Michigan Collects Co-Championship of Capital Classic

Saturday, March 20

Sacramento, Calif.

7:00 PM PT

Michigan

21-5

Iowa

19-7

Iowa

Michigan

3/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Amy Carlton

Site: Sacramento, Calif. (Sacramento Softball Complex)
Event: Capital Classic
Late Saturday Result: Semifinal -- #10 Michigan 2, #21 Iowa 0
Sunday Result: Championship -- #10 Michigan 2, #21 Iowa 2 (8 innings)
Records: U-M (21-5-1), Iowa (20-7-1)
Next U-M Game: Saturday, March 27 -- vs. Indiana State at Boilermaker Invitational (West Lafayette, Ind.), 9 a.m.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- No. 10 Michigan and No. 21 Iowa showed the West Coast just how the Big Ten Conference members battle each other in softball, finishing in an eight-inning 2-2 tie in Sunday's (March 21) championship game of the Sacramento State Capital Classic. The game was called due to time constraints of teams' travel arrangements.

After yielding the go-ahead run to the Hawkeyes (20-7-1) in the top of the seventh, Michigan (21-5-1) came back in its half of the inning to tie the score, 2-2, on Traci Conrad's (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way HS) sacrifice fly which scored pinch-runner Kim Bugel (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest HS). Iowa stranded a runner at second in the eighth while the Wolverines went down in order, ending the game deadlocked with their rivals.

The Wolverines scattered five hits, including doubles by Catherine Davie (Westlake Village, Calif./Westlake HS) and Stefanie Volpe (Plymouth, Mich./Plymouth-Salem HS). Iowa starter Kristi Hanks sat down seven Wolverines via strikeout. Marie Barda (Darien, Ill./Hinsdale South HS) threw the first five innings for U-M, collecting four strikeouts and yielding six hits and a pair of walks. Jamie Gillies (Saugus, Calif./Saugus HS) relieved Barda in the sixth and held the Hawkeyes to two hits.

Davie, who was 9-for-22 (.409) with seven RBI and two home runs, was named to the all-tournament team.

Michigan advanced to the title game with a 2-0 win vs. Iowa in the semifinals late Saturday (March 20). U-M scored single runs in the third and sixth, both coming on outfield singles. Kelsey Kollen (Cerritos, Calif./Mater Dei HS) scored Conrad in the third while Melissa Taylor (Deerfield, Mich./Summerfield HS) scored Pam Kosanke (Chesterfield, Mo./Parkway Central HS) in the sixth.

Gillies (5-2) tallied her fourth career win and second career shutout vs. Iowa with a four-hit, two-strikeout performance. Megan Petersen (5-1) suffered her first loss of the season, allowing four hits and one run before being relieved in the third by Kelly Zielstra. Conrad, Kosanke and Tammy Mika (Brighton, Mich./Brighton HS) each doubled.

Maize 'n Blue Diamond Gems

• Jamie Gillies carries a perfect 4-0 record vs. Iowa. She picked up the late-April win which gave Michigan the 1998 Big Ten season championship and upended the Hawkeyes in the semifinal and championship games of the 1998 Big Ten Tournament to send U-M to the NCAA Tournament.

• The co-championship of the Capital Classic marks the second consecutive tournament title for the Wolverines. U-M won the South Florida Speedline Invitational championship March 7.

• Michigan recorded a tie score for just the second time in the softball program's 22-year history. The only other tie game -- a 3-3 score vs. Cal State-Northridge -- came in the 1997 season opener.