Wolverines Ousted from Seminole Classic in Semifinals

Sunday, March 10

Tallahassee, Fla.

10:00 AM

Michigan

17-6

Minnesota

19-4

Michigan

Minnesota

Wolverines Ousted from Seminole Classic in Semifinals

3/10/2002 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- The eighth-ranked University of Michigan softball team's bid for the Seminole Classic title was stopped with a 7-0 semifinal loss to Minnesota on Sunday morning (March 10). Michigan (17-6) finished in a tie for third place in the Gold Bracket.

Michigan hurler Marissa Young (Santa Ana, Calif./Mater Dei HS) had her string of seven wins in her last seven starts snapped as she was touched for six runs -- all in the second inning -- on seven hits and did come back out for the third inning. She was relieved by Nicole Motycka (Sarasota, Fla./Cardinal Mooney HS), who allowed just one run over the final four innings, but Michigan was not able to dent the Golden Gopher lead as the Wolverine offense was held to just three hits.

After holding Minnesota off the board in the first inning, the wheels came off in the second inning as Minnesota recorded six straight two-out hits to plate six runs. A flyout, walk and foulout to the catcher left the Golden Gophers with a runner on first and two outs before Minnesota erupted with a single, double, single, single, single and one last two-run double to close out its six-run second inning.

The Michigan bats were silenced to just three hits, and only twice did the Wolverines put a runner on second base. A single by Jessica Merchant (Wayland, Mich./Wayland HS) and sacrifice by Mary Conner (Plymouth, Mich./Plymouth-Canton HS) put Merchant on second base with two outs in the third, but she was stranded when Kelsey Kollen (Cerritos, Calif./Santa Ana Mater Dei HS) struck out.

Kollen returned to single in the sixth and moved to second on a groundout, but that was as far as any Wolverine runner would reach today. Sophomore catcher Monica Schock (Rialto, Calif./Eisenhower HS) provided the other Michigan safety with a single in the seventh.

After four straight weekends of playing in tournaments in California, Georgia and Florida, the Wolverines will take next week off before resuming their 2002 slate on March 22-24 at the Louisville Invitational in Louisville, Ky. Michigan's trip to Louisville is its final tournament of the regular season and its last games before its home opener against Bowling Green on March 26. Michigan opens up Big Ten action at home on March 29 vs. Penn State.

N O T E S

Michigan finished the Seminole Classic with a 3-2 mark and tied Ball State for third place out of 16 teams.

Michigan's 7-0 loss to Minnesota represents the first time this season the Wolverines have been shut out. The three hits match the second-lowest total of the season for the Maize and Blue. Michigan was held to just two hits in a 7-1 loss to then-No. 19 Pacific on Feb. 15.

Contact: Rich Marion (734) 763-4423