Michigan Needs Late-Inning Heroics to Down Detroit

Thursday, May 3

Ann Arbor, Mich.

3:00 PM

Michigan

35-14-1

Detroit

15-29

Detroit

Michigan

5/3/2001 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The 22nd-ranked University of Michigan softball team won its third straight game Thursday afternoon (May 3) with a come-from-behind, 2-1 win over Detroit at Alumni Field. Sophomore Melinda Moulden (LaCrescenta, Calif./Crescenta Valley HS) delivered a clutch two-out single in the bottom of the sixth to score Kelsey Kollen (Cerritos, Calif./Santa Ana Mater Dei HS) and Melissa Taylor (Petersburg, Mich./Summerfield HS) and wiped out a 1-0 Wolverine deficit.

Michigan starter Marie Barda (Darien, Ill./Hinsdale HS) won her 15th of the season with a strong outing as she allowed four hits and one unearned run and struck out eight while going the distance. Barda set down the first eight Titans in order before allowing back-to-back two-out singles in the third, but induced a groundout to third base for the final out of the inning. Again in the fourth Barda retired the first two batters, but a single and error left runners on first and second with two outs. However, Detroit again stranded a pair of runners after a groundball to Kollen at second base turned into the third out of the inning.

Meanwhile, Michigan (35-14-1) had failed to advance a runner to second in the first four innings and produced only a bunt single by Taylor in the first inning.

Detroit finally broke through in the fifth after a Barda strikeout to leadoff the inning was not handled by catcher Monica Schock (Rialto, Calif./Eisenhower HS) and allowed Titan Nichole Taucher to reach first base safely. A sacrifice attempt by Detroit leftfielder Andrea Sikora ensued, but third baseman Stefanie Volpe (Plymouth, Mich./Plymouth Salem HS) overthrew Kollen, who was covering first. The error allowed Taucher to score from first and Sikora sped all the way around to third with nobody out. With one out and Sikora still at third, Detroit made a bid to go up 2-0, but a line drive back through the box by Laura Gignac was deflected by Barda, picked up by Kollen and gunned home to Schock to nail the lead runner at the plate. Barda then got out of the fifth with no further damage.

Michigan appeared to have an answer in its half of the fifth after Rebecca Tune (Aloha, Ore./Jesuit HS) led off the inning with a double to the gap in right-center and moved up to third on a sacrifice by Marissa Young (Santa Ana, Calif./Mater Dei HS). However, a groundout and popout to short could not score Tune from third and Michigan came out in the sixth still trailing 1-0. Barda kept Detroit at bay in the sixth, which set the stage for more late-inning heroics from the Wolverines.

Like a day earlier against Eastern Michigan, Kollen and Taylor each reached with singles to start a late-inning Michigan rally. Two outs later, however, the Michigan table-setters were stranded on second and third with Moulden at the plate. Moulden, filling the designated player role today, delivered a single to rightfield, scoring Kollen and Taylor with the tying and go-ahead runs.

Detroit put two runners on thanks to a single and the third Michigan error of the day in the seventh, but Barda caught Devon Brisky looking at a called third strike for the final out and her 15th win of the season.

The Wolverines now embark on a home-and-home series with Michigan State this weekend to close out the regular season. Michigan, who is tied at the top of the Big Ten standings with Iowa, plays at Michigan State on Saturday (May 5, 2 p.m.) before hosting the Spartans at Alumni Field on Sunday (May 6, 1 p.m.) for Senior Day. Iowa plays a pair of games at home on Saturday and Sunday vs. Northwestern.

Diamond Gems

Melinda Moulden's two RBI give her the team lead with 32. Moulden and Stefanie Volpe entered the day tied with 30 RBI apiece.

Melissa Taylor went 2-3 for her team-leading 19th multi-hit game of the season.

Freshman catcher Monica Schock went 0-3 to end her career-best seven-game hit streak.

Michigan is now 9-8 this season in one-run games.

Contact: Rich Marion (734) 763-4423