
Tuesday. 

The 

Michigan 
softball 
team 
(18-7-1) 
proved 

themselves 
unfazed 
by 
two 

weather 
postponements 
last 

week that pushed back a matchup 
with 
Bowling 
Green 
(14-17) 

originally scheduled for March 
15. The Wolverines jumped on 
the Falcons’ right-hander Brooke 
Parker early and never looked 
back, outlasting Bowling Green, 
7-1.

A Falcon error in the first inning 

allowed junior right-hander Tera 
Blanco to reach first base to load 
the bases. The gaffe immediately 
proved costly for the Falcons, as 
a hit-by-pitch and a sharp RBI 
single from senior third baseman 
Lindsay Montemerano brought 
in the first two runs of the game. 
Junior infielder Amanda Vargas 
followed that up with a two-run 
single to break the game open and 
give Michigan an early four-run 
lead.

Michigan would grab two more 

runs on another Vargas single in 
the bottom of the third inning to 
extend the lead to 6-0 and chase 
Parker from the game.

“The goal is to outscore the 

other team,” said Michigan coach 
Carol Hutchins. “It’s always nice 
to jump ahead — it puts the other 
team on their heels — but right 
now I’ll take runs any way we can 
get them.”

For a team that has struggled 

with runners in scoring position 
this 
season, 
Vargas’ 
calm 

approach in those situations was 
a welcome sign. The key for her, 
she says, is maintaining the same 
mental approach.

“Pretty much the mindset is, 

‘You need to just be calm, relaxed, 

and do everything you we do in 
practice’ … taking our normal cuts 
and not overthinking it,” Vargas 
said. “We just need to calm down.” 
 

With the six-run cushion, 

Blanco took care of the rest in the 
circle.

Against 
a 
patient, 
but 

overmatched 
lineup, 
Blanco 

allowed one run on five hits in her 
complete-game outing.

Blanco was also able to keep 

the ball in the zone against a 
Bowling Green lineup that has 
walked over 80 times this season, 
surrendering only one walk on 
the day while also adding eight 
strikeouts. 

Continuing 
to 
show 

improvement in that category, 
Blanco allowed just two free-
passes in her last 21 innings, in 
sharp contrast to the 25 walks she 

allowed in her first 52.2 innings of 
the year.

She was tested, though, in 

the top of the fifth inning, when 
Bowling Green managed an RBI 
single to put runners on first and 
second with only one out. But 
Blanco snuffed out the potential 
rally, 
striking 
out 
outfielder 

Kendyl Wheeler and fielding a 
grounder cleanly to get the runner 
at first to end the threat.

“I think she’s just getting 

more comfortable in her role 
as our other pitcher,” Hutchins 
said. “Like, she’s pitching every 
other game, I think she’s gotten 
comfortable in that role for 
us. She’s owning it, she knows 
we count on her, I think she’s 
accepting it and embracing it.”

Sophomore 
catcher 
Katie 

Alexander immediately grabbed 

the 
run 
back, 
putting 
an 

exclamation point on the win with 
a no-doubt, solo home run to left-
center field to extend the lead back 
to six. The home run was her first 
of the season, another positive 
sign for Alexander, who seems to 
be heating up in the batters box 
and seizing the regular starting 
job behind the plate.

And as the team moves forward, 

it may be contributions from the 
likes of Alexander, Vargas and 
others that give Michigan the 
necessary boost to move past its 
prolongued slump.

With the pitching rotation 

starting to stabilize — and if that 
slump is indeed over — more 
offensive consistency could be 
the final piece to the puzzle as the 
team heads towards conference 
play.

MARINA ROSS/Daily

Junior right-hander Tera Blanco led the Michigan softball team to a 7-1 win over Bowling Green on Tuesday.

MAX MARCOVITCH

Daily Sports Writer

Barnes Arico to face
former team in NIT

Fifteen years ago, Kim Barnes 

Arico accepted the position of head 
coach at St. John’s in Queens, N.Y., 
after helming Adelphi’s program 
for three seasons. She was moving, 
for the first time, into Division I 
women’s basketball. 

Fast forward 10 years, and Barnes 

Arico exited that program as the 
winningest coach in school history 
with a total of 176 victories. In her 
final season with the Red Storm, 
her team went 24-10 and advanced 
— for the first time — to the Sweet 16 
in the NCAA Tournament. 

At the end of the season, though, 

Barnes Arico left a program that she 
had built almost from the ground 
up – before her arrival the team had 
never won a game in the Big East – 
to become a Wolverine. 

And, for the first time in her five-

year tenure as the head coach of 
the Michigan women’s basketball 
team, Barnes Arico is set to face her 
previous school. 

“It’s definitely a little emotional 

for me,” Barnes Arico said. “But, at 
the end of the day, I bleed blue.

“(I’m going to show) no mercy, 

for sure,” Barnes Arico said. “St. 
John’s will always hold this special 
place in my heart.”

