Michigan Overpowers Auburn, Kent in USF Tournament

Friday, February 25

Tampa, Fla.

4:00 PM

Michigan

4-2

Auburn

12-6

Michigan

Auburn

2/25/2000 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Site: Tampa, Fla. (USF Softball Complex)
Event: USF/Gladstone's Tournament
Results: #9 Michigan 10, Auburn 3; #9 Michigan 12, Kent 4
Record: U-M (5-2)
Next U-M Game: Saturday, Feb. 26 -- vs. South Florida (2 p.m.), vs. Indiana (8 p.m.) at Gladstone's Tournament (Tampa, Fla.)

TAMPA, Fla. -- The No. 9-ranked Michigan softball team wasted little time acclimating to the warm Florida temperatures, scoring 24 runs in its two games Friday (Feb. 25) at the weekend Gladstone's Tournament hosted by the University of South Florida. The Wolverines beat Auburn 10-3, then blasted Kent 12-4 in six innings in the nightcap.

Home runs were one of the hits of choice for the Wolverines (5-2), who tallied 27 hits for the day, nine of those for extra bases. Freshman Marissa Young (Santa Ana, Calif./Mater Dei HS) broke open the Auburn game with a third-inning grand slam, her first home run as a Wolverine. Senior Melissa Gentile (O'Fallon, Mo./Wentzville HS) drilled two home runs in the game two win over Kent, scoring five of Michigan's 12 runs on the long shots. Young drilled three doubles against Kent and hit .750 over the two Friday games, going 6-for-8 with eight RBI. Gentile played in the Kent game, finishing 2-for-3.

After going ahead of Auburn 5-1 after Young's third inning grand slam, Michigan piled on four more runs in the fourth keyed by Mary Conner's (Lake Orion, Mich./Lake Orion HS) leadoff double and a two-run Pam Kosanke (Chesterfield, Mo./Parkway Central HS) double. Young complimented her hitting performance with a 12-strikeout, five-hit showing in the pitching circle to improve to 2-0.

The Wolverines scored eight runs in the second -- five on doubles by Conner and Young and two via Gentile's first home run -- to build a 9-2 lead against Kent. Michigan scattered 11 hits, including six for extra bases, to boost the complete game pitching performance of senior Jamie Gillies (Saugus, Calif./Saugus HS). Gillies (2-1) allowed five hits and two walks while striking out three.

Michigan plays host South Florida (2 p.m.) and Big Ten Conference rival Indiana (8 p.m.) in its two Saturday (Feb. 26) games before wrapping up tournament play Sunday against No. 22 South Carolina (noon).

Maize 'n Blue Diamond Gems

Melissa Gentile tied the Michigan single-game home run record with two homers vs. Kent. Only three players, including Gentile, have achieved the feat, the last being Catherine Davie vs. DePaul in the 1998 NCAA regional championship (May 16, 1998).

Marissa Young not only recorded the fifth grand slam in Michigan softball history, but set the team's single-game doubles record with her three two-baggers vs. Kent. Young leads U-M with five doubles for the year.

Pam Kosanke extended her team-leading hit streak to seven games. The streak ties the longest in the senior third baseman's career.

Seven Wolverines finished with two or more hits against Auburn, including three-hit performances by Marissa Young and Melissa Taylor (Petersburg, Mich./Summerfield HS). . . . Today's game was the first between Michigan and Auburn. . . . The Wolverines remain perfect against Kent, pushing their series mark to 3-0.

Contact: Amy Carlton (734) 763-4423