Michigan Picks Up Win, Tie in Home-Opening Twinbill

Wednesday, March 28

Ann Arbor, Mich.

3:30 PM

Michigan

12-9

Western Michigan

6-12

Western Michigan

Michigan

3/28/2001 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Alumni Field)
Results: Michigan 5, Western Michigan 0; Michigan 3, Western Michigan 3 (tie)
Records: U-M (12-9-1), WMU (6-12-1)
Next U-M Games: Friday, March 31 -- DH at DePaul (Chicago, Ill.), noon CST

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan softball team gave head coach Carol Hutchins a victory in her 1,000th career game coached with a 5-0 win over Western Michigan this afternoon (Wednesday, March 28) in the first game a doubleheader that opened the 2001 home season for the Wolverines at Alumni Field.

The Wolverines were not able to hold on to a 3-2 lead in the nightcap and had to settle for a 3-3 tie in a game that ended because of darkness. Michigan junior designated hitter Stefanie Volpe (Plymouth, Mich./Plymouth-Canton HS), hitting .227 for the season, broke out in the Wolverines' home-opening doubleheader, going 4-4 and driving in three runs in the two games.

Michigan opened up the scoring in the bottom of the first, aided by a key Western Michigan error. Junior second baseman Kelsey Kollen (Cerritos, Calif./Santa Ana Mater Dei HS) led off the inning with a single over the head of the third baseman and advanced to second on a bunt single by Meghan Doe (Tucson, Ariz./Sabino HS). Each runner moved up when a Melinda Moulden (LaCrescenta, Calif./Crescenta Valley HS) fly ball was dropped by Western Michigan's rightfielder. Following a Rebecca Tune (Aloha, Ore./Jesuit HS) strikeout, Volpe doubled up the gap in left-center, scoring Kollen and Doe. Volpe, however, was caught off second on the relay, and Michigan ended the inning with a 2-0 lead.

The Wolverines threatened to break things open in their half of the second, loading the bases with two outs, but Moulden flew out to centerfield to end the threat. The Wolverines were held scoreless in innings three and four, but Barda was doing her part in keeping the Broncos in check. Barda allowed just two hits in the first six innings as the Broncos were unable to advance a runner past second through the first six innings of play.

Michigan added a run in the fifth on Volpe's first home run of the season. The Wolverines added two runs in the sixth as insurance with the key blow being a triple off the bat of Kollen, which was sandwiched between singles from Courtney Betley (Corona, Calif./Santa Ana Mater Dei HS) and Doe. Barda loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh with one out, but got a lineout and a strikeout to strand all three runners and finish off her second shutout of the season.

In the nightcap, Western Michigan jumped out to a two-run lead after plating a pair of runs on three hits in the first off first-time Michigan starter Meghan Ritter (Dexter, Mich./Dexter HS). After holding the Wolverines offense in check for the first two innings, Western Michigan threatened to open up a huge lead in its half of the third. The Broncos started the inning with consecutive singles, prompting Hutchins to bring junior hurler Kate Eiland (Fresno, Calif./Clovis West HS), coming back from injury, in from the bullpen for her season debut.

After getting the first hitter she faced on a fielder's choice, Eiland gave up an infield single to the next hitter, which loaded the bases with only one out. However, the Wolverines forced the lead runner at the plate for the second out and got the final out in the inning on a force play at third to get out of the inning without any damage.

Michigan's bats awoke in the third inning after Kollen got things started with a leadoff walk. Following a bunt, which advanced Kollen to second, Volpe doubled to drive in her third run of the day, and then scored herself on a single from Moulden. With Moulden on second, Young came up with a clutch two-out RBI single to score Moulden and give the Wolverines a 3-2 lead.

Michigan held the lead until the fifth when Western Michigan drilled a leadoff double and tied the game on a two-out single to leftfield by designated hitter Kelly Barnett. Michigan made a bid to take the lead in the bottom of the fifth and had a runner on second with one out after Volpe singled and was sacrificed to second by Moulden. Volpe, however, was caught stealing for the second out prior to a single up the middle from Tune. Another single from Young put runners on first and second with two outs, but catcher Kim Bugel (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest HS) popped out shortstop to end the rally.

The umpires decided not to bring the teams back out in the sixth due to darkness, so the Wolverines settled for their first tie of the season and ran their season mark to 12-9-1.

Michigan travels to 10th-ranked DePaul on Friday (March 30, noon CST) for a doubleheader, before opening its Big Ten Conference campaign with tilts at Illinois on Saturday (March 3, 2 p.m. CST) and Sunday (April 1, 1 p.m. CDT).

Diamond Gems

Stefanie Volpe's home run was the sixth of her career and first of her career at Alumni Field. All five of her home runs in 2000 came on the road.

Melissa Taylor did not play in either game due to a mild ankle injury. It was the games this season Taylor had not started.

Carol Hutchins, in her 18th season as a college coach, now has a career mark of 696-301-4 in 1,001 career games coached. Hutchins is 673-290-4 in her 17 seasons at Michigan.

Thanks to seven strikeouts in her win this afternoon, Marie Barda moved into fifth place on Michigan's all-time strikeout list with 286 career K's.

Contact: Rich Marion (734) 763-4423