Heat comes up short in bid to sweep series Michigan rallies for 6 runs in 7th

On Saturday night Jackie Coburn said that her team wanted to close the season with a bang.

The bang turned into a bust Sunday night as the Heat led 5-1 with two outs in the seventh inning before falling apart and losing 7-6 to the Michigan Ice.

The Heat, which won the first three games of the four-game series with Michigan, finished in sixth place in the National Pro Fastpitch league with a 20-28 record.

With two outs, the Ice rallied for six runs after two errors set the stage for Nikki Conway, Grete Hornstrom and Heidi Bauer, who each hit two-run singles.

The Heat scored a run in the bottom of the seventh, but could not tack on another to send the game to extra innings.

Leslie Wolfe (7-7) took the loss for the Heat. She gave up five hits and struck out two.

"Everyone got a little relaxed," Wolfe said. "We made some errors in the field, and I know I did as a pitcher. In that last inning, nothing went our way."

Ice manager Monica Folske surprised the Heat with a pitching change with two outs in the sixth inning -- bringing in Janet Nagle to relieve starter Jenny Mackson.

"I can be fickle like that," Folske said. "But Jenny had been getting behind in the count, and Janet pitched last night and was effective."

Folske added that she couldn't remember how long it had been since the Ice last won a game, so this one was "doubly nice."

Heat manager Stacy Iveson announced her resignation, citing the need to spend more time with her family, Team USA commitments and a desire to defend the national junior college softball championship at Pima Community College next season.

Wolfe has accepted a position as the pitching coach at Pima, though she said she hopes to return to the Heat next season.

"Even though we did lose tonight I still think we ended on a high note," Wolfe said. "I really had fun this weekend, and that's what you play for at this level."