'Columbus Kids' Help Wolverines Gain Saturday Split

Saturday, April 24

Columbus, Ohio

4:05 PM

Michigan

20-15, 8-6

Ohio State

19-15, 9-5

Michigan

Ohio State

4/24/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Site: Columbus, Ohio (Bill Davis Stadium)
Scores: Ohio State 2, Michigan 1; Michigan 8, Ohio State 4
Records: U-M (21-15, 9-6 Big Ten), OSU (19-16, 9-6 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, April 25 -- at Ohio State (Columbus, Ohio), 1:05 p.m.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Junior RHP Michael Penn (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Christian) and freshman shortstop Leif Mahler (Columbus, Ohio/St. Charles Prep), both local products, helped Michigan gain a doubleheader split in Big Ten baseball action against Ohio State on Saturday (April 24) at Bill Davis Stadium. OSU took the first game 2-1 and Michigan won the nightcap, 8-4.

The split keeps both the Wolverines (21-15, 9-6 Big Ten) and the host Buckeyes (19-16, 9-6 Big Ten) at the top of the conference standings in a five-way tie that also includes Minnesota, Penn State and Purdue.

Michigan took the second game 8-4 behind the pitching of Penn (4-2) and the overall play of Mahler who had two hits including a clutch two-out, two-run single in the seventh inning to help ice the win. Mahler, in his first Big Ten series as a starter, has reached base seven times in 10 plate appearances and has three hits, three walks and has scored three runs.

Ohio State took the opener 2-1 scoring once in the sixth on a homer by SS Brett Garrard to tie the game and once in the seventh to win the game on a bases loaded single by 1B Jedidiah Stephen off Wolverine RHP Derek Feldkamp (Adrian, Mich./Blissfield HS).

Feldkamp (4-4) and Penn added two more strong starting performances on the mound for the Wolverines this weekend in Columbus that started with senior/junior RHP Jim Brauer's (Carmel, Ind./Carmel HS) complete game win on Friday (Apr. 23) night.

The Wolverines have won five of their last six games played in OSU's Davis Stadium and have collected the first two night wins of the season after an 0-6 start. Michigan has a 3.02 team ERA in Big Ten play.

Senior designated hitter Brandon Roberts (Arlington, Texas/Martin HS) was 2-for-2 with a walk in the second game of Saturday's (Apr. 24) doubleheader and he launched a long home run that snapped a 3-3 tie and proved to be his second game-winning homer of the season.

The Wolverines opened the scoring in the first inning of the second game as sophomore 2B Chris Getz (Grosse Pointe, Mich./South HS), who had his 13-game hitting streak snapped in the opener, singled to left and he moved to second on a ground out by freshman CF Eric Rose (Blissfield, Mich./Blissfield HS). Junior 1B Kyle Bohm (Stevems Point, Wis./Area HS), who is 5-for-10 in the series, singled to drive in Getz for the 1-0 lead.Bohm leads the team with 36 RBI.

Penn started slowly allowing three hits and three runs to the first three batters he saw in the first inning of game two as 2B Drew Anderson singled and he scored on a triple by RF Jacob Howell. Veteran LF Steve Caravati hit a 3-2 pitch deep over the fence in left for his seventh homer of the season and the score was 3-1.

Penn settled down and retired 16 of the next 17 Buckeyes batters and did not allow another hit, but he did allow a pair of walks in the sixth inning and allowed one more run. Junior

RHP Phil Tognetti (Newhall, Calif./William S. Hart HS) retired the final batter in the sixth with the tying