In a year of unprecedented success in Michigan athletics,there's a little-known team that plays in the spring and summer months, and that is already an astounding 31-3 this season. Could the Michigan softball team be ...

Michigan's best team?

Wolverines take two from Chips

On March 8, the Michigan women's softball team wasn't feeling too great, after just losing a tight 2-0 decision to Texas. Since then, it hasn't looked back, and it is off to its best start ever.

Yesterday, in Mt. Pleasant, the No. 2 team in the country and the defending Mid-American Conference champion duked it out in the first meeting of the teams since the 1997 NCAA Regional Championship. Michigan won that series, two games to one.

But yesterday's stakes were not as high. This time the Wolverines (31-3) defeated a much weaker Central Michigan team (13-16-1) in both games of a doubleheader, winning the first 4-3 and the second 3-0.

JOHN KRAFT/Daily First baseman Traci Conrad has been solid in the leadoff position for the Michigan softball team - she has received Big Ten player of the week honors in each of the past two weeks. Conrad is also the Wolverines' career leader in batting average and runs.

The game tipped the overall series record ever-so-slightly in favor of the Wolverines, who now lead the all-time series 27-26.

For Michigan, the nonconference doubleheader was an opportunity for senior Sara Griffin to rest her overworked pitching arm. It was a well-deserved rest for Griffin, who is 18-0 on the season.

It also was an opportunity for sophomore Jamie Gillies and freshman Marie Barda to pick up the slack. And they did.

"This is the best pitching performance we've had all year," Michigan coach Carol Hutchins said. "This is very promising."

The praise is especially impressive considering the Wolverines' top pitcher did not throw an inning.

In game one, Gillies demonstrated why her coach was pleased as she extended her record to 9-1 on the year with her sixth complete game. She gave up just two walks and one earned run.

Traci Conrad warmed up early for the Wolverines, as the back-to-back Big Ten player of the week hit a leadoff double in the first. She advanced to third on a sacrifice by Kellyn Tate, and scored on catcher Melissa Gentile's 30th RBI of the season.

It was a great day for Gentile. The slugger notched her fifth home run of the year in the top of the fifth inning, moving her into second place on the Michigan career home run list with 11 - only one behind Griffin. The two-run homer gave Gentile two RBI and a share of first place on the season's RBI list with 32. She went 3-for-4 in the game.

Gentile's homer put Michigan up 4-1, but the Chippewas came back. An error in the third inning by shortstop Rebecca Tune allowed Central shortstop Hope Robertshaw to come home. The errors continued to haunt the Wolverines, as four players reached base after being hit by pitches.

But the most costly mistake came at the end of the seventh inning. Michigan second baseman Melissa Taylor's error allowed Chippewa catcher Eli Barnes to score. That put the go-ahead run on third base with only one out. Sharon Blower grounded into a double play, however, ending the game and securing the win for Gillies.

The second game was much cleaner for the Wolverines.

Barda had her most impressive win of the season, pitching her first complete game since March 6. The win was especially sweet for Barda, who pitched her first-ever one-hit shutout.

Prior to yesterday's matchups, Hutchins spoke about the importance of getting Barda back into the pitching rotation so she could regain her confidence. This important victory should be a confidence builder - Barda had a no-hitter going into the bottom of the third.

04-08-98