KALAMAZOO - The Michigan softball team traveled to Kalamazoo expecting nothing less then two wins yesterday, and it didn't disappoint, sweeping a doubleheader at Western Michigan, 5-2 and 4-0.
From the outset, the nightcap had all the makings of a classic pitchers' duel.
Jennifer Vanover pitched well for the Broncos (6-10) in the first three innings, retiring all nine batters she faced, striking out two, and only letting one ball get out of the infield.
Michigan hurler Jamie Gillies' only blemish during that same span was a two-out single to center field in the second, although she was hit hard on back-to-back fly outs to left field in the third.
Then the floodgates opened.
Tracy Conrad led off the fourth for Michigan (3-0 Big Ten, 30-8-1 overall) with a slow grounder back to Vanover, but it went under the glove of the sophomore.
Lisa Kelley and Cathy Davie followed up with back-to-back singles, loading the bases for third baseman Sara Griffin. Griffin hit a double to right-center field, scoring two runs. The RBI gave Griffin 131 on her career, tying a Michigan record.
Tammy Mika and Jessica Lang both hit sacrifices to center field, scoring Davie and Griffin, and suddenly, the classic pitchers' duel had the makings of a rout.
In the fifth inning, as the Broncos pulled Amy Daugherty, one of their better hitters who was 3-for-5 on the day, in favor of Patty Snellink, who had only seen action once this season.
Vanover settled down, though, and kept the Broncos in the game, retiring the next five batters she faced and holding Michigan scoreless over the final three innings.
But Kelly Holmes, who relieved Gillies in the fifth, wouldn't let Western back in the game. Holmes maintained the shutout, holding the Broncos to one hit the remainder of the game.
"We wanted to give all of the pitchers some work," Michigan coach Carol Hutchins said. "The first game was a little rocky, so we never did make a change, but in the second both Kelly and Jamie pitched really well."
In the first game of the afternoon, the Wolverines scored runs in four different innings, including a two-run fifth, to beat the Broncos, 5-2.
Michigan got on the board first when Melissa Gentile doubled home Tammy Mika, who had reached base on a walk, in the top of the second.
But Western struck back. After Stacey Arnold reached first on a Pam Kosanke error in the bottom half of that same inning, Jennifer Myslinsk and Yvonne Jenks hit back-to-back singles, driving Arnold in and knotting the score at one.
The Broncos added another run in the third. After Griffin surrendered a two-out walk to Shelly Weiss, Erin Enzbigilis laid down a bunt single, Kim Jinks followed with an RBI single to center, giving the Broncos a one-run lead.
"When we started the first game, I don't think we were real sharp," Hutchins said. "We had a couple errors that hurt us, and we weren't sharp, but I told them to work it out and play to be proud."
The Wolverines responded and scored four unanswered runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, securing the win. Mika and Gentile both hit triples in the fourth, but only Mika came around to score. Jessica Lang hit a one-out, sacrifice fly, scoring Mika.
But Kosanke failed to bring Gentile home, stranding her on third with a two-out pop-up.
Cathy Davie gave the Wolverines the lead for good in the fifth, when she belted her fourth home run of the season, a 226-foot blast that bounced off the top of the right field fence.
It scored Conrad, who led off the inning with a walk.
The Broncos settled down after replacing pitcher Angie Rosich with Kim Jinks following Davie's home run.
Jinks, who only pitched three innings this season before yesterday, allowed one run over 2 2/3 innings of work.
ROB GILMORE/Daily
Freshman Jamie Gillies (7-3, 1.69 ERA) started Michigan's nightcap with Western Michigan yesterday. The Wolverines swept the doubleheader at Kalamazoo.
ROB GILMORE/Daily
The Broncos were never out of the Wolverines' reach, as Michigan swept yesterday's doubleheader.