The Michigan softball team hasn't done much in the late-inning heroics department this season. Until yesterday, that is.
The Wolverines (4-3 Big Ten, 33-11-1 overall) used an extra-inning rally to beat Notre Dame, 2-1, in the first game of a doubleheader then scored two in the bottom of the seventh to win the second game, 5-4.
The opener was the first extra-inning game of the season for Michigan and only its third victory when it's scored less than three runs.
The nightcap marked only the second win for Michigan when it was trailing after six innings.
Tammy Mika had a dominant day at the plate for the Wolverines, collecting the game-winning RBI in the first game and scoring the winning run in the second.
Kelly Holmes also turned in an excellent performance, giving up only three hits and no earned runs in 10 innings pitched over both games. Holmes earned both victories.
Michigan got on the board quickly in the first game, scoring a run in the first inning on an RBI single to shallow left by catcher Jen Smith.
And for a while, it looked like that would be all the run support Holmes would need. The Michigan senior pitched masterfully, shutting out the Fighting Irish through the first five innings and looking to be well on the way to the victory.
But after Holmes surrendered a leadoff walk to Irish first baseman Kelly Rowe in the sixth inning, Kara McMahon reached base on an error, putting runners on first and second for the Irish. A failed sacrifice later, Elizabeth Perkins hit a bloop single to left field, scoring McMahon and knotting the game at one.
This set the scene for Mika's first stint of the day as hero. Kellyn Tate worked a one-out walk in the bottom of the eighth for Michigan. After a sacrifice and a walk, Mika ripped a 1-1 pitch to left field, scoring Tate and giving Michigan the 2-1 victory.
From the outset, the second game looked to be the polar opposite of the first - a poorly-pitched and poorly-fielded game by both teams.
By the middle of the third inning, seven runners had already crossed the plate - more than twice the total of the first game.
The Irish scored three runs in the top half of that inning, taking a 4-3 lead. They loaded the bases on a walk, an error and an infield single before Perkins hit a bases-clearing double, driving in all three runners.
But then the pitchers settled down on both teams. Jamie Gillies pitched two scoreless innings for Michigan before being relieved by Holmes, and Notre Dame pitcher Joy Battersby, who relieved Kelly Nichols in the third, held Michigan to no runs through the sixth.
"Jamie (Gillies) wasn't throwing poorly, but she wasn't hitting all of her locations," Michigan coach Carol Hutchins said. "We didn't want to let up any more runs, and we knew (Holmes) was throwing well."
When the seventh inning came around, Mika had her second chance to play hero.
Lisa Kelley led off the inning for Michigan with a triple down the left field line, putting the tying run 90 feet from home. After Cathy Davie was retired on a short fly ball to left field, Mika singled up the middle, scoring Kelley.
But Mika wasn't done. With Smith at the plate, Mika stole second base, putting herself in scoring position. After Smith struck out, third baseman Melissa Gentile singled over Notre Dame centerfielder Joanna Zuhoski's head, scoring Mika and giving Michigan the victory.
"Tammy Mika had a great performance today," Hutchins said. "What you need when those situations come up is someone to come up, hit the ball, and get on base."
Michigan first baseman Traci Conrad had cortisone injected into her sprained shoulder yesterday morning and didn't play. She is questionable for this weekend's series with Northwestern.
The Wolverines will travel to Evanston today for a three-game series against the Wildcats.
"Northwestern is the coldest place in America to play softball," Hutchins said.w