Offense finally turns on as Wolverines triumph

By Jon Schwartz

Daily Sports Writer

If turning on an offense was as easy as flipping a light switch, the Michigan softball team probably would have done so earlier to cure its hitting woes.

While the answer to Michigan's problems is obviously not so simple, the Wolverines made it seem that way with their performance in the second game of yesterday's doubleheader against Minnesota - Michigan's performances in the first and second games of the doubleheader were as different as light and dark.

After struggling to a combined total of only four hits and one run over the first two games this weekend, Michigan turned it on for eight hits and four runs in the finale.

And the differences were evident right from the first inning of yesterday's nightcap.

The Wolverines loaded the bases with one out in the first inning, capitalizing on each way possible to put runners on base - walks, hits and errors.

Michigan coach Carol Hutchins attributed the difference to the fact that Minnesota's starting pitcher, Angie Recknor, had also started the afternoon's first game.

"We'd seen that pitcher and we got on her," Hutchins said.

But when Wolverines leftfielder Melinda Moulden hit a sharp liner that was barely caught by Recknor, who proceeded to pick off right-fielder Melissa Taylor at third base, it appeared to be business as usual for Michigan.

Hutchins, however, took the disappointment in stride.

"Moulden hit the ball well," she said. "That stuff happens."

But early difficulties weren't going to stop the Wolverines' newfound offense. After the Gophers snuck a run home in the second, Michigan pitcher Marie Barda caught fire and Minnesota didn't get another hit for the remainder of the game.

At the same time, Michigan's bats became a force to be reckoned with.

With six hits over the next six innings, Michigan refused to let its early failure get in the way of putting runs on the board.

The Wolverines chipped away at Recknor, who pitched a total of 14 innings by the end of the day. A run in the third, another run off of a Melissa Gentile homerun in the fourth and two more runs in the fifth gave the team something that it hadn't seen in quite some time - a comfortable lead.

It all went back to Michigan's basic philosophy - whether hard or easy, pretty or ugly, just win.

"I think our team just knows what we need to do to win ball games," freshman pitcher Marissa Young said. "We did what it took today."

But for yesterday's improvements to become tomorrow's victories, the Wolverines need to build off of what they achieved.

The season-long struggle to hit the ball will not vanish with one impressive performance. There are bigger problems, most of which are fixable.

"Some of our hitters take too many pitches and think too much," Hutchins said. "We need to stop taking good pitches and swinging at bad ones."

In a sense, it's mind over matter - the Wolverines clearly can hit the ball. They proved that yesterday.

But the mental problems don't fix themselves with one good day, especially as the season wears on and the games become more important.

In the meantime, the Wolverines just need to heed the word of Hutchins - they just need to relax.

They need to keep up what they've been doing and keep putting runners on base, because the one-run victories won't last forever.

Danny Kalick/ Daily

Despite contributing solid defense throughout the season, Rebecca Tune has struggled at the plate. She went 0-4 on the weekend and brings to the plate an unintimidating .202 batting average.