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By Alan Olschwang
©2019 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
03/14/19

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

03/14/19

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

Release Date: Thursday, March 14, 2019

ACROSS
1 Grammy 
category word
6 “And here it is!”
11 Pickup spot, 
perhaps
14 Take a break
15 “Return of the 
Jedi” forest moon
16 Fashion or sense 
preceder
17 *Like power lines
19 Band booking
20 Conspiring (with)
21 Cake invitation 
Alice accepted
23 Does, say
24 *End an 
engagement?
27 Alternative rock 
genre
29 “Come on in!”
30 Any member of 
ABBA
33 What a birdie 
beats
34 Aromatic herb
37 ’90s game disc
38 *Teddy kin
42 One of the fire 
signs
43 Pull a fast one on
45 Served, as time
46 Brilliance
48 One-footer, e.g.
50 Gray shade
51 *Feature items 
in some annual 
sales
55 World-weary 
words
59 Up
60 Babe __, only 
woman in 
ESPN’s Top 10 
North American 
Athletes of the 
20th Century
62 Life-saving pro
63 Simple card 
game, and 
what’s hidden in 
the answers to 
starred clues
66 __-disant: self-
styled
67 Ancient Aegean 
region
68 “The Wreck of the 
Mary __”
69 Channel that airs 
many RKO films

70 __ closet
71 John of “The 
Addams Family”

DOWN
1 Agricultural pest
2 “Rawhide” singer
3 Taps player
4 Brought (in)
5 Like a footnote 
that explains 
footnotes
6 Locale
7 Early stage
8 Dictator played 
by Forest
9 Leicester toilet
10 Journalist Peter
11 Time of one’s life
12 Cartoon genre
13 Continued 
unabated
18 “The one who 
makes it, takes 
it” breakfast 
brand
22 Breezed through
25 Recipe verb
26 Crucifix letters
28 Fellows
30 Beach letters
31 Try to attract
32 Lacking humility
33 Third deg.?

35 Verdant patch
36 Auction unit
39 “Gotcha!”
40 Singer Vannelli
41 Some RIT grads
44 After-hours
47 Supplies power 
to
49 #2, for one
50 ’60s-’70s tennis 
great Arthur
51 Extract forcibly
52 Bleachers sign

53 David and Ricky’s 
dad
54 Israeli hero 
Moshe
56 Drum kit part
57 Motherly 
introduction?
58 German steel 
center
61 Operatic princess
64 Versailles 
monarch
65 Taylor of fashion

Question: 

What goes 
great with your 
morning coffee?

Answer: 

michigandaily.com

When the No. 25 Michigan softball 
team takes the field at home for the 
first time in 2019 this weekend, it 
will look to put early-season incon-
sistencies in the rearview mirror.
After securing the Big Ten regu-
lar-season title a season ago — the 
program’s 10th in the last 11 years 
— the Wolverines enter their first 
homestand with a record hovering 
around .500. After spending two 
weeks outside the NFCA Poll for 
the first time in 18 years, Michigan 
will look for contributions from its 
entire roster at Alumni Field.
The Daily breaks down each of the 
Wolverines’ position groups as they 
aim to capitalize on a Kent State 
team that enters Ann Arbor mired 
in an eight-game losing streak.
Pitchers:
This year’s pitching staff is 
headlined by sophomore Meghan 
Beaubien, who posted a 33-6 
record, 1.16 ERA and 266 strikeouts 
across 217 innings pitched en route 
to first team All-American honors 
in 2018. The southpaw’s success 
in the circle has been highlighted 
by the four no-hitters to her name, 
one of which came less than three 
weeks ago against California State 
Northridge. After suffering a bro-
ken wrist in the weight room last 
fall, Beaubien’s ERA has ballooned 
to 2.44. She’s been dominant as a 
starter, but Beaubien has allowed 
upwards of four runs in multiple 
relief appearances in 2019.
Another arm that’s been impres-
sive is freshman right-hander Alex 
Storako, who has firmly established 
herself as the team’s second starter. 
Storako is often referred to as a 
“spin pitcher” by Michigan coach 
Carol Hutchins, which has been 
evident in her 76 strikeouts across 
65.1 innings pitched. Opponents 
are managing a batting average of 
just .167 against Storako, but her 
2.14 ERA has taken a hit thanks in 
part to the 10 home runs she has 
surrendered.
Though her numbers aren’t as 
dominant as Beaubien and Stor-
ako’s, sophomore right-hander 
Sarah Schaefer provides value to 
the staff by inducing soft contact. 
Schaefer has recorded a 2.69 ERA 
across nine appearances thus far, a 

