Wolverines Stem Tide, Reach NCAA Regional Final

Saturday, May 19

Tuscaloosa, Ala.

2:30 PM CT

Michigan

42-15-1

Alabama

50-10

Michigan

Alabama

5/19/2001 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- The 21st-ranked University of Michigan softball team is now within one game of its first Women's College World Series since 1998 after pulling out a 3-2 NCAA Regional win over No. 7-ranked Alabama on its home field Saturday afternoon (May 19).

A two-run double in the first from Rebecca Tune (Aloha, Ore./Jesuit HS) and an RBI single off the bat of Melissa Taylor (Petersburg, Mich./Summerfield HS) in the third were enough for the Wolverine pitching combination of starter Marissa Young (Santa Ana, Calif./Mater Dei HS) and Marie Barda (Darien, Ill./Hinsdale HS). Barda came out of the bullpen for the third straight game and shut down the Crimson Tide over the final 2 2/3 to save Young's team-leading 21st win of the season.

Michigan came out swinging in the first as leadoff hitter Kelsey Kollen (Cerritos, Calif./Santa Ana Mater Dei HS) set the tone with a sharp single to left. Five batters later Tune, who reached in her final four at bats of Friday's 13-inning win over South Florida, stood at the plate with the bases full of Wolverines and two outs. Tune fell behind 0-2 but came through with a double up the gap in right-center that scored Kollen and Stefanie Volpe (Plymouth, Mich./Plymouth Salem HS). Monica Schock (Rialto, Calif./Eisenhower HS) was gunned down trying to score from first, but Young had a 2-0 advantage before throwing her first pitch.

Alabama responded with one run in its half of the first on a one-out double to the gap by rightfielder Jackie McClain. Young, who did not have her best stuff, worked through it in the first and the second before getting more help from the Michigan offense in the third. As has been the case for much of the tournament, Kollen set the table with a leadoff double down the leftfield line and then advanced to third on an Alabama throwing error. Taylor, who is hitting .500 (6-12) in the NCAA Regional, took a 1-0 pitch up the middle to plate Kollen with the third Wolverine run of the game.

Alabama, which only collected three hits on the game, still managed to put runners in scoring position on Young. A pair of walks in the Crimson Tide third forced Young to strike out cleanup hitter Ginger Jones on a 3-2 count with two outs and runners on first and second. Two more walks in the fourth put Young in the same position but she induced a slow groundball off the bat of pinch-hitter Angela Johnson to get out of another jam.

Young, however, found herself in trouble again in the fifth after allowing a single, walk and hit batsman consecutively with one out. With the tying and go-ahead runs aboard, Michigan coach Carol Hutchins went to her senior to close out a game for the third straight day. Barda, who has now thrown 15 innings of shutout ball this weekend, got the second out of the inning as she took a comebacker and forced the runner out at the plate.

Just when it appeared Barda would get out unscathed, the All-Big Ten second-team performer uncharacteristically issued a base on balls to force in a run and pull Alabama within 3-2. As has been the case all tournament, however, Barda made the big pitches when she needed to and reached back to strike out Kelley Askew.

All Alabama could manage the rest of the way was putting a runner on second in the seventh, but Barda sent down Jones swinging and then Lindsay Testa grounded out to Kollen at second to end the game.

Michigan advances to Sunday's 2 p.m. CDT championship game and will face South Florida, which eliminated Alabama 3-2. USF will be forced to beat the Wolverines twice, with a second championship game slated for 4:30 p.m. CDT should it be necessary.

Q U O T E S

Head Coach Carol Hutchins
On the win ... "That is a tough team to beat, because they have a very tough lineup and can hit the ball as well as anybody we have played this season. I cannot say enough about (Marie) Barda, who came in and did the job again. I also think this win showed we are a pretty balanced team because we can play the short game as well as swing away and play the long game."

Senior Shortstop Rebecca Tune
On her double in the first inning ... "I felt comfortable at the plate and I had some very good cuts in the cage before the game. We knew (Shelly) Laird has a good rise ball so if I was going to chase it I had to be aggressive and it worked out."

Diamond Gems

Rebecca Tune's and Kelsey Kollen's respective doubles today leave the teammates tied for the team lead in the category with 14 apiece.

Kollen's two hits give her 22 multi-hit games this season, which is tied for the team lead with Melissa Taylor.

Michigan is now 12-9 in one-run games this season and 7-11 vs. ranked opponents.

Contact: Rich Marion (734) 763-4423