Volpe Homer, Young Two-Hitter Push U-M Past Spartans

Sunday, May 7

East Lansing, Mich.

1:00 PM

Michigan

40-13-1, 13-4

Michigan State

30-23, 5-10

Michigan State

Michigan

5/7/2000 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- A home run by Stefanie Volpe (Plymouth, Mich./Plymouth-Salem HS) paced the offense while pitcher Marissa Young's (Santa Ana, Calif./Mater Dei HS) two-hitter set the defensive tone as No. 13-ranked University of Michigan completed its two-game Big Ten Conference softball series vs. Michigan State University with a 1-0 win on Sunday (May 7) at Old College Field.

The win gives Michigan a second-place finish in the Big Ten Conference race and the No. 2 seed for next weekend's (May 11-13) conference tournament. No. 15-ranked Iowa won its first league title since 1997 with a 3-1 victory over third-place Northwestern on Sunday. The top-seeded Hawkeyes will host the Big Ten Tournament.

Volpe, who was 2-for-3 for the game and 5-for-7 over the two-game series, drilled her fourth home run of the season with a one-out shot to left centerfield in the bottom of the fourth inning. Michigan had a chance to score in the second inning but stranded Pam Kosanke (Chesterfield, Mo./Parkway Central HS) at third base. In both the fifth and sixth innings the Wolverines left a runner at second base. U-M scattered six hits off Michigan State pitchers Keri DeJong and Erica Strutz, with Kosanke and Kelsey Kollen (Cerritos, Calif./Santa Ana Mater Dei HS) each recording a double.

Young (14-3) held the Spartan hitters in check all afternoon, striking out six while allowing three walks and two hits in her seventh shutout of the season. The win was the freshman hurler's first since an 8-0 victory vs. Penn State on April 15. DeJong (13-11) worked four innings in the circle for MSU before being relieved by Strutz.

Maize 'n Blue Diamond Gems

Pam Kosanke and Stefanie Volpe head into the Big Ten Tournament as the Wolverines' top two hitters. Kosanke carries a career-best .375 average and leads U-M in hits (57) and doubles (14). Volpe is hitting .368 with 33 RBI.

Pitchers Marie Barda (Darien, Ill./Hinsdale South HS) and Marissa Young have both compiled double-digit win totals for Michigan. Barda, with a team-best 0.57 ERA, is 16-6 while Young (0.99 ERA) is 14-3 for the season.

Michigan, 54-19 all-time vs. MSU, won for the 24th time in East Lansing. . . . U-M head coach Carol Hutchins is now 47-9 in games against her alma mater. Hutchins was a member of MSU's 1976 AIAW national champion softball team.

Contact: Amy Carlton (734) 763-4423