sizeable inflation from her 1.57 clip 
in 2018.
Catchers:
After taking over as the starting 
catcher midway through her soph-
omore year, senior captain Katie 
Alexander has established herself 
as one of the best backstops in the 
conference. She slugged her way 
to a .314 batting average with 24 
RBI while picking up second team 
All-Big Ten honors a season ago, 
but has struggled at the plate in the 
early stages of her senior campaign. 
Alexander enters the homestand 
with a .152 batting average in 17 
starts, but leads the team with three 
home runs and ranks second with 
11 RBI.
Freshman Hannah Carson — 
FloSoftball’s No. 21 2018 prospect 
— has assumed the backup catcher 
duties so far this season, despite 
junior catcher Abby Skvarce’s 
upper-hand in age. Carson tallied 
a .571 batting average and 31 home 
runs as a senior in high school en 
route to her fourth consecutive first 
team All-State selection.
First base:
This season’s starting first base-
man job has presented the biggest 
head-scratcher so far, following 
the graduation of Tera Blanco, a 
first team All-Big Ten selection in 
2018. It’s been a battle between 
senior Alex Sobczak and sopho-
more Taylor Bump since opening 
weekend, but neither player has 
much experience on the right side 
of the infield.
As of now, the position appears to 
belong to Sobczak, who entered 
the season with 63 career starts 
under her belt. On the other hand, 
Bump’s natural positions are third 
base and shortstop, meaning she is 
accustomed to playing defense on 
the other side of the infield. Neither 
player has put up big numbers at 
the plate so far this season, but 
Sobczak’s team-high .429 on-base 
percentage trumps Bump’s .250 
mark.
Second base:
Michigan’s lineup starts and ends 
with senior second baseman Faith 
Canfield — both literally and figura-
tively. The two-time All-American 
has firmly established herself as 
the leadoff hitter, and she comes 
into this weekend scorching hot 
after posting a .448 batting average 

during the team’s West Coast 
trip last week. Canfield spent her 
freshman season learning the ropes 
of her position from then-senior 
Sierra Romero, who took home 
2016 National Player of the Year 
honors. Now that Canfield is in her 
second year as captain, Hutchins 
wants to see her “take this team by 
the horns.”
Shortstop:
For the second straight season, 
sophomore Natalia Rodriguez 
will be the Wolverines’ everyday 
shortstop. Rodriguez registered a 
.250 batting average in 53 starts as a 
freshman, so her .333 mark thus far 
represents a massive leap forward. 
After recording 10 stolen bases on 
12 attempts last season, Rodriguez 
has already swiped five bags on as 
many tries in 2019.
Third base:
Last season, Madison Uden was 
Michigan’s breakout star. After 
finishing her freshman year with 
a .255 batting average in 12 starts, 
2018 brought about monumental 
success to the tune of a .357 average 
and 35 RBI. While the numbers 
prove that Uden stepped up as a 
hitter a season ago, her biggest de-
velopment came from a leadership 
standpoint — something evident in 
her teammates’ choice to nominate 
her as a 2019 captain, despite being 
just a junior.
One of this year’s early-season 
shocks has been Uden’s struggles at 
the plate. She limps into this week-
end with a .174 batting average — a 
183-point regression from 2018.
Outfield:
The Wolverines’ outfield corps has 
been their most consistent position 
group over the first month of the 
season. Freshman left fielder Lexie 
Blair has been a staple towards 
the top of the order, posting a .316 
batting average with a team-high 
eight doubles. Now in her third 
year as the starting center fielder, 
senior Natalie Peters is another 
staple of the lineup. She earned 
second team All-Big Ten honors 
in 2017 after posting a .361 batting 
average, but saw that number dip to 
.312 last season. When it comes to 
defense, junior right fielder Haley 
Hoogenraad is one of Michigan’s 
finest. Hoogenraad recorded 43 
putouts without committing an 
error a season ago.

