Michigan
Iowa
Captains, Bullpen Key Comeback Win at Iowa
3/28/1999 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Site:Â Iowa City, Iowa (Iowa Field)
Scores:Â Michigan 13, Iowa 12
Records:Â U-M (11-11, 3-1 Big Ten), Iowa (10-12, 1-3 Big Ten)
Next U-M Game:Â Tuesday, March 30 -- vs. Central Michigan (Ray Fisher Stadium), 3 p.m.
IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Senior captains Mike Cervenak (New Boston, Mich./Divine Child HS) and Bobby Scales (Roswell, Ga./Milton HS) combined for seven hits to lead the University of Michigan baseball team to a 13-12 victory over the University of Iowa Sunday (March 28) in the fourth and final game of a Big Ten Conference series. Michigan took the series 3-1, improving to 11-11 on the season.
Early in the game, it looked like the Wolverines were going to have to settle for a series split with Iowa (10-12) as the Hawkeyes erupted for seven runs in the first inning and led 8-2 after two frames. But Michigan got back into the game with a five-run third and took an 11-8 lead with four runs in its half of the fifth.
After Iowa scored four runs in the sixth to retake the lead, 12-11, Scales tripled in the tying run and scored the winning run on a wild pitch in the top of the seventh. Scales ended up 3-for-6 with two runs scored and one run batted in, while Cervenak went 4-for-5 with a home run, three runs and two RBIs.
Michigan got a huge lift from its bullpen, which limited Iowa to four runs on six hits over the last eight innings. After Iowa knocked out U-M starter Bobby Korecky (Saline, Mich./Saline HS) in the second, Ryan Kelley (Northville, Mich./Divine Child HS) pitched five strong innings before giving way to Vince Pistilli (Highland, Ind./Highland HS), who threw three scoreless innings to pick up his first career save. Kelley (1-0) earned the win.
The Wolverines pounded out a season-high 19 hits, with eight players having multiple-hit outings to account for all the hits. Mike Seestedt (Mt. Pleasant, Mich./Sacred Heart HS) was 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles, while Dan Sanborn (Grand Ledge, Mich./Grand Ledge HS) went 2-for-3 with a triple and three RBIs.
After playing their first 22 games on the road this season, the Wolverines will open their 1999 home schedule by hosting Central Michigan on Tuesday (March 30). Game time is 3 p.m. at Ray Fisher Stadium.
