Wolverines Tripped Up by Tennessee's Walkoff Homer

Sunday, June 5

Oklahoma City, Okla.

7:00 PM CT

Michigan

62-6

Tennessee

67-14

Michigan

Tennessee

Stephanie Bercaw

6/5/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

By: Rich Marion

Site: Oklahoma City, Okla. (Hall of Fame Stadium)
Event: Women's College World Series
Score: #11 Tennessee 2, #1 Michigan 0
Records: U-M (62-6), Tennessee (67-14)
Next U-M Event: Monday, June 6 -- vs. Tennessee at Women's College World Series (Oklahoma City, Okla.), noon CDT

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- The No. 1-ranked University of Michigan softball team will have to play one more game in hopes of reaching the final round of the Women's College World Series after dropping an 11-inning affair that began on Sunday (June 5) and ended at 1:21 a.m. CDT on Monday. The Wolverines (62-6) fell 2-0 in a pitchers' duel against No. 11 Tennessee after a two-run home run from Tonya Callahan in the bottom of the 11th.

The loss forces a WCWS Game 13 to determine who advances to the championship series where No. 12 UCLA awaits. The winner of Michigan's contest vs. Tennessee tomorrow (June 6) at noon CDT on ESPN2 moves onto the championship series, with the opener of that series scheduled for later tomorrow evening (6:30 p.m. CDT) on ESPN.

The two teams battled to a stalemate through 10 complete innings. Tennessee finally broke through in the bottom of the 11th when first basemen Tonya Callahan hit a walkoff shot over the leftfield fence. The 1-2 pitch sailed just beyond the outstretched arm of leftfielder Rebekah Milian (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc HS) at the 190-foot mark down the line. Callahan's blast followed a leadoff single by Kristi Ryan.

Ritter and her counterpart in the circle, Lady Volunteer starter Monica Abbott, traded strikeouts and rally killers. Abbott, the NCAA strikeouts leader, plunked three Wolverine batters while striking out nine. The Wolverines ace struck out 13 and had extended her scoreless inning streak to 30 before the home run.

Michigan got a strong defensive effort behind Ritter, including a one-out diving catch by centerfielder Alessandra Giampaolo (Pasadena, Calif./Polytechnic HS) on Tennessee's Kristi Durant in the fourth. Giampaolo charged a ball five feet off of the infield, grabbing it at her shoetops before sliding to the turf.

The Wolverines had a handful of chances to score, including a first-inning double by Giampaolo and one in the seventh off the bat of Grace Leutele (Sierra Vista, Ariz./Buena HS), both with less than two outs. Tiffany Haas (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill HS) also reached scoring position in the eighth but was stranded.

Michigan pushed the first runner of the game to third base in the top of the 10th after Stephanie Bercaw (Wooster, Ohio/Hillsdale HS) led off the frame with her third hit of the game. Haas then singled up the middle with two outs, sending Rebekah Milian (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc HS) to third base. Giampaolo went down swinging to end the threat. The Wolverines put two runners on in the 11th without the aid of a hit, but Leutele and Bercaw became the eighth and ninth Abbott strikeout victims of the evening.

N O T E S

• Tonight's 11-inning contest is the longest for the Wolverines since Game 1 of the 2004 WCWS, a 3-2 loss to Louisiana State in 13 innings (May 27, 2004).

• Tonight's game is the third longest Michigan game at the WCWS all-time.

• With her 10th-inning double, Tiffany Haas tied Sara Griffin (1995) and Kelsey Kollen (1999) for the U-M single season hits record (89).

• Michigan suffered its first shutout loss of the season.

• Jennie Ritter had a 29-inning scoreless streak snapped in the 11th inning.

• Stephanie Bercaw set a career high with three hits.

Q U O T E S

Michigan Head Coach Carol Hutchins
Opening statement ... "They got the big hit and we couldn't come up with it. We couldn't move our runners and we just never got the big hit. That's just the name of the game."

On tomorrow's rematch with Tennessee ... "Play to win. We can still win the tournament. We just have to stay in the moment and play one inning at a time. Obviously, we need to find a way to get to (Tennessee pitcher Monica) Abbott."

On tomorrow's outlook ... "It will be difficult. But my team will come back. They'll be ready to play. I'm certain of that."

U-M Junior Pitcher Jennie Ritter
On the last pitch of the game ... "It was a rise ball that didn't rise as high as I wanted. I had been throwing rise balls that weren't as high as I normally throw them."

On the rematch with Tennessee ... "We won't give up. Like Coach (Hutchins) said, we'll come out ready tomorrow. We'll leave it all on the field because that's what we've been taught."