'M' softball, Gentile wallop Northwestern

Yesterday was a big day at Alumni Field. The Michigan softball team opened its new lockerroom facility to its fans and honored the building's benefactor, Donald Shepherd. The pep band even made its initial appearance at Alumni Field this season.

Although it was a cold, windy, rainy day, Michigan (15-1 Big Ten, 40-4 overall) added some pep of its own, scoring a run in the bottom of the seventh inning to beat Northwestern (9-7, 26-15), 5-4, yesterday to complete a three-game sweep.

It didn't look as if the game would end in regulation, though. Northwestern pitcher Jackie DeBoard (17-5), after falling behind 4-0 in the third inning, had been impressive, retiring 12 of the next 13 batters. With two outs in the final inning, second baseman Melissa Taylor broke that trend, lacing a double to right-center past a diving Amanda Peterson.

DeBoard, with first base open, intentionally walked leadoff hitter Traci Conrad to get to right fielder Kellyn Tate.

Conrad and Tate "had both hit us," (this weekend) Northwestern coach Sharon Drysdale said, "so we might as well create a force so we have a chance to get an out at any base."

The plan almost worked.

Tate hit a grounder up the middle and it was stopped by diving shortstop Tami Jones.

Jones, seeing Conrad racing hard from first base, tried to flip the ball - while flat on her stomach - to second baseman Mikie Chambers with her glove. But the flip was inaccurate, and Taylor sprinted home for the game-winning run.

"The key was Conrad running hard for second base," Michigan coach Carol Hutchins said. "That made it a tough play for them."

Another thing that was tough on the Wildcats was the hitting of catcher Melissa Gentile. Gentile smacked a two-run homer - her ninth of the season and fourth of the week - in the third, extending the Michigan lead to 3-0.

Gentile also homered off DeBoard in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader, providing that game's only run. The sophomore also accounted for four RBI in the first game Saturday - an 11-0 debacle halted by the mercy rule - giving her seven on the weekend.

"I'm seeing the ball really well now," Gentile said. "I don't know how to explain it, but you get in a zone sometimes, and that's where I'm at right now."

Pitcher Sara Griffin has been in a zone all season, winning all three games in the series to increase her record to 25-0. 'The zone' expanded to include her hitting, as she belted a homer to left field immediately after Gentile's shot.

Griffin also took over for starting pitcher Marie Barda after Barda ran into trouble in the fourth. The Wildcats, down 4-0, hit Barda for three runs. Griffin gave up a run-scoring double to Brooke Siebel in the fourth, but battled through.

04-20-98