Since Barnes Arico’s departure, 

Joe Tartamella serves as the head 
of St. John’s program. Previous to 
that position, he had been on staff 
for nine seasons under Barnes 
Arico and had served four of them 
as associate head coach. Tartamella 
is known for his recruitment. 

Tartamella isn’t the only familiar 

face that Barnes Arico will see 
on the opposing bench Thursday. 
Assistant coach Da’Shena Stevens 
played for Barnes Arico, assistant 
coach Jonath Nicholas also assisted 
Barnes Arico, and the director of 
basketball 
operations, 
Veronica 

Mullen, was a player for Barnes 
Arico at Adelphi. 

Predictably, Barnes Arico holds a 

place for them all. 

“My former graduate assistant — 

who married one of my assistants 
who had played for me — is the head 
coach now and they have three little 
kids,” Barnes Arico said. “They’re 
going to bring the whole family out 
and a bunch of my players are on 
the bench there as well as former 
players.” 

Notably, St. John’s has infiltrated 

Crisler Center not just through 
Barnes Arico, but also through 
Michigan assistant coaches Joy 
McCorvey and Megan Duffy who 
played and sidelined, respectively, 
under Barnes Arico as a Red Storm.

The large, albeit unconventional, 

community that Ann Arbor and 
Queens share will be put to the 
test in the upcoming fourth-round 
game of the WNIT. Barnes Arico 
has been able to dodge the bullet of 
competing against her former team 
before, but was unsuccessful this 
year. 

While a Wolverine, Barnes Arico 

has managed to bring Michigan to 
an NCAA Tournament appearance 
her first year here in 2012, as 
well as appear in four WNITs — 
though the snubs by the NCAA 
selection committee mar the latter 
accomplishment. 

At the end of the day, Barnes 

Arico is ready to bring her team past 
Thursday’s battle. Her players have 
been reiterating they want to do this 
to prove a point that they deserved a 
bid to the NCAA Tournament, they 
want to do this for their seniors 
and they want to do this to unfurl 
a WNIT championship banner for 
the first time at Crisler.

“I am thrilled this game is going 

to be at Crisler,” Barnes Arico said. 
“And in front of our home fans to 
give our team an opportunity, once 
again, to play on our home court.” 

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

BOWLING GREEN 
MICHIGAN 

1
7

Michigan prepping for high-powered WMU

On Tuesday, Michigan coach 

Erik Bakich was asked about his 
No. 18 Michigan baseball team’s 
upcoming Big Ten debut against 
Maryland this weekend on WTKA. 
Bakich quickly pointed out that 
the Wolverines “can’t look ahead” 
past their Wednesday showdown 
against Western Michigan at Ray 
Fisher Stadium. 

Wisely, Bakich isn’t overlooking 

the Broncos (9-7), who have 
won eight of their last 10 games, 
including a victory this past Sunday 
at Evansville, 4-3. The Wolverines 
are equally hot, winning eight of 
nine and sweeping their Sunday 
doubleheader against Northern 
Illinois.

While coming out on top is 

always the goal, state supremacy 
is also on the line. The last time 
the two state foes played – March 
26, 2014 – Michigan won 12-4. 
The Wolverines (15-4) will look 
to continue their winning ways 
against Western Michigan and 
garner the upper hand in the 

matchup.

Nevertheless, Michigan and 

junior pitcher Jayce Vancena have 
a daunting task ahead of them, 
facing a fierce Broncos lineup. 
Western Michigan ranks 10th in 
the NCAA with a .327 team batting 
average and boasts an impressive 
.418 on-base percentage. The 
Broncos’ offense is led by junior 
Tanner Allison, who earned a Mid-
American West Conference player 
of the week nod last month. Allison, 
an outfielder who also pitches, 
leads 
Western 

Michigan 
in 

hits, 
slugging 

percentage, runs 
scored, 
home 

runs, runs batted 
in 
and 
batting 

average at .435.

In 
order 
to 

overcome 
the 

efficient Broncos 
offense, 
Bakich 

will 
implement 

the 
same 

unassuming game plan the team 
has used all season.

“The recipe for us has been 

very simple,” Bakich said. “Quality 
starts, good defense, timely hits. 
That’s really been our key to 
finding ways to win.”

While reliable play in all phases 

of the game will be necessary to 
defeat Western Michigan, the 
Wolverines will have to continue 
their impressive play on defense. 
Michigan currently ranks 14th 
in the NCAA with a .982 fielding 
percentage. 

“One 
thing 
we’ve 
done 

consistently is played a high level 

of defense with 
some really good 
playmakers on the 
field,” Bakich said.

Throughout 

the 
early 
part 

of 
the 
season, 

Bakich repeatedly 
complimented his 
team’s 
defense. 

He is not only 
impressed 
with 

their 
ability 
to 

make the routine 

plays, but also the web-gem plays 
that give momentum to the squad 
and can often save runs.

