Michigan
Notre Dame
Heavy Rain Suspends Regional Action Until Saturday
5/21/2004 12:00:00 AM | Softball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- A major line of thunderstorms moved through southeastern Michigan Friday afternoon (May 21) and interrupted play in the 2004 NCAA Softball Regional being held at the University of Michigan's Alumni Field.
The first winners bracket semifinal between 20th-ranked Oregon State and No. 11 Tennessee was suspended by lightning, and the subsequent heavy rains left the field in unplayable condition, forcing the game to be suspended with OSU leading 2-0 and batting with two outs and nobody on base in the top of the sixth inning.
The Oregon State-Tennessee game, which was the second of five games scheduled on Friday, will resume at 9 a.m. Saturday and will be followed by five more games in the revised schedule for the eight-team, double-elimination event.
Thirty minutes after the completion of the suspended game, No. 6-ranked Michigan will face No. 24 Notre Dame in the other winners bracket semifinal, followed by two elimination games, the winners bracket final and another elimination game. Each game Saturday will start 30 minutes after the completion of the previous contest.
Sunday's schedule includes the losers bracket final at 9:30 a.m. followed by the championship game at noon. The "if necessary" game would follow at 2:30 p.m.
In the only game completed Friday, DePaul defeated Canisius 8-0 in five innings, eliminating the Golden Griffins from the tournament.
The NCAA Region 6 Championship winner will advance to the eight-team Women's College World Series (May 27-31) in Oklahoma City, Okla.
The revised schedule for Saturday and Sunday:
Saturday, May 22
Game 7 -- Oregon State vs. Tennessee, 9 a.m. (completion of suspended game)
Game 8 -- Notre Dame vs. Michigan, 30 min. after Game 7
Game 9 -- Illinois-Chicago vs. Game 8 loser, 30 min. after Game 8
Game 10 -- DePaul vs. Game 7 loser, 30 min. after Game 9
Game 11 -- Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 30 min. after Game 10
Game 12 -- Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner, 30 min. after Game 11
Sunday, May 23
Game 13 -- Game 11 loser vs. Game 12 winner, 9:30 a.m.
Game 14 -- Game 11 winner vs. Game 13 winner, Noon
Game 15 (if necessary) -- Game 14 winner vs. Game 14 loser, 2:30 p.m.
Times are Eastern Daylight Time; schedule subject to change
Contact: Rich Marion (734) 763-4423
