Michigan Plays with Dominance, Patience in Sweep

Tuesday, April 13

Ann Arbor, Mich.

2:00 PM

Michigan

36-5-1, 9-0

Penn State

21-14, 4-3

Penn State

Michigan

4/13/1999 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Amy Carlton

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Alumni Field)
Results: #6 Michigan 10, Penn State 2 (5 innings); #6 Michigan 3, Penn State 0 (8 innings)
Records: Michigan (37-5-1, 8-0 Big Ten); PSU (21-15, 4-4 Big Ten)
Next U-M Games: Wednesday, April 14 -- vs. Central Michigan (Alumni Field), 2 p.m. DH

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan softball team showed it could win in dominating fashion and it could win with patience as the No. 6-ranked Wolverines swept a Tuesday (April 13) doubleheader against visiting Penn State University. The Wolverines won the opener 10-2 in five innings, then went eight innings for a 3-0 win in the nightcap.

Michigan (37-5-1, 10-0 Big Ten) extended its season unbeaten streak to 33 games (32-0-1) and took a three-game lead in the Big Ten Conference standings with the sweep. Penn State (21-15, 4-4 Big Ten) dropped its third consecutive game to move into a tie with Michigan State for third place.

Traci Conrad (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way HS) carried the hot bat in Michigan's game one win. The senior finished with four hits -- two for doubles -- in her four plate appearances. Her two-run single in the second inning keyed a four-run inning for the Wolverines. Kelsey Kollen (Cerritos, Calif./Mater Dei HS) added three hits while Stefanie Volpe (Plymouth, Mich./Plymouth-Salem HS) and Tammy Mika (Brighton, Mich./Brighton HS) had two hits each in the 12-hit U-M offense.

Pitcher Marie Barda (Darien, Ill./Hinsdale South HS), who won her 15th game (15-1) and her 12th straight start, allowed three runs and a pair of walks. Penn State starter Tanis Ambelang (11-7) was tagged with the loss after allowing six hits and five Michigan runs in her two innings.

In the second game, Michigan and Penn State battled through seven scoreless innings until Rebecca Tune's (Aloha, Ore./Jesuit HS) centerfield double produced three U-M runs in the top of the eighth inning. Penn State came back in the bottom of the inning with a leadoff single, but Wolverine pitcher Jamie Gillies (Saugus, Calif./Saugus HS) retired the next three batters for her fifth shutout of the season.

Penn State pitcher Jaci Kalp (8-7) struck out 10 and held the U-M offense to nine hits. Kollen, Tune and Melissa Taylor (Deerfield, Mich./Summerfield HS) had two hits apiece.

Michigan closes its seven-game homestand Wednesday (April 14, 2 p.m.) with a non-conference doubleheader vs. Central Michigan, then heads to second-place Northwestern University for a three-game Big Ten series Saturday and Sunday (April 17-18).

Maize 'n Blue Diamond Gems

• Michigan pushed its lead in the Penn State series to 23-1 with its 12th and 13th consecutive wins vs. the Nittany Lions. . . . U-M pitchers Marie Barda and Jamie Gillies posted their first career wins against PSU. . . . Melissa Taylor played in her 100th Wolverine game with the Penn State nightcap.

• The two doubles in the first game give Traci Conrad 52 for her career. She is third on the Wolverines' all-time doubles list. She became the fifth Michigan player this year to total four hits in a game with her 4-for-4 showing in the first game.