For Michigan to come out 

victorious, it must continue its 
strong play on defense, as only one 
error may prove the difference 
against the talented bats of the 
Broncos. Given any extra outs, 
Western 
Michigan 
possesses 

the offense to capitalize with 
additional runs. 

The Wolverines will also look 

to separate themselves on the 
basepaths. 
Michigan 
currently 

ranks fourth in the NCAA with 
2.26 steals per game and ranks 
fifth with 43 stolen bases. The 
Wolverines’ aggressive approach 
on the bases should allow them to 
put runners in scoring position and 
could potentially lead to the game-
defining run.

However, Michigan may see 

limited success on the bases 
against the Broncos, as Western 
Michigan 
catcher 
Jesse 

Forestell has allowed just four 
stolen bases on the season.

While Michigan possesses 

the personnel to come out 
victorious, Western Michigan’s 
offense and catcher will be lofty 
obstacles to overcome. 

HUNTER SHARF
Daily Sports Writer

FILE PHOTO/Daily

Michigan baseball coach Erik Bakich will have to have his team ready to square off against a potent offense when it takes on Western Michigan.

“The recipe for 

us has 

been very 
simple.”

Coughlan lifts monkey 
off Wolverines’ backs

In an exciting back-and-forth 

battle, the Michigan women’s 
lacrosse team claimed its first 
Big Ten victory in program 
history by taking down Ohio 
State (0-1 Big Ten, 5-5 overall) 
in overtime, 12-11. It marks 
the Wolverines’ first win over 
the Buckeyes in their last five 
meetings.

Michigan (1-0, 3-7) rolled 

into Columbus on Saturday 
riding the momentum it gained 
from a blowout win over Detroit 
on 
Wednesday 
night. 
That 

energy was zapped early in the 
game, however, as the Buckeyes 
jumped out to a 5-1 lead.

The Wolverines rallied in 

the final seven minutes of the 
first half, led by senior attacker 
Lauren 
Oberlander, 
who 

scored four goals in the game. 
Sophomore goalie Mira Shane 
stopped a free-position attempt 
in the waning moments of the 
frame, allowing the Wolverines 
to enter halftime down just two 
goals with momentum on their 
side.

“We had about 20 shots in 

the first half, we just weren’t 
placing 
them 
the 
way 
we 

needed 
to,” 
said 
Michigan 

coach Jennifer Ulehla. “So, we 
talked about it at halftime, and 
I knew we were going to get just 
as many opportunities, it’s just 
a matter of really being able to 
finish it.”

As 
Ulehla 
expected, 

Michigan’s 
opportunities 

eventually 
translated 
into 

goals 
in 
the 
second 
half. 

During a stretch in which they 
scored five straight times, the 
Wolverines took their first 
lead of the game, 8-7 with 14:10 
remaining. Just over three 
minutes later, senior midfielder 
Anna Schueler scored her 100th 
career goal to extend the lead 
to 9-7.

With less than five minutes 

to play, Michigan held an 11-8 
lead. But, similar to the rest 
of the team’s wins since the 

program’s inception, it would 
not come easily.

Ohio State scored two quick 

goals to cut the Wolverines’ lead 
to one. Stunned, the Wolverines 
struggled 
to 
maintain 
the 

energy that had carried them on 
that 5-0 run early in the second 
half. With just 43.3 seconds 
left in regulation, the Buckeyes 
scored a third consecutive goal 
to tie the game at 11 apiece. 
The game would come down to 
sudden-death overtime.

“I (told the team) that every 

single one of you has to be 
thinking that we’re coming up 
with this draw and we’re going 
down on the offensive end and 
that we’re going to shoot and 
score. Period. There is no way 
that we are leaving this stadium 
without a ‘W’,” Ulehla said.

Inspired by Ulehla’s message, 

the Wolverines put the final 
five minutes of the second half 
behind 
them 
and 
returned 

to the field with a renewed 
intensity in overtime. After 
winning the draw, they set up 
their offense and prepared to 
strike. 

The ball got tossed around 

the perimeter for nearly a 
minute before it finally ended 
up in the netting of senior 
attacker Kim Coughlan’s stick 
in front of the goal. Like she 
has so many times during her 
illustrious 
Michigan 
career, 

Coughlan 
delivered 
with 
a 

game-winning shot and gave 
the Wolverines the thrilling 
12-11 victory.

“It was unbelievable. All 

the seniors after that goal just 
looked at each other and broke 
down,” Coughlan said. “We’ve 
been working for this for four 
years now.”

Michigan 
will 
look 
to 

extend its winning streak to 
three games when it hosts 
Northwestern 
on 
Thursday. 

And with the burden of winning 
their first Big Ten game finally 
lifted, the Wolverines look 
forward to the rest of their 
conference 
schedule 
with 

increased confidence.

WOMEN’S LACROSSE

KARL FINKBEINER

For the Daily

SYLVANNA GROSS

Daily Sports Editor

