Bohm Double Sparks Wolverines to Win in Alumni Game
10/3/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan head baseball coach Rich Maloney considers his third Michigan Baseball Alumni Weekend successful with excellent weather for the golfers on Saturday (Oct.2) and another win for the varsity over the Alumni squad on Sunday afternoon (Oct. 3) at Fisher Stadium.
Senior 1B Kyle Bohm (Stevens Point, Wis./Area HS), the 2004 Michigan team MVP, stroked a two-run double to open the scoring as the Wolverines took a 4-0 lead after two innings and held on for a 4-3 victory over the Alumni squad.
Alumni RHP Luke Bonner (1996-99) started the first inning with a strikeout, but the Varsity opened up the offense with singles by senior RF Matt Butler (Lombard, Ill./Driscoll Catholic) and junior 2B Chris Getz (Grosse Pointe, Mich./South HS). Butler stole second and reached third on the infield single by Getz, and after another steal of second Bohm doubled to right for the 2-0 lead.
Freshman DH Doug Pickens (West Bloomfield, Mich./Brother Rice HS) singled to left, moving Bohm to third base, and senior/junior catcher Jeff Kunkel (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest HS) plated Bohm with a sacrifice fly to left. The Varsity collected four of its seven hits in the first inning as Bonner was tagged with the loss.
Senior/junior Paul Hammond (Mason, Ohio, Mason HS), the second of six Varsity pitchers, collected the win, his second consecutive victory over the Alumni.
The Varsity pushed its lead to 4-0 with a solo run in the second off John Arvai (1993-96) as sophomore SS Leif Mahler (Columbus, Ohio/St. Charles Prep) was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a single by sophomore LF Brad Roblin (Wayland, Mass./Rivers School). Mahler reached third with a stolen base and he scored on a double-play grounder.
Arvai, who made 86 pitching appearances during his Wolverine career, pitched five innings, allowing just the one run and two hits. Ryan Kelley (1996-99) pitched two scoreless innings and Rich Stoll (1981-83), who was 30-5 as a Wolverine and a first-round draft pick of Montreal in 1983, worked a scoreless bottom of the ninth even though the game had already been decided.
Bohm was the only member of the Varsity squad with two hits, and he has four hits in his two games against the Alumni.
Former captains Mike Sokol (2000-03) and Kevin Crociata (1991-94) each had two hits and scored the three runs in the loss. The problem for the Alumni team was having a lineup with 17 players in it and Sokol hit third and Crociata hit 13th and they never came to bat in the same inning.
Linescore
| Team | 123 | 456 | 789 | R | H | E |
| Alumni | 000 | 100 | 011 | 3 | 8 | 0 |
| Varsity | 310 | 000 | 00x | 4 | 7 | 1 |
W -- Paul Hammond (1-0); L -- Luke Bonner (0-1); S -- Jeff Niemiec; HR -- None; Time -- 2:10. Alumni -- Luke Bonner, John Arvai (2), Ryan Kelley (7), Rich Stoll (9) and Mike Seestedt, Alex Coleman, Jason Wuerfel, Matt Fleury. Varsity -- Michael Penn, Paul Hammond (3), Derek Feldkamp (5), Phil Tognetti (7), Ali Husain (8), Jeff Niemiec (9) and Jeff Kunkel, Matt Rademacher (6).
N O T E S
The team awards from the 2004 season were handed out by head coach Rich Maloney during ceremonies held between the home run contest and the Alumni game. Kyle Bohm collected the Ray Fisher Award as Michigan's MVP in 2004 and the Bill Freehan Award for offense.
Other award winners included fifth-year senior RHP Jim Brauer (Carmel, Ind./Carmel HS), who earned the Geoff Zahn Award as Michigan's Most Valuable Pitcher. Zahn, a former Wolverine player (1966-67) and head coach, was on hand to present the award.
Sophomore OF Eric Rose (Blissfield, Mich., Blissfield HS) received the Betty Simmons Award as the most improved player on the team, while junior RHP Jeff Niemiec (Livonia, Mich./Catholic Central) took home the Wolverine Award for team spirit and leadership. Niemiec recorded a save in the Alumni game.
Sophomore SS Leif Mahler took the Ted Sizemore Award as the top fielder on the 2004 Michigan team, and senior/junior LHP Ali Husain (Ypsilanti, Mich./Ypsilanti HS) was winner of the Steve Boros Award given for academics
The most veteran member of the Alumni on hand was Don Lund, who played as a Wolverine (1943-45) before playing in the Major Leagues. Lund coached at Michigan (1959-62), winning the 1962 NCAA championship, and later served as an assistant athletic director.
The most veteran Alumni members in the home run hitting contest included LHP Allan Levy (1955) and 1B Jim Hosler (1967-69). Levy had a single in the game.
Michigan's all-time doubles leader Brock Koman (72 doubles, 2000-03) captured the Alumni Home Run Contest in overtime in the event that featured 30 former Wolverines. Koman, Mike Sokol, Rodney Goble (1991-95) and Brian Bush (1996-99) each tied in the first round and advanced to the championship round that was scoreless as each player had five more swings. Koman and Goble each advanced to the finals in 2003 and 2004, but it was Koman who homered in the five-swing overtime round for the win.
Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423
