ANN ARBOR — Considering how infrequently Super Regional underdogs have been able to pull upsets in the NCAA softball tournament, historically speaking, most considered it just a matter of time before No. 2 seed Michigan sent 15th-seeded Tennessee packing.

The Wolverines did send the Volunteers packing, indeed — packing for an unexpected trip to the Women’s College World Series, after the Vols pulled off a stunning, two-game sweep of host U-M, clinching it with Friday’s 4-3 win.

After the game, the young Volunteers even joked about buying a new set of footwear for co-coach Ralph Weekly to pack: a pair of slippers.

“People were saying when we came up here, we were a Cinderella team, you know, and I told our kids today, if we’re a Cinderella team, let’s put on that gold slipper, or silver slipper, and let’s go to the dance,” said Weekly, whose team put Michigan on the edge of elimination with a 5-0 win in Game 1 of the best-of-three series on Thursday.

Now, the Volunteers (47-13) are the first of eight teams to punch their tickets for Oklahoma City, while the Wolverines (49-8) are just packing for home.



For the rest of the story, click here.

ANN ARBOR — A 35-game home winning streak came to a crashing end for the No. 2-ranked University of Michigan softball team, as Tennessee freshman Ivy Renfroe nearly no-hit the Wolverines in Thursday’s NCAA Super Regional opener.

The Wolverines (49-7) didn’t crack the hit column until the seventh inning, and were shut out for the first time all year, falling 5-0 to the Volunteers (45-13), who now control the best-of-three series.
Tennessee can get a knockout in Game 2 today at 4:30 p.m. (ESPNU), while Michigan would have to win two straight today to make its 10th appearance in the Women’s College World Series.

The Vols got three unearned runs in the top of the third, as an error on a grounder to Maggie Viefhaus at third opened the floodgates. U-M junior Jordan Taylor allowed just four hits and struck out 10, but was stuck with four unearned runs.

Dorian Shaw’s single down the left-field line broke up the no-hitter in the seventh. Amanda Chidester beat out an infield hit to put a pair of runners on, but Renfroe got a foul fly and a groundout to wrap up the shutout.

Michigan’s last loss at Wilpon Softball Complex was to Virginia Tech on the second day of the 2008 Super Regional.

Even with the other game going to extra innings, No. 2-ranked Michigan (49-6) only had to wait mere minutes after its regional-clinching win over Notre Dame to find out who it would face in next weekend's Super Regional. No. 15 Tennessee (42-13) finished off Louisville in eight innings Sunday, earning a trip to Ann Arbor for the best-of-three series to contest one of eight spots in the Women's College World Series.

(For the full story of the Wolverines winning their seventh straight regional title, click here.)

In a rematch of the 2006 Super Regional — and in somewhat of a makeup for the rained out opener from this season — Michigan and Tennessee will play at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday (televised on ESPN) and at 4:30 p.m. on Friday (ESPNU), with the third game later Friday, if necessary.

Tickets go on sale at the U-M ticket office on Tuesday for season ticket holders and Wednesday for the general public.

After a questionable start to play Friday at its own NCAA Division I softball regional, No. 2-ranked Michigan left no questions about anything when play resumed Saturday, closing out a pair of dominant wins that put the Wolverines (48-6) into today’s regional title game.

Michigan will face Notre Dame, the winner of Saturday’s finale in the loser’s bracket, again at 1 p.m., needing just one win to advance to the super regional round. A rematch would be played at 3:30 p.m., should U-M lose the first game.

The way the Wolverines played on Friday — when Wright State took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third — it might be possible. The way the Wolverines play from there on out, it appears unlikely that game will be necessary.

Michigan battered the Raiders for eight runs in the bottom of the third — sandwiched around a pair of weather delays — then finished off the win in just six innings, by tacking on three runs in the resumption on Saturday. Nikki Nemitz (21-3) finished what she’d started, not allowing a hit in three innings Saturday morning.

Jordan Taylor (25-3) picked up where Nemitz left off, striking out 11 in a three-hit, five-inning shutout of a Notre Dame squad that came into the tournament leading the nation in batting average. Nemitz and Maggie Viefhaus both had three-run home runs in the win.

Tournament bracket
Division I softball regional at Ann Arbor
Friday’s games
G1: Notre Dame 1, Illinois St. 0 (8 inn.)
G2: Michigan vs. Wright State (suspended, rain)
Saturday’s games
G2: Michigan 11, Wright State 2 (6 inn.)
G3: Michigan 8, Notre Dame 0 (5 inn.)
G4: Wright State 10, Illinois State 8
G5: Notre Dame 6, Wright State 5
Sunday’s games
G6: Michigan vs. Notre Dame, 1 p.m.
G7: G6 winner vs. G6 loser, 3:30 p.m.*
* — if necessary

In an attempt to beat the rain predicted for Friday evening, organizers at the NCAA softball regional in Ann Arbor (hosted by the University of Michigan) decided to move up Friday's game schedule by two hours.

The top-seeded Wolverines will now play Wright State at 5 p.m., following the regional opener between second-seeded Notre Dame and Illinois State at 2:30 p.m.

Follow all the results from the double-elimination tournament here and at www.TheOaklandPress.com.

The NCAA gave the Michigan 90 days to respond to its notice of allegations against its football program sent out in late February and, with that time rapidly running out, new athletic director David Brandon said the school will send in its response next Monday (May 24), outlining its plan for self-imposed sanctions.


"We want there to be total transparency," Brandon told ESPN.com Monday at the Big Ten spring meetings of coaches and ADs. "Within 24 hours after the material has been delivered to the [Committee on Infractions], we're going to make them available to the general public. You'll have the responses, you'll have the self-imposed penalties, sanctions, that we believe are appropriate."


The NCAA alleged that the U-M program exceeded limits on practice time, as well as stipulations on coaches involved in workouts. 


Tuesday's public revelation of the school's answer to those allegations will just be the next step in the process, but isn't necessarily the end of the road for U-M. Officials will have to appear in front of the Committee on Infractions in August, where further sanctions could be laid down.