'M' cruises to Big title

The Michigan softball team has been as efficient as the post office this season - rain or shine, they deliver.

Rain has been just about the only thing that has derailed the Wolverines this season, and even Mother Nature's impact has been minimal. Forced to play only one game Saturday and a doubleheader Sunday - the opposite of the original schedule - due to rain, Michigan (22-1 Big Ten, 47-4 overall) responded with a sweep of the Badgers (8-16, 19-31-1),4-0, 5-2 and 6-3.

The Wolverines have run off a 12-game winning streak and raced away with the Big Ten regular season title.

The second-place finisher in the conference, Northwestern, finished 7.5 games behind the Wolverines.

JOHN KRAFT/Daily Rebecca Tune provided clutch hitting and fielding in beating Wisconsin.

"It feels pretty good," Michigan pitcher Sara Griffin said. "Winning the Big Ten championship was great, but it makes a difference to know that we dominated the rest of the Big Ten."

After clinching the conference title last weekend against archrival Iowa, there was concern whether the Wolverines would underestimate the Badgers.

But Michigan overcame slow starts in all three contests to continue its winning ways.

"Sweeping Wisconsin was key because it was a test of our work ethic, since we had already won the (Big Ten) title," Griffin said. "We could have let up, but we didn't. We fought the way we are supposed to fight."

The second game Sunday saw the Badgers (8-16, 19-31-1) hold the Wolverines to just one hit in the first three innings while breaking out to a 2-0 lead off freshman pitcher Marie Barda.

That served as a wake-up call for the Wolverines. Melissa Gentile lifted Michigan out of its offensive slumber, smacking her 11th homer of the season in the fourth inning.

Rebecca Tune added more later in the same inning, giving the Wolverines the lead with a two-run single that scored Griffin and Tammy Mika. Michigan added two more runs in the fifth and another in the sixth to put the game away.

Jamie Gillies, who relieved Barda in the third, shut down the Badgers, improving her record to 14-2.

Griffin continued her season-long roll in Saturday's game, throwing 10 shutout innings to boost her record to 28-0.

Wisconsin pitcher Ashley Fauser was also impressive, holding the Wolverines scoreless for nine innings. But Michigan broke out in the 10th, touching Fauser for four runs.

05-05-98