Michigan
32-8-1, 10-1
Penn State
24-11, 5-2
Wolverines Shut Out Penn State, Take Over First Place
4/16/2000 12:00:00 AM | Softball
The Wolverines (33-8, 10-1 Big Ten) got help from Purdue University, which beat league-leading Iowa 1-0 on Sunday. After a Wednesday (April 19, 3 p.m.) non-conference game vs. Bowling Green State University (rescheduled from April 4), Michigan is at Iowa on Friday (April 21) for a Big Ten doubleheader showdown with the Hawkeyes.
For the second straight game, senior Pam Kosanke (Chesterfield, Mo./Parkway Central HS) got the Michigan offense started with a big leadoff hit, bouncing a double off the leftfield fence. She scored the game's first run on a wild pitch two batters later. Melissa Taylor (Petersburg, Mich./Summerfield HS) made good on double steal with teammate Stefanie Volpe (Plymouth, Mich./Plymouth-Salem HS) to put U-M ahead 2-0.
The Wolverines scored their final run in the third when Volpe's RBI single to centerfield sent Taylor home from second base.
Michigan twice stopped scoring threats by Penn State (24-11, 5-2 Big Ten). Kosanke ended the second-inning rally by throwing out Megan Humphrey on a bases-loaded force play at the plate. With one out and runners at first and second in the fifth inning, U-M pitcher Marie Barda (Darien, Ill./Hinsdale South HS) forced a groundout and popout to end the Nittany Lion threat.
Barda went the distance in the circle, allowing four hits to go to 12-4 for the season. Penn State's Tanis Ambelang (6-3) was tagged for 10 hits, with Taylor, Volpe, Kelsey Kollen (Cerritos, Calif./Santa Ana Mater Dei HS) and Rebecca Tune (Aloha, Ore./Jesuit HS) collecting two hits each.
Maize 'n Blue Diamond Gems
Penn State came into the weekend as the top hitting team in the Big Ten (.309). Michigan held the Nittany Lions to no runs, nine hits and a .200 batting average in the two games. . . . Michigan goes to 26-1 all-time against Penn State.
Numbers one and two in the batting order, Pam Kosanke and Melissa Taylor, both feasted on Penn State pitching in the two-game series. Kosanke was 4-for-8 (.500) while Taylor hit .571 (4-for-7).
Wolverine head coach Carol Hutchins took one for the team -- literally. In the third inning, Hutchins, in the third base coaching box, was hit above the right wrist on a line drive foul ball by Stefanie Volpe. After nailing her coach, Volpe responded with an RBI single to centerfield.
The Michigan-Bowling Green softball doubleheader postponed by cold weather conditions on April 4 has been rescheduled as a 3 p.m. single game on Wednesday, April 19, at the Wolverines' Alumni Field.
Contact: Amy Carlton (734) 763-4423
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Barda, Marie (12-4)
L: Tanis Ambelang (6-3)
Batting:
2B: Kosanke, Pam 1
RBI: Volpe, Stefanie 1
SH: Tune, Rebecca 1 ; Murdock, Courtney 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Kosanke, Pam 1 ; Taylor, Melissa 2
SB: Taylor, Melissa 2
CS: Volpe, Stefanie 1
Batting:
SH: Karen Gulini 1
