Iowa Knocks Wolverines to Big Ten Loser's Bracket

Friday, May 12

Iowa City, Iowa

5:00 PM CT

Michigan

41-14-1

Iowa

44-12

Iowa

Michigan

5/12/2000 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Big Ten Conference regular-season champion University of Iowa made the most of the long ball, using a centerfield double and a leftfield sacrifice fly for a 3-1 comeback win vs. the University of Michigan in Friday's (May 12) winner's bracket final of the Big Ten Conference Softball Tournament.

Host and top seed Iowa (44-12) advances to Saturday's (May 13) 2:30 p.m. CDT tournament championship game. Michigan (41-14-1) meets Penn State, a 3-1 winner over Northwestern on Friday night, at noon CDT Saturday. The tournament champion earns the conference's automatic berth in the NCAA Championship field.

The Wolverines wasted little time in challenging Iowa starter Kelly Zeilstra in the first inning. Michigan recorded back-to-back singles by Kelsey Kollen (Cerritos, Calif./Santa Ana Mater Dei HS) and Melissa Taylor (Petersburg, Mich./Summerfield HS) and a walk by Stefanie Volpe (Plymouth, Mich./Plymouth-Salem HS) to load the bases with their first three hitters of the game. Pam Kosanke (Chesterfield, Mo./Parkway Central HS) scored Kollen with a sacrifice fly to centerfield before Zeilstra retired the next two U-M batters.

Iowa took the lead in the third when first baseman Alicia Gerlach doubled off the wall in straight-away centerfield, scoring Jessica Bashor and Kristin Johnson. Three innings later, Johnson scored the Hawkeyes' final run on reliever Kristy Hanks' sacrifice fly to deep leftfield.

Michigan had the chance to dent Iowa's 2-1 lead in the fifth when Taylor reached on a fielding error Katie Boney, then moved to second on Volpe's sacrifice bunt. Kosanke was intentionally walked, putting the go-ahead run at first base. Hanks entered in relief of Zeilstra and sat down U-M freshmen Marissa Young (Santa Ana, Calif./Mater Dei HS) and Melinda Moulden (LaCrescenta, Calif./Crescenta Valley HS) by strikeouts to earn her first save of the season.

Zeilstra (22-6) notched her first win vs. Michigan this season, allowing five of the Wolverines' six hits and three walks over four and one-third innings. Jamie Gillies (Saugus, Calif./Saugus HS) went the distance for Michigan and held the Iowa offense to three hits while giving up three walks to drop to 8-4.

Maize 'n Blue Diamond Gems

Pam Kosanke's sacrifice fly is her first of the season and sixth of her career. . . . Kelsey Kollen singled twice against the Hawkeyes to lead the U-M offense.

Q U O T E S

Michigan Head Coach Carol Hutchins

On the game ... "Iowa came through with timely hits, while we didn't put hits together when we needed them. It would have been nice to have gotten more out of the bases-loaded first inning. Iowa played tough and they are a tough team at home."

Senior Third Baseman Pam Kosanke

On Michigan's offense ... "It was key to get the one run in the first, but it would have been even better to have gotten more. When (Kristi) Hanks came in, we didn't adjust quickly enough to her pitches.

Senior Pitcher Jamie Gillies

On drawing the starting assignment in the circle ... "I didn't know I was going to start until before the game when coach (Carol) Hutchins said I was needed to fill the starter role."

Contact: Amy Carlton (734) 763-4423