Wolverines Sweep Gophers, Earn 250th Alumni Field Win

Sunday, April 9

Ann Arbor, Mich.

Noon

Michigan

26-7-1, 5-1

Minnesota

22-18, 0-6

Minnesota

Michigan

Wolverines Sweep Gophers, Earn 250th Alumni Field Win

4/9/2000 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- No. 11-ranked Michigan won both ends of Sunday's (April 9) Big Ten Conference softball doubleheader vs. the University of Minnesota, picking up the program's 250th home field victory in the process. The Wolverines (28-7, 6-1 Big Ten) squeezed a 1-0 win in the opener before coming back for a 4-1 victory in game two.

Michigan began the day looking to win its first home game of the season and end a four-game home losing skid dating back to the 1999 Big Ten Tournament. The Wolverines broke open the scoreless first game when pinch runner Kim Bugel (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest HS) scored from third base on a throwing error by Minnesota shortstop Shelly Nichols during a stolen base play in the bottom of the fifth inning.

U-M allowed and stranded a Minnesota base runner in each of the last two innings to preserve the 1-0 win. Marissa Young (Santa Ana, Calif./Mater Dei HS) helped her own cause in the pitching circle, going 2-for-3 at the plate while striking out nine Gopher batters in a two-hit effort. The win improved Young to 10-1.

Minnesota (22-19, 0-7 Big Ten) scored its only run of the day in the second inning of the nightcap to take a short-lived 1-0 lead. The Wolverines tied the score in the top of the third on Stefanie Volpe's (Plymouth, Mich./Plymouth-Canton HS) RBI single to right field, then took the lead for good in the fourth on Melissa Gentile's (O'Fallon, Mo./Wentzville HS) solo home run to right-center field. Volpe singled in Kelsey Kollen (Cerritos, Calif./Santa Ana Mater Dei HS) and Melissa Taylor (Petersburg, Mich./Summerfield HS) came home on a wild pitch for a pair of insurance runs in the fifth inning.

Marie Barda (Darien, Ill./Hinsdale South HS) tallied her 10th win of the season (10-4) holding the Gophers to two hits. Barda struck out six and allowing three walks, leading the Wolverines to their 250th all-time win at Alumni Field.

Michigan is scheduled for a Tuesday (April 11) 2 p.m. non-conference doubleheader at Central Michigan University, before resuming Big Ten play with Friday's doubleheader (April 14, 2 p.m.) vs. Ohio State University at Alumni Field.

Maize 'n Blue Diamond Gems

Melissa Gentile's home run is her fourth of the season and improves her Michigan career record total to 28.

Michigan had gone scoreless in 31 innings at Alumni Field before halting that streak with a run in the fifth inning of Sunday's first game. . . . The win in game one marked the Wolverines' 50th all-time win against Minnesota. U-M is 51-21 vs. the Golden Gophers.

Contact: Amy Carlton (734) 763-4423