Late Rally Pushes Gophers Past Wolverines

Saturday, May 15

Ann Arbor, Mich.

10:00 AM

Michigan

50-10-1

Minnesota

45-18

Minnesota

Michigan

5/15/1999 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

By: Amy Carlton

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Alumni Field)
Event: Big Ten Conference Softball Tournament (Game 3)
Result: Minnesota 2, #5 Michigan 1
Records: Michigan (50-10-1); Minnesota (45-18)
Next U-M Game: Saturday, May 15 -- vs. Penn State-Iowa winner in Big Ten Tournament (Alumni Field), 3 p.m.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers scored twice in the top of the seventh inning to rally past the fifth-ranked University of Michigan Wolverines, 2-1, in the winners' bracket final of the 1999 Big Ten Conference Softball Tournament Saturday (May 15) at Alumni Field.

Steph Klaviter went the distance for No. 2 seed Minnesota (45-18), which advances to the 5:30 p.m. championship game. Jamie Gillies (Saugus, Calif./Saugus HS) took the loss for No. 1 seed Michigan (50-10-1), which falls into the losers' bracket to play at 3 p.m. against the winner of the 12:30 p.m. Penn State-Iowa elimination game.

Morgan Holden had the key hit for the Gophers in their seventh inning rally. With Angel Braden on second after being hit by a pitch to open the inning and Michelle Bennett on first with a single, Holden ripped a double to the wall in left-centerfield, tying the game at 1-1 and leaving Minnesota with runners on second and third. Following a strikeout, pinch-hitter Dana Ballard hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield to drive in Bennett with the winning run.

The Wolverines took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning courtesy of a Melissa Gentile (O'Fallon, Mo./Wentzville HS) home run to leftfield. The home run was Gentile's fifth of the season and second of the tournament, tying her with Minnesota's Shannon Beeler (1998) and former Wolverine Kathryn Gleason (1995) for most homers in a single Big Ten Tournament.

The game was not with out controversy. In the first inning, Michigan had runners on first and second with one out and Stefanie Volpe (Plymouth, Mich./Plymouth-Salem HS) at the plate. Volpe's ground ball to the second baseman was bobbled allowing all Wolverines to safely advance. However, following a lengthy conference, Catherine Davie (Westlake Village, Calif./Westlake HS) was ruled out for interfering with the fielder. Minnesota was able to retire the next Wolverine and keep the game scoreless until Gentile's blast.

Quotes

Michigan Head Coach Carol Hutchins
"I thought Jamie (Gillies) pitched a great softball game today, and defensively, we played excellent. However, our offense was on the defensive all day. We never came out swinging against them. We had one good cut all day and that was (Melissa Gentile's) home run, but it wasn't enough. Minnesota is too good of a team, and they came out swinging."

On Minnesota's pitcher Steph Klaviter ... "She is a very imposing pitcher. She is huge when she comes off the mound, and she brings it inside to set you up and then throws it to the outside corner. I thought she was excellent today. She was as good as I have seen her."

On leaving pitcher Jamie Gillies in the game in the top of the seventh inning ... "I made some debate over it, and I was confident that we could get out of it. It just didn't work."

On possibly playing two more games today ... "We are going to go after it (the next game) and not worry about two games because there is only one game that we know we get to play. We just need to come out, be tough and put this behind us."

Michigan Designated Player Melissa Gentile
On her second home run in two games ... "It would have felt better if we had won. It wasn't one of my better cuts, but I got lucky and it went over. It felt good."

On playing out of the losers' bracket, which Michigan did last year ... "Well, last year was great to win (the tournament). Like coach says, you have to turn it into a positive. Yes, we would have liked to have won that game, but we still have a chance. It is all that much sweeter when you have to work hard for it."

Michigan Pitcher Jamie Gillies
On staying in the game in the seventh inning ... "I felt I got them all game so why not then, but it wasn't quite enough at the end."

On her pitches toward the end of the game ... "I think in the last inning I tried to be too perfect, and I know I can't do that. If I get (my pitches) up, they are going to hit them."

Minnesota co-Head Coach Lisa Bernstein
"I am just real proud of our ball club. We came out and competed from the first pitch to the end. Michigan is a great team. They can hit all the way through their lineup, but we came in and shut them down."

On the physical condition of the team ... "Shannon (Beeler) just needs one big roll of tape. It's a long season. You play 70 games and start practicing in September. That takes its toll on their bodies, but I think that when you get to this point in the season, it is adrenaline which keeps you going. As banged up as we are, we still have a ball game tonight. The kids will be ready to go."

Minnesota Rightfielder Morgan Holden
On the offense in the seventh inning ... "We were on fire. I think that through the entire game, we never doubted ourselves. No matter how far we are down, we are always positive and never give up. In the seventh inning, we knew we had one last chance. We had to go at it with all we had, and we did."

Notes

• The loss is just the second for the Wolverines in the five-year history of the Big Ten Softball Tournament.

• Minnesota's win breaks a 14-game losing streak against the Wolverines and a 19-game losing streak against Michigan at Alumni Field. The victory is the first at Michigan for Minnesota co-head coach Lisa Bernstein, who is now 1-17 in games played at Alumni Field.