DANIEL DASH
Daily Sports Writer

Breaking down ‘M’ Softball’s 2019 roster

Navigating Uncharted Territory

Carol Hutchins said it better than any-
body: “This team has been a little bit of 
up and a little bit of down.”
The Wolverines head into home play 
with a 12-10 record, something that 
the Michigan coach, her players and 
the softball community at large aren’t 
accustomed to experiencing — nor 
could’ve predicted given the program’s 
precedence of dominance.
The team has weaknesses: namely, 
finding starters at first base and pitcher, 
hitting consistently and closing out 
tight games. But so does every team, as 
Hutchins said after practice Tuesday. 
This season still marked a change from 
the program’s typical preeminence, and 
the problem isn’t how players hold a 
bat or field a fly ball.
Michigan has a few 
choices to make. To 
focus or worry about 
their legacy. To hope 
for results or get them. 
To swing with author-
ity or think too much.
For so many years, 
Michigan held a 
mental acuity that 
allowed it to reach a 
pinnacle of excellence 
as a program, and this year has tested 
that focus. In game after game, players 
have pointed to mental struggles as the 
root cause of awry pitches, problems 
hitting and general strife on the field. 
The Wolverines know their problem. 
And while repeated mental lapses have 
certainly created new obstacles, they 
also present a new opportunity.
This is the first team the program has 
seen in years to face a recurring issue 
affecting performance. Sure, that’s 
not ideal, but it also sets the stage for 
greatness.
This team could be the one to face 
adversity and attack it. The Wolverines 
can show up at the plate, be ‘on’ men-
tally and perform at the level at which 
we know they’re capable from big wins 
against ranked opponents. They’ve 
identified the problem — now they just 
have to solve it.
To truly get to the root of the problem, 
though, Michigan has to look at why 
it keeps falling into mental lulls in the 
first place. The sixth inning of the Stan-
ford game, the first game in the LSU 
Invitational in Baton Rouge, La., pro-
vided a potential answer. After a strong 
start with a tied score of 1-1, sophomore 
left-hander Meghan Beaubien stepped 
in to relieve freshman right-hander 
Alex Storako in the circle. Beaubien let 
up four runs before Hutchins pulled 
her from the lineup mid-inning.
“You want to go into that situation with 
a clear head and just telling yourself to 
throw your game and that it’s going to 
work out,” Beaubien said. “What you 
don’t want to do is try too hard to get 
out of a situation or to get the results 

you wanted, and that’s what I was 
doing. I was trying too hard to get the 
results I wanted, and that leads to bad 
pitches.”
Like Beaubien, several players have 
found that after one discouragement, it 
becomes harder to avoid result-orient-
ed play — trying to force an outcome 
and forgetting to play freely. And when 
one player falls into that mentality, it 
can affect the entire team.
But in the same way that panic spreads 
quickly, so too does a revived team 
atmosphere.
“It’s a contagious effect,” Hutchins said. 
“When a couple of us (hit well), we’ve 
opened up. We did it against Arizona 
State. …When we’ve scored runs, it’s 
because we’ve only had to get a couple 
things going and then everybody takes 
the pressure off themselves.”
The Wolverines understand why they 
can beat No. 2 UCLA 
and almost defeat No. 9 
Louisiana State yet lose 
to unranked Louisville, 
North Carolina and 
the Cardinal. They’ve 
encountered mental 
setbacks, and they now 
have the chance to 
change their mental-
ity at home, proving 
resilience in the face 
of a rocky start. With 
comfortable winning records in the 
scorebooks the past 14 years, this is the 
first time in a long time Michigan has 
needed that spark. And the Wolverines 
have the chance to create that hungry 
mentality for themselves.
A major turning point in finding that 
rhythm also occurred in Baton Rouge, 
just four games after the loss to Stan-
ford. Playing a tough Tigers team with 
a home-field advantage, Michigan held 
strong defensively, eventually losing 
2-1, but playing with a passion and ease 
they lacked in previous contests.
“They’ve learned it at LSU, and they 
didn’t get the win, but they played 
to win it, and we played like that in 
California every game,” Hutchins said. 
“The jungle tiger doesn’t go in there 
and wonder or worry or hope he gets 
his prey. He goes in there to get it, or 
else he’s not going to eat.”
Two weeks ago, the program stood 
at a crux: carry on the success of the 
program or drop the ball, sliding into 
the team’s first losing season since 
recordkeeping began 14 years ago. Ten 
games later, the Wolverines remain on 
that precarious edge.
Michigan managed to claw its way 
back to a winning record. But to really 
cement themselves as the team that 
continued the success of a legendary 
program in the face of adversity, Team 
42 can’t just be “a little bit of up.” The 
team needs sustained ferocity, and the 
players know that.
And with the Wolverines returning to 
Ann Arbor this weekend, it’s time to 
see if they can survive in the jungle.

