Iowa 0 No. 5 seed

vs.

Michigan 8 No. 1 seed

Score by Innings		1	2	3		4	5		R	H	E
Iowa (41-25-1)		0	0	0		0	0		0	2	3
Michigan (50-9-1)		2	0	3		1	2		8	9	0

Boxscore and Play-By-Play | Photos from bigtenchampionships.com

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Alumni Field)
Event: Big Ten Conference Softball Tournament (Game 2)
Result: Michigan 8, Iowa 0 (5 innings)
Records: Michigan (50-9-1); Iowa (41-25-1)
Next U-M Game: Saturday, May 15 -- vs. Minnesota (10 a.m.)
Next Iowa Game: Saturday, May 15 -- vs. Penn State (12:30 p.m.)

Michigan Drops Iowa 8-0, Moves to Winners' Bracket Final

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Top-seeded Michigan used a balanced attack in defeating No. 5 seed Iowa 8-0 in five innings Friday (May 14) in Big Ten Softball Tournament first-day action at Alumni Field. Eight of Michigan's nine hitters reached base and pitcher Marie Barda threw a two-hit shutout as the fifth-ranked Wolverines (50-9-1) moved into the winners' bracket final to face Minnesota, a 2-1 victor over Penn State, at 10 a.m. Saturday (May 14). Iowa (41-25-1) will face Penn State in an elimination game at 12:30 p.m.

Catherine Davie provided the spark for the Wolverines early in the game. She knocked a double off the leftfield wall in the bottom of the first to drive in Kelsey Kollen for the game's first run. Later in the first, Davie scored on a groundout to give Michigan a 2-0 lead.

In Davie's next at-bat, in the third inning, she ripped her eighth home run of the season, a two-run shot into the trees over the centerfield fence, giving the Wolverines a 4-0 lead. She capped her day with a diving catch in the fourth inning to rob Iowa's Tammy Utley of an extra-base hit. Davie and Kollen were the only two players with multiple hits in the game as both ended up 2-for-3.

Melissa Gentile also had a big day for the Wolverines. After being intentionally walked in the first inning, Gentile in the third inning hit a deep fly ball to leftfield which was misplayed into a two-base error. She scored one batter later when Rebecca Tune doubled down the rightfield line. Gentile ended the game her next at-bat with a two-run home run to left-centerfield, forcing the game to be stopped due to the eight-run rule.

The Big Ten Tournament continues Saturday (May 15) with the final four games of the tournament. Michigan and Minnesota, the conference's top two teams during the regular season, open play at 10 a.m. and games continue through the day, with the championship game projected to start at 5:30 p.m.

Q U O T E S

Iowa Head Coach Gayle Blevins
"Michigan played a great ball game. They had pressure on us all the way through the game. Obviously, they came out there in the first inning and scored the two runs and then kept us under a lot of pressure all game long. (Marie) Barda threw a great game for them."

"When you are up against a good hitting ball club, it's very important that we sustain some offensive pressure, which we were not able to do. It became a one-sided game. It became a matter of digging out of all of the offense of Michigan. We just weren't able to get anything going offensively."

Michigan Head Coach Carol Hutchins
"I just thought we were really sharp right from the (beginning). We came out swinging. Our players were just ready to play today. I thought Marie (Barda) was a little nervous before the game. She had a little trouble finding the corners and got behind a lot. She threw a lot of pitches, but other than that, our kids were ready to play. They were fired up."

On playing Minnesota tomorrow ... "Minnesota is a great ball club. (Steph) Klaviter is throwing really well, (Shannon) Beeler is hitting the long ball and they have good team speed. They are just a really solid ball club."

"We played some great softball today. We play really well when we are having fun, and that is how we have to approach tomorrow's game. It's a game, so let's go out and play it. We just need to be even-keeled and solid."

Michigan Leftfielder Catherine Davie
On getting runs early ... "I think it is really important. Scoring in the first inning is always good and can get a team fired up even more. Then we just kept going and gaining more energy."

On being very relaxed prior to the game ... "Some of my best memories are from the Big Ten Tournament. I just love it. It is just fun. When I am having fun, I am playing my best and that goes for a lot of players on this team."

Michigan Designated Player Melissa Gentile
On being very relaxed prior to the game ... "It is just a matter of having fun. Coach Hutchins always says that as long we have fun, we will play great softball. That's really true. He have had great practices all week, and it transferred into today."

N O T E S

Michigan

• Catherine Davie's first-inning double was the 61st of her career, giving her sole possession of the Big Ten Conference record.

Last updated: Friday, 14-May-1999 20:36:16 EDT