Michigan Drops Big Ten Tournament Title Game to Iowa

Saturday, May 12

Ann Arbor, Mich.

2:30 PM

Michigan

39-15-1

Iowa

45-12

Iowa

Michigan

5/12/2001 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The 21st-ranked University of Michigan softball team was unable to pull off the double play of winning the Big Ten Conference regular-season championship and Big Ten Tournament title, dropping a 2-1 decision to 15th-ranked Iowa in the championship game of the Big Ten Tournament today (Saturday, May 12) at Alumni Field.

Iowa's All-Big Ten first-team designated player Jessica Bashor delivered the game-winning run in the top of the sixth with a two-out single up the middle that scored pinch-runner Melissa Stuber from second base. Michigan second baseman Kelsey Kollen (Cerritos, Calif./Santa Ana Mater Dei HS) dove to knock the single down at the edge of the grass, but Stuber's speed allowed her to score.

Michigan appeared as though it might pick up where it left off in Friday's 6-1 win over Iowa as the Wolverines scored one run on three hits in the first, and if not for great defensive play of Iowa shortstop Kristin Johnson the Michigan lead may have been more. U-M put runners on first and second with one out against Iowa starter Sarah Thomson after a single by Stefanie Volpe (Plymouth, Mich./Plymouth Salem HS), who was 3-3 in the contest and scored Michigan's only run. Monica Schock (Rialto, Calif./Eisenhower HS) then drilled a shot headed to leftfield but Johnson made an excellent backhand play to force Taylor at third for the second out of the inning. Michigan's Melinda Moulden (LaCrescenta, Calif./Crescenta Valley HS) made sure Michigan got on the board, however, with a single down the leftfield line to score Volpe.

Iowa did not put a runner on until the third inning off Wolverine starter Marissa Young (Santa Ana, Calif./Mater Dei HS) and was held scoreless through the first four complete. Michigan began to mount more pressure in its half of the third after a Kollen walk and Volpe single put runners on the corners with one out. Fearing any more than a one-run deficit would be too tough against Michigan pitching, Iowa head coach Gayle Blevins pulled Big Ten Pitcher of the Year Kristi Hanks out of the bullpen. Hanks induced a pop-out to third off the bat of Schock and struck out Moulden swinging to keep the Hawkeyes within one run.

Iowa, which had began to chip away at Young in the third and fourth by putting runners in scoring position, finally broke through with one in the fifth to tie the game. Hawkeye second baseman Christina Schmaltz, who homered in the win over Illinois earlier in the day, led off with a double and moved to third on a sacrifice. Lori Leon was then called upon to pinch hit for the Hawkeyes and she delivered an RBI groundout to rightfield to knot the score.

Meanwhile, Hanks set down the Wolverines in order in the fourth and fifth to keep the game tied. Michigan coach Carol Hutchins went to the bullpen to open the sixth, calling on her other All-Big Ten second team selection, Marie Barda (Darien, Ill./Hinsdale HS), to keep Iowa in check. A one-out single by Iowa catcher Katy Jendrzejewski, however, put an Iowa runner on for the fourth straight inning. The subsequent Iowa groundout put Stuber on second base with two outs when Bashor delivered her shot up the middle to put Iowa in the lead.

After two straight 1-2-3 innings, Michigan began to get more comfortable against Hanks, and Volpe led off the sixth with a single for her third hit of the game. Following an unsuccessful sacrifice attempt by Schock, which forced Volpe at second, and a strikeout by Moulden, Michigan was left with two outs and one runner on. Michigan shortstop Rebecca Tune (Aloha, Ore./Jesuit HS) kept the inning alive with a single, but Hanks got Young to groundout to shortstop on a sharply hit ball to get out of the jam.

Barda held Iowa down in the seventh to set up high drama in the bottom of the seventh in front of the 1,067 fans. After Hanks set down the first two Wolverines in the seventh it appeared there would be little drama to this conclusion, but Kollen smacked her second hit of the game, a double to right-center, to put the tying run in scoring position. Kollen's double also set up a duel between the Big Ten Player of the Year (Taylor) and Big Ten Pitcher of the Year (Hanks) with the tournament hanging in the balance. Hanks jumped ahead early in the count, but Taylor fought off several pitches and sent a couple of shots foul down the third baseline before sending a groundball back to the mound that Hanks corralled and tossed to first for the final out.

With the win, Iowa earns the Big Ten's automatic bid into the 48-team NCAA Tournament. Big Ten regular-season champ Michigan is also expected to earn a bid when the field is announced on Sunday (May 13) at 8:30 p.m.

Diamond Gems

Iowa finishes the season with a 3-1 record vs. the Wolverines, although Michigan outscored the Hawkeyes 7-5 in those four games. All three Iowa wins over the Wolverines were by one run.

Iowa's Big Ten Tournament title is its first ever, and the Hawkeyes are the fourth Big Ten team to win the tournament title, joining Michigan (1995, '96, '97, '98, 2000), Northwestern (1982) and Minnesota (1999).

Contact: Rich Marion (734) 763-4423