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Sports
Tuesday, April 18, 2017 — 7

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ACROSS
1 Valuable stone
4 Hamilton and
Burr, notably
8 Find incredibly
funny
14 Word for a Latin
lover
15 Cookbook author
Rombauer
16 Not certain
17 Mom-and-pop
stores
20 Vietnam’s capital
21 Part of MST:
Abbr.
22 FDR’s successor
23 Serpent’s tooth
26 Irreverence
29 Alfalfa, Darla and
friends, with “the”
33 Biblical verb
ending
34 Quick hellos
35 Curbs, with “in”
38 Blackjack half
39 “God bless us,
every one!”
Dickens
character
42 Wedding notice
word
43 What hares and
mares do
45 Long, long time
46 La Brea __ Pits
47 Game with
windmills, ramps
and such
52 Coiffures
54 Move, in real
estate lingo
55 Part of MST
56 Tango maneuver
58 Higher than
62 Waterspout
climber of song
67 California’s San
__: Hearst Castle
locale
68 Filming locales
69 401(k) kin
70 Six times cinq
71 VCR insert
72 Gov. Cuomo’s
domain

DOWN
1 Deep cut
2 2016 Best
Actress Stone of
“La La Land”
3 Pained sound

4 Like a child’s love
for a parent
5 Heavenly sphere
6 Grounded bird
7 Fresh talk
8 Pioneering hip-
hop trio from
Queens
9 Single
10 Beast of burden
11 Does without
much thought
12 “Give it __!”
13 Cantankerous
18 Barn storage
space
19 “How sweet __!”
24 Classic grape
soda
25 Smile that may
be silly
27 Eggplant __:
Italian entrée,
briefly
28 L’eau land?
29 Shakespearean
king with three
daughters
30 Nagging desire
31 College
freshman’s
comment about
why his parents
call so often

32 Until now
36 Patricia of “Hud”
37 Medieval laborer
39 Take care of
40 Vacation option
41 Memo heading
44 Defunct Soviet
space station
48 First-aid fluid
49 “__ happens ... ”
50 Pass, as time
51 Mongolian desert
52 Bank holdup

53 No longer
sleeping
57 “Hey, get a load
of this”
59 Chief Norse god
60 Quite
61 Significant
periods
63 Kyoto cash
64 Droid
65 Positive vote
66 Gas additive
brand

By Jeffrey Wechsler
©2017 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
04/18/17

04/18/17

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

RELEASE DATE– Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

xwordeditor@aol.com

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AUTOMOTIVE

Blanco providing spark at the plate

Michigan first baseman Tera 

Blanco came to the plate in the top 
of the first inning last Wednesday 
with a runner on second base and a 
two-run cushion already in tow.

Blanco patiently worked a 3-2 

count before finding her pitch; she 
didn’t miss. Keeping her weight 
back, she blasted the fastball to 
center, rocketing what appeared 
to be a shot headed for Yost and 
beyond. 

But the ball plummeted just 

feet too short, allowing Michigan 
State centerfielder Lea Foerster to 
make a spectacular leaping grab 
just left of the “222” sign under the 
flagpole, indicating the deepest 
part of the ballpark. It may have 
been frustrating for Blanco at the 
time, but the result didn’t mar the 
progress that has become apparent 
in her approach at the plate.

This type of approach — one 

complete with high contact level, 
pitch recognition and patience 
— hasn’t been there for the 
Wolverines’ fans to see since last 
year’s Women’s College World 
Series.

In her next at-bat, in the third 

inning, 
the 
Spartans 
wanted 

nothing to do with Blanco — 
walking her on five pitches with 
first base open and two outs. 
Neglecting to force the issue, 
Blanco took her base, extending 
an inning that very well may have 
halted there just weeks ago. Two 
batters later, a bases-loaded walk 
of junior infielder Amanda Vargas 
would tack on another run and 
extend the lead to four.

While Blanco’s day may appear 

inconsequential in the scorebook — 
no hits, no runs batted in, one walk, 
one run scored — her approach 
offered more evidence of a player 
breaking out when her team needs 
it most.

Michigan coach Carol Hutchins 

believes her improved mentality 
has led to her across-the-board 
improvement.

“Tera has done her part and 

embraced pitching,” Hutchins said. 
“She wants to win and wants to 
be good. She’s improved in every 
category and most importantly in 
attitude.”

It’s been no secret that the 

junior first baseman/right-hander 
has underperformed at the plate 

relative to expectations. Blanco 
was perhaps the second-most 
productive Wolverine hitter last 
season, behind only Sierra Romero. 

