Wolverines Swept by Penn State in Home Doubleheader

Saturday, March 31

Ann Arbor, Mich.

1:00 PM

Michigan

10-11, 1-2

Penn State

11-15, 4-1

Penn State

Michigan

3/31/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Ray Fisher Stadium)
Scores: Penn State 4, Michigan 1; Penn State 9, Michigan 3
Records: U-M (10-12, 1-3 Big Ten), PSU (12-15, 5-1 Big Ten)
Next U-M Game: Sunday, April 1 -- vs. Penn State (Fisher Stadium), 1 p.m.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Penn State used solid pitching to gain a pair of Big Ten Conference baseball wins over Michigan Saturday (March 31) at Fisher Stadium Saturday (March 31), beating the Wolverines 4-1 and 9-3. RHP Justin Nash (3-2) allowed just three hits in 6.2 innings in the opener, while RHP Mike Watson (1-1) went 4.1 allowing three runs in the nightcap for the win.

PSU CF Zack Smithlin had a pair of hits in each game, while top hitter Mike DeRenzo had a double and his first homer of the year in the second game as he moved his team-leading batting average to .407.

PSU's Nash was working on a shutout in the opener until the bottom of the seventh inning when freshman RF Brandon Roberts (Arlington, Texas/Martin HS) drew a two-out walk, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on a single by senior SS Bill LaRosa (Rochester, Mich./Adams HS).

Senior LHP Nick Alexander (Alpena, Mich./Alpena HS) took the loss in the opener, working the first six innings and three batters in the seventh. He allowed all four runs as his record dropped to 1-3 on the season. Freshman RHP Jim Brauer (Carmel, Ind./Carmel HS) took the loss in the second game as he allowed six hits and five runs (four earned) in his first Big Ten start. Brauer (1-1) was knocked out of the game in PSU's five-run third inning.

Senior 2B Scott Tousa (Dallas, Texas/Lake Highlands HS) and sophomore 3B Brock Koman (Pueblo, Colo./South HS) each had two hits in the second game, and Koman launched his third homer of the season with Tousa on board in the fifth inning of the second game.

The weekend series closes out Sunday (April 1, 1 p.m. EDT) with sophomore RHP Tim Leveque (Northridge, Calif./Crespi HS) of Michigan (10-12, 1-3 Big Ten) scheduled to face the Nittany Lions (12-15, 5-1 Big Ten).

N O T E S

Sophomore CF Gino Lollio (Cape Coral, Fla./Mariner HS), U-M's leading hitter, will miss the rest of the PSU series after suffering a hand injury when spiked while sliding back into first base during the series opener on Friday (March 30).

Sophomore catcher Alex Coleman (Dallas, Texas/Lake Highlands HS) collected his first hit of the season with a double to the gap in right-center in the Saturday opener vs. Penn State.

Freshman SS Brandon Jominy (Coral Springs, Fla./Westminster Academy) had a double in the second game for his first Big Ten hit. Jominy had a seventh-inning assist for his lone fielding chance of the game. He had played 13 consecutive innings at short without a fielding chance until a 6-3 to end the top of the last inning of the game.

Michigan's hitting leaders (for players with at least 35 at bats) after 22 games are: sophomore OF Gino Lollio (.447, 21-for-47); sophomore LF Jordan Cantalamessa (.373, 25-for-67); sophomore 3B Brock Koman (.357, 30-for-84); senior 2B Scott Tousa (.308, 24-for-78); and junior/sophomore 1B Nate Wright (.278, 15-for-54).

Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423