'M' endures role reversal to win

When you're the No.2 team in the country, adversity is something that doesn't come into play very often.

The Michigan softball team, in compiling a 48-4 record coming into this weekend's Big Ten Tournament, faced very little adversity. In fact, the Wolverines won the regular season conference title by a whopping 7 1/2 games.

Considering the ease with which Michigan cruised through the Big Ten schedule, how would the Wolverines perform if their backs were against the wall?

Friday, Iowa put the Wolverines in just that position, shutting out Michigan, 1-0, and sending the Wolverines into the losers bracket of the tournament.

"We just have to worry about (Minnesota) tomorrow," Michigan coach Carol Hutchins said after the loss. "We can't be looking toward the championship game right now."

Winning the championship game looked to be a difficult task for the Wolverines, as it required Michigan to win three games on Saturday, a feat that had not been accomplished during the first three years of the tournament.

After shutting out the Golden Gophers in the opening game, the Wolverines went up against the Hawkeyes, needing a victory to force a championship game. Iowa started Leticia Castellon, who had frustrated the Wolverines the previous day.

Castellon stayed sharp for a while, but Michigan eventually fought back, using a three-run home run by catcher Melissa Gentile to break open a 1-1 deadlock in the fifth inning.

The home run was a mammoth shot which flew into the pine trees in left-center field - perhaps spurring the Wolverines to greater heights in the upcoming NCAA Tournament.

"I think coming through the losers bracket makes this win a lot more sweeter," Gentile said. "We could have just as easily just hung our heads."

Michigan didn't hang its heads though. Instead, the Wolverines learned to fight from behind, and maybe even put themselves in position to hang something else - a championship banner.

05-11-98