It was supposed to be a sacrifice bunt, nothing more. But when the ball came off Brandi Macias' bat Saturday, the Iowa right fielder delivered what could be the most damaging blow to the Michigan softball team this season.
First baseman Traci Conrad and third baseman Sara Griffin were both pinched in at the corners, anticipating the bunt. It wasn't even a good bunt - a little pop-up in front of home plate. Conrad was charging. Griffin was charging. Neither player heard the other call for the ball.
"It was so quick and instantaneous; they just collided," said Sara's father, Casey Griffin. "They were both diving for it, making tremendous efforts, and they dove into each other."
Immediately, the severity of the collision was apparent. Griffin and Conrad were both lying on the ground, injured. Yet somehow, Conrad had come up with the ball.
The two left the game and were brought to the local hospital.
Conrad was diagnosed with a mild concussion and a sprained left shoulder. She missed the final game of the series yesterday, and is listed as day-to-day.
But Griffin's injury is much more serious. She was diagnosed with a both-bone fracture of her left arm, which means that both her radius and her ulna were broken. She was operated on yesterday in Ann Arbor by Dr. James Carpenter, an assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at the University. The surgery was successful. Two plates were put in her lower left arm to set the bones, one on each.
"It's not all that common with athletes," Carpenter said. "But it's a fairly common procedure. It probably happens a couple times a week at the University.
"It typically takes three months to completely heal this kind of injury, but it depends on how the bone heals in the individual patient."
Carpenter said there's a chance Griffin could see limited playing time before the end of the season, with a cast on.
"The doctor was happy with what he saw and with the operation itself," Griffin's father said. "If we don't have any infection over the next few days, we'll start some kind of rehab as soon as we can."
Griffin will spend one to two more days in the hospital before returning home with a cast on her arm.
The injury was not new to Griffin. She broke the same bones in a roller-skating accident in grade school, according to her father.
The collision ruined a landmark day in Griffin's career. When the junior reached first base on a fielder's choice in the first inning, driving in Conrad, Griffin set the Michigan mark for career RBI with 133, breaking the record previously held by Tracy Carr.
The Wolverines are losing the star of their team, arguably the best player to ever play softball for Michigan. Not only is Griffin a dominant offensive player - coupling her RBI record with a .397 career batting average - but she is also the team's ace pitcher. Griffin plays third base when not pitching so her bat can stay in the lineup.
Saturday, Griffin was dealt only her second loss of the season, giving her a 15-2 record and a 0.99 ERA. Griffin is only one victory short of the Michigan mark for career wins - a record that will likely have to wait a year to be broken.
Griffin was lucky in one respect: She broke her left arm, not her pitching arm.
Griffin has earned a slew of honors in her three-year career at Michigan. The All-American was twice named the NSCA national player of the week, the most recent being a month ago. Last year, Griffin was named the Michigan female athlete of the year and Big Ten player of the year. Griffin has pitched one of two perfect games in Michigan softball history.
The injury puts Michigan's squad in a precarious situation. It will now only have two pitchers to rely on, including inexperienced freshman hurler Jamie Gillies.
Throughout the season, Michigan coach Carol Hutchins has been saying how important it is to have three pitchers, pointing to two reasons. She doesn't want to overwork any of them, and she wants to to take added pressure off of Gillies. Last season, Michigan only had two pitchers, Griffin and Kelly Holmes.
Gillies and Holmes did not get off to a good start in taking over all of the pitching duties. The two surrendered a combined 15 runs in six innings in a 15-4 loss to Iowa yesterday.
ROB GILMORE/Daily
Sara Griffin was not happy about breaking her arm against Iowa.
This weekend:'M' missed Griffin and was swept at Iowa. For the story, see Griffin-less, Blue softball struggles.