After a monstrous 2016 season — 

.404 average, 66 RBI, 12 home runs, 
.537 on-base percentage, etc. — 
Blanco was slotted into the middle 
of the order to start the season. 
With a young offense now devoid of 
the same firepower that headlined 
the 2016 lineup, Blanco, at least, 
could assuredly be counted on.

Until she couldn’t.
Perhaps her increased role in the 

circle affected her, perhaps it didn’t.

Perhaps it was unfair to expect 

the same production at the plate 
— alongside her role in the circle — 
 

right away, perhaps it wasn’t.

Blanco admits that the increased 

workload has an impact mentally, 
though she has readily denied that 
the dual role directly affects her 
performance.

“It’s something I’ve had to get 

used to this year, but I really enjoy 
it,” Blanco said earlier in the season. 
“I love being in the lineup and 
having to make an impact on the 
game. It’s a lot to handle mentally, 
probably, I think that’s the biggest 
thing.” 

She took that same approach 

into the weekend series against 
Maryland, this time with better 
statistical success.

Deadlocked in a 1-1 tie in the 

top of the fifth inning Sunday, 
Blanco stepped in with a runner 
in scoring position and two outs. 
She identified her pitch, knocking a 
sharp single back up the middle to 
bring in the go-ahead run.

This time, there was no robbing 

Blanco of her production.

And really, the game against the 

Terrapins was just one part of a 
larger trend.

Over the last 15 games — a 

significant sample size — Blanco 
has posted a .382 average, with 16 
RBI. In addition, her 10 walks and 
just three strikeouts over the same 
span are a testament to a more 
patient approach that has keyed the 
turnaround.

While it’s not certain what was 

hindering Blanco at the begining of 
the season, what is apparent are the 
changes that she has shown lately.

The changes Blanco has noticed; 

the changes Michigan coach Carol 
Hutchins has noticed; the changes 
that just may change the course of 
the Wolverines’ season.

BASEBALL
Michigan preparing
for Michigan State

The No. 13 Michigan baseball 

team (6-3 Big Ten, 29-7 overall) 
will 
face 

in-state 
rival 

Michigan 
State 
in 
a 

midweek 
matchup 
Tuesday. 
While 
this 

contest 
is 

considered 
a 
non-

conference 
game — a full 
Big Ten series 
will be played 
later 
in 
the 

season 
— 
it 

will provide a 
strong test for 
the surging Wolverines. 

Michigan is coming off a 

sweep of No. 18 Oklahoma, 
while the Spartans (5-4, 20-12) 
dropped their series finale 
Sunday against Ohio State after 
taking the first two games.

Tuesday’s game figures to 

produce a high number of hits 
and runs, with both teams 
leading the Big Ten in batting 
average — the Wolverines are 
first with a .294 average and 
the Spartans come in a close 
second at .293.

Michigan’s 
current 
hot 

hitters 
include 
sophomore 

second baseman Ako Thomas, 
batting .350, and sophomore 
designated hitter Nick Poirier, 
batting .324, sitting in the first 
and seventh slot of the lineup, 
respectively. The Wolverines’ 
squad 
is 
deep, 
something 

Michigan State is no stranger 
to.

Outfielder Brandon Hughes 

leads the Spartans with a 
.336 average, and it doesn’t 
get much worse from there 
— catcher Matt Byars rounds 
out the team with the lowest 
batting average of the starters, 
yet still bats .263.

Michigan’s 
offense 

sputtered during last Tuesday’s 
matchup 
against 
Eastern 

Michigan, but fortunately for 
the Wolverines, their defense 

was as sharp as ever. This 
has become a common theme 
for Michigan, as it leads the 
Big Ten with a .984 fielding 
percentage.

But after the Wolverines’ 

impressive 
win 
over 
the 

Sooners on Sunday — when 
Michigan recorded 17 hits — it 
may be back to top offensive 
performance.

Getting a lot of hits will be 

no easy task against a strong 
Michigan State pitching staff, 
though. The Spartans sit third 
in the Big Ten with a team 3.43 
earned-run 
average. 
Right-

hander 
Mike 
Mokma 
will 

most likely be on the bump for 
Tuesday’s game and he enters 
the game with a 2.77 ERA.

On the hill for the Wolverines 

will 
be 
junior 
left-hander 

Michael Hendrickson. He is 
the normal Sunday starter for 
Michigan, but after he suffered 
a broken nose last week, junior 
right-hander Alec Rennard had 
to step in. Hendrickson needed 
the extra couple of days to 
rest, but Michigan coach Erik 
Bakich assured he will be ready 
for Tuesday’s game.