LILY FRIEDMAN
Daily Sports Writer

throw, I know she’ll be able to get it. 
She’ll be able to block it. I know she 
can throw runners out. She’s tough. 
She gives you a lot of confidence 
because she just has a presence. She’s 
very good at understanding my head 
knowing the right thing to say to get 
me back in the mindset to do what I 
need to do.”
One of the most important elements of 
Alexander’s legacy will be leaving the 
team in the capable hands of another 
catcher. That role will likely be filled 
by freshman catcher Hannah Carson. 
The two have already worked together 
in preparation of Carson eventually 
taking the reins. Although she hasn’t 
gotten many innings yet, Carson is 
next in line, now preparing for Alex-
ander to pass the torch. When Carson 
is playing, Alexander is always nearby, 
giving critiques on form, demon-
strating a play or offering a word of 
encouragement. 
Her advice to Carson has been clear: 
Be vocal; be confident; be the leader 
the team needs you to be. 
With softball legends like Tera Blanco, 
Megan Betsa and Kelly Christner 
to look up to, Alexander had many 
mentors to choose from as an under-
classman. 
“Every person that’s older than you or 
every person here, tries to make the 
people around them better,” Alex-
ander said. “I took something from 
almost every single person that I got 
the chance to play with.
“To be able to see what they did for me 
— what worked and what didn’t — and 
now I can use that for the underclass-
men.”
One lesson Alexander has impart-
ed, not just on Carson but all of the 
underclassmen, is the importance of 
commitment. 
“All years, they preach here that you’re 

a leader and you can be on the field,” 
Alexander said. “No matter how old 
you are, you can still have a say and 
that’s what’s going to make everybody 
else better. I really took pride in, no 
matter whether I was in the dugout or 
on the field or how old I was, I could 
be valuable to my teammates. That’s 
how we’re going to succeed: if every-
body puts in that much effort.”
With these types of sentiments, 
Alexander strives to emulate the same 
team culture that Seegert experienced 
in her time at Michigan, a collective 
atmosphere upheld by team traditions 
like a “no phone” rule or writing in the 
dirt before each game. 
It is this culture that has lead the 
Wolverines to 20 Big Ten Conference 
Championships, 18 All-American 
players and one NCAA World Series 
victory — a level of play Alexander 
would love to see again from her team. 
As the season gets into full swing 
and Michigan bounces between hard 
losses and easy wins, Alexander is not 
satisfied — she rarely has been.
In her freshman year of high school, 
Alexander could have been satisfied 
sticking to second base on Saline’s 
junior varsity team.
When she got to Michigan four years 
ago, she could have accepted that she’d 
get little playing time as a walk-on. 
As errors plummeted and her batting 
average soared, she could have been 
happy with her role as starting catcher, 
content in being remembered — just 
like her high school coach — as one of 
the strongest catchers in Michigan’s 
history. But instead, she’s gone above 
and beyond, serving the team as a 
leader and mentor, on and off the field. 
Regardless of the number of runs 
she’s scored or runners she’s thrown 
out, Katie Alexander’s legacy will be 
defined by one thing: her drive.

The jungle 
tiger doesn’t 
go in there and 
wonder

5A

