Wolverines Open 2000 Season with Shutout of Stanford

Thursday, February 17

Poway, Calif.

2:30 PM PT

Michigan

1-0

Stanford

7-1

Michigan

Stanford

2/17/2000 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

By: Amy Carlton

Site: Poway, Calif. (Sportsplex USA)
Event: Campbell/Cartier Classic
Result: #6 Michigan 2, #21 Stanford 0 (8 inn.)
Records: U-M (1-0), Stanford (7-1)
Next U-M Games: Friday, Feb. 18 -- vs. Cal State-Northridge (3:30 p.m. PST), vs. #1 UCLA (6 p.m. PST) at Campbell/Cartier Classic (Poway, Calif.)

POWAY, Calif. -- A two-run, two-out double by Stefanie Volpe (Plymouth, Mich./Plymouth-Salem HS) in the eighth inning provided all the scoring needed by the No. 6-ranked University of Michigan softball team as it opened the 2000 season with a 2-0 shutout of No. 21 Stanford University Thursday (Feb. 17) at the Campbell/Cartier Classic.

Volpe's shot down the leftfield line scored Melinda Moulden (LaCrescenta, Calif./Crescenta Valley HS) and Kelsey Kollen (Cerritos, Calif./Mater Dei HS) and gave Michigan (1-0) its 14th season-opening win in 23 seasons. The loss was Stanford's first of the season (7-1).

Michigan put itself in position to score early in the game, stranding runners at second and third in the first inning and leaving another runner on base in the second. Stanford pitcher Dana Sorensen (4-1) held the Wolverines hitless in innings two through five before rightfielder Melissa Taylor (Deerfield, Mich./Summerfield HS) singled in the sixth. Taylor moved to third on a sacrifice and wild pitch before being stranded.

Marie Barda (Darien, Ill./Hinsdale South HS) struck out 10 batters -- a career high -- and gave up two hits in the complete-game victory, her 28th win in 34 career decisions. Stanford left four runners on base, with just one reaching as far as second, in the sixth inning. Barda closed the game by retiring the Cardinal side in the bottom of the eighth with a pair of strikeouts and a groundout.

Taylor, Volpe and Pam Kosanke (Chesterfield, Mo./Parkway Central HS) recorded the three Michigan hits.

Michigan has two games scheduled Friday in the Campbell/Cartier Classic, facing Cal State-Northridge (3:30 p.m. PST) and No. 1 UCLA (6 p.m. PST).

Maize 'n Blue Diamond Gems

• Pam Kosanke played in her 200th Michigan game, making her 199th career start. The senior co-captain is the eighth Wolverine player to appear in 200 or more games. The record is 263 games by Traci Conrad (1996-99).

• Two first-year Wolverines made their collegiate debuts in starting assignments vs. Stanford. Marissa Young (Santa Ana, Calif./Mater Dei HS) handled duties at first base while Melinda Moulden was Michigan's starting leftfielder. Both replaced graduated starters at those positions.

• Stefanie Volpe's game-winning double was the 11th two-bagger of her career . . . Michigan improved to 2-0 vs. Stanford . . . The Wolverines are 14-8-1 in season openers, and won their first since 1998.