While Hendrickson has a 

4.25 ERA, he has the experience 
of a weekend starter and has 
played against the Wolverines’ 
toughest opponents.

And for the most part, the 

Michigan’s toughest opponents 
are Michigan State’s as well. 
The Wolverines and Spartans 
have 
many 
common 
foes, 

the most recent being Notre 
Dame, Eastern Michigan and 
Western Michigan. Michigan 
defeated all three, whereas 
Michigan State fell to each, 
with all of the games being 
midweek 
matchups. 
The 

Spartans have not been strong 
in midweek games as of late, 
dropping their last three by 
one run each.

The Wolverines on the other 

hand have proven they can 
win the close games, as their 
last two midweek games were 
both won by one run each. If 
Tuesday’s game is close, the 
Wolverines’ prowess in close 
games seem to give them the 
advantage.

MAX MARCOVITCH

Daily Sports Writer

ARNOLD ZHOU/Daily

Junior first baseman Tera Blanco has managed to post a .382 average over the last 15 games — a sign of improvement at the plate that the Wolverines needed. 
‘M’ looking to sweep Spartans

With its perfect record at 

Alumni Field on the line last 
week, the Michigan softball 
team managed a 5-1 win over 
Michigan State, thanks to an 
effort that saw the Wolverines 
tally twice as many hits as the 
Spartans. Right-hander Megan 
Betsa 
tossed 
17 
strikeouts, 

matching 
her 
career-best 

performance in the circle. 

On Tuesday, the 18th-ranked 

Wolverines (11-2 Big Ten, 31-9-
1 overall) will look to complete 
the season sweep against their 
in-state foe just a week later.

Both Michigan and Michigan 

State (5-8, 21-16-0) have hit 
bumps in the road since their 
last encounter.

While 
it 
appeared 
the 

Wolverines 
— 
the 
then-top 

team in the conference this 
past weekend — would have 
little trouble routing Maryland, 
this was not the case. The 
Terrapins robbed Michigan of a 
series sweep with a 2-1 victory 
Saturday, 
even 
though 
the 

Spartans had swept Maryland 
just two weeks ago.

As the Wolverine offense was 

unable to jumpstart Saturday, 
the lineup saw significant shifts 
for Sunday’s game. The changes 
seemed to pay off, as a seventh-
inning rally allowed Michigan 
to overcome Maryland, 4-3, 
eking out the 2-1 series victory.

“I’m glad we got through 

it,” said Michigan coach Carol 
Hutchins after the series. 

One point of consistency that 

has been the Wolverines’ saving 
grace throughout the season is 
the performance of Betsa. The 
ace notched two complete-game 
victories in the circle, tossing 
26 more strikeouts, boosting 
her total on the season to 292 — 
good for No. 1 in the nation.

“Megan’s been a rock for 

us,” Hutchins said. “She’s our 
leader. She’s throwing right 
now with an offense that’s 
underperforming. So she’s got 
to have nerves of steel, and I was 
really proud of her. I thought she 
really had a gutsy performance 
(Sunday).”

Michigan 
State 
faced 

struggles of its own on the 
weekend.

Though 
the 
Spartans 

intended to host Illinois at its 
own Secchia Softball Stadium, 
flooding prevented this from 
happening, and their matchups 
were instead held at Davenport 
University. The field has been 
an issue all season, and now 
water damage has Michigan 
State’s infield and outfield to be 
replaced.

The Spartans were swept 

by 
the 
Illini, 
including 
a 

heartbreaker Saturday in which 
Michigan State took Illinois 
to extra innings, but ended 
up falling, 6-5. The Spartans 
are now on a four-game losing 
streak.

It is clear that both teams 

are looking for a spark heading 
into Tuesday’s game, though the 
Spartans may need it more.

But with some recent low 

points — a game dropped to 
Ohio State and a game dropped 
to Maryland — it will be pivotal 
that the Wolverines come into 
the game with confidence.

And if they can beat Michigan 

State, that confidence could also 
be important to carry over for 
Michigan heading into next 
weekend’s series against Big 
Ten competitor Wisconsin.

PAIGE VOEFFRAY

Daily Sports Writer

Michigan 
State at 
Michigan

Matchup: 
Michigan 
6-3 Big Ten, 
29-7 overall; 
Michigan State 
5-4, 20-12

When: 
Tuesday 6 
P.M. ET

Where: Ray 
Fisher Stadium 

ANNA MARCUS
Daily Sports Writer

ARNOLD ZHOU/Daily

Michigan coach Carol Hutchins and her team have a shot to sweep Michigan State

