The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com Sports Tuesday, April 18, 2017 — 7 Classifieds Call: #734-418-4115 Email: dailydisplay@gmail.com 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 712 WEST HURON ‑ PURRFECT downtown location. 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As low as $1110 for rent! Call today for specials! 734‑741‑9300 GEDDES HILL APARTMENTS ‑ SAVE up to $1200 off rent! Call now for details! 734‑741‑9300 STUDENT SUMMER STORAGE Specials ‑ Closest to campus ‑ Indoor Clean ‑ Safe ‑ Reserve online now annarborstorage.com call 734‑663‑0690 SERVICES FOR RENT HELP WANTED 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