Experience wasn't necessary.

Two freshmen - pitcher Jordan Taylor and first baseman Dorian Shaw - led the No. 4-overall seed Michigan softball team to a 5-0 victory over Kent State in the NCAA Regional championship game at Alumni Field yesterday.

Taylor threw her second straight complete-game shutout, and Shaw solidified Michigan's lead in the sixth inning when she ripped a grand slam over the right-field fence. She had all five Wolverine RBI and both hits.

Unlike their teammates, they couldn't turn to other postseason experiences. They could only draw upon Friday's 13-5 win over Wright State and Saturday's 8-0 win over Notre Dame. But that didn't hold them back from helping Michigan advance to its fifth straight super regional, hosting Virginia Tech next weekend.

"They don't come and play as freshmen - they come and play as part of this team," senior Samantha Findlay said. "That's what we need them to do."

Findlay and fellow senior co-captain Alessandra Giampaolo were key components as freshmen in 2005, Michigan's lone national championship. Like Taylor and Shaw, Findlay and Giampaolo were consistent starters during their rookie campaigns.

Experience was important to the 2005 team, but it also had two freshmen who could come through in tough situations.

Taylor (30-3) replaced sophomore Nikki Nemitz after two-plus innings in Friday's game against Wright State and stayed in the circle through Sunday's final pitch. Taylor shut down the Golden Flashes with her curve ball and changeup, allowing just one hit.

"We're led by who's ever on the mound pitching for us," Michigan coach Carol Hutchins said. "That's very important because defense starts on the mound."

Michigan (51-6) hit .449 in its first two games. Facing a hot offense, Kent State decided to pitch around Michigan, resulting in eight Wolverine walks.

Shaw's grand slam came after Golden Flash pitcher Gabrielle Burns loaded the bases with three walks. The long ball was Shaw's 10th of the season, and she is second on the team in the category.

"We found a way to make things go our way," Hutchins said. "We took advantage of some walks which I thought were some good at-bats for us, and we finally got a big hit."

And another freshman who didn't start came through, too.

Hutchins called on pinch hitter Marley Powers for timely hits this weekend, and Powers delivered. In three at-bats, Powers had a grand slam and a three-run homer.

Despite outscoring opponents 26-5 this weekend, each game was tight. The Wolverines rallied from a 5-2 hole against Wright State (33-26) and waited until the fourth inning to score their first runs against Notre Dame (38-22-1) and Kent State (46-12). But instead of panicking, Michigan simply treated each inning separately.

"The best quality we had all weekend was we were composed, and we played one-inning softball," Hutchins said. "I'm proud of where we're at right now."

Michigan's freshmen showed their maturity in this weekend's big-game situations. With a Virginia Tech team that knocked out No. 14-seed Tennessee looming, that mentality will be crucial.

"We're pretty excited to be going to super regionals, and we're even more excited to be hosting them," Hutchins said. "With that being said, it's not going to get any easier."