Mercy, mercy me!

YPSILANTI - If it was Mr. T, he'd pity da foo. Instead for Eastern Michigan, it was the Michigan softball team, who took pity on the lowly Eagles, mercying in the second game of a doubleheader, 11-2.

The Wolverines won both games to extend their unbeaten streak to encompass the entire month of March. With the win, the Wolverines broke their previous record unbeaten streak of 22 games.

Michigan enters April and the Big Ten season not having been beaten in the last 23 contests.

"We're more concerned with the month of April than we are with March," Michigan softball coach Carol Hutchins said.

In the second game, the Eagles were blanked in the final four innings by Kate Eiland and Jaime Gillies after Eiland gave up two runs, including a home run, in the first inning. Gillies only allowed a double in two innings of work.

JOSH KLEINBAUM/Daily The Michigan softball team made itself at home in Ypsilanti, beating up on Eastern Michigan on both sides of a dobuleheader.

After the end of the fifth inning, with the Wolverines up 10-2, the umpires finally took pity on Eastern Michigan's pitching staff, invoking the mercy rule, which becomes applicable when a team is up by eight runs after five innings.

Michigan's bats did the rest, scoring five runs in the first inning and three in the second. Pam Kosanke hit one of the Wolverines' nine doubles with two outs in the second, scoring Kelsey Kollen and Catherine Davie from second and third respectively.

Davie knocked in the last of her four RBI on an infield single for the last Michigan run.

Despite the difference in talent, the Wolverines were not looking past the Eagles, destroying Eastern Michigan's pitching with two runs each in the first two innings of the opening game. Senior Tammy Mika hit a double with two outs in the first inning to score Davie and Stefanie Volpe for the eventual game-winning runs.

Traci Conrad hit her first of two doubles of the day with two outs in the second inning. Kollen immediately followed Conrad with the first of her two doubles for an RBI. Davie also hit a center field single to score Kollen and forced Eastern into the first of many pitching changes.

"It was nice to bust out like that," Conrad said. "It was nice to have one through nine contributing like that."

Michigan went on to score another run in the fifth inning off a Rebecca Tune sacrifice fly, and two more in the sixth from a Mary Conner single to right.

But Michigan did the most damage in the final inning, scoring five runs to bring the score to 12-1. The inning included three doubles by Conrad, Kollen and Davie that scored four of the five runs.

Marie Barda pitched five strong innings for Michigan, allowing one run. Her performance was highlighted by retiring the side in the third inning in four pitches. Kate Eiland finished off the game for the save by pitching the last two innings. Eiland also pitched the first three innings of the next game for the victory.

Conrad led Michigan in hitting, going seven for eight with two doubles and two RBI. Davie also had an above-average performance, going 5-7 with four RBI's.

"Our kids have been playing with confidence since Sacramento," Hutchins said. "Going into the Big Ten season that's probably our greatest strength."

04-01-99