Softball Begins Florida State Invitational with Three Wins

Friday, March 17

Tallahassee, Fla.

Noon

Michigan

12-6-1

Iowa State

8-5

Michigan

Iowa State

Softball Begins Florida State Invitational with Three Wins

3/17/2000 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Box Score 3

Site: Tallahassee, Fla.
Tournament: Tallahassee Democrat Florida State Invitational
Results: #14 Michigan 3, Iowa State 1
  #14 Michigan 3, Princeton 1
  #14 Michigan 9, Georgia Southern 1 (6 innings)
Record: U-M (15-6)
Next U-M Game: Saturday, March 18 -- vs. Massachusetts at Florida State Invitational (Tallahassee, Fla.), 10 a.m.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- No. 14-ranked Michigan softball showed little rustiness from an 11-day schedule break, winning three games and its pool championship on the opening day of the Tallahassee Democrat Florida State Invitational Friday (March 17). The Wolverines (15-6) advance to Saturday's double-elimination championship bracket, facing Massachusetts at 10 a.m. in their first game.

Michigan opened Friday's pool play schedule with a come-from-behind 3-1 win over Iowa State, before recording a 3-1 victory against Princeton and a six-inning 9-1 win vs. Georgia Southern.

Sophomore Stefanie Volpe (Plymouth, Mich./Plymouth-Salem HS) and junior Chrissy Garza (Southgate, Mich./Anderson HS) each smacked career-first home runs to key the Wolverine offense in the first two tournament games. Volpe, 2-for-3 in both games one and two, drilled a game-tying solo home run with two outs in the sixth inning against Iowa State, then came back with another two-out blast in the first inning against Princeton. Garza's first U-M home run was a leadoff shot in the sixth inning vs. Princeton.

Pam Kosanke (Chesterfield, Mo./Parkway Central HS) and Kelsey Kollen (Cerritos, Calif./Santa Ana Mater Dei HS) combined for six of Michigan's 14 hits against Georgia Southern. Kosanke, a perfect 3-for-3, added a double and two RBI to her totals.

Junior Marie Barda (Darien, Ill./Hinsdale South HS) tossed her fifth career one-hitter in the win over Iowa State. Barda (5-3) struck out six while allowing one unearned run. Her effort was followed by Jamie Gillies (Saugus, Calif./Saugus HS), who recorded her second career win vs. Princeton in a four-hit, three-strikeout effort that pushed her season mark to 4-1.

Marissa Young (Santa Ana, Calif./Mater Dei HS) posted the win vs. Georgia Southern. The freshman (5-1) helped her own cause, going 2-for-3 with two RBI on offense while striking out eight and walking one from the pitching circle.

Maize 'n Blue Diamond Gems

Melinda Moulden (LaCrescenta, Calif./Crescenta Valley HS) drilled a single up the middle for the game-winning RBI vs. Iowa State. . . . Marie Barda trimmed her ERA two points to 0.11, with just one earned run allowed over 63 innings.

The Wolverines go to 8-1 all-time vs. Iowa State, picking up their second straight Florida State Invitational win against the Cyclones. . . . Michigan is now 3-0 against Princeton, with two of the wins coming at the Florida State Invitational (1995, 2000). . . . Friday's game with Georgia Southern was the first in the softball series between the schools. . . . The three wins give Michigan a season-best five-game win streak.

Contact: Amy Carlton (734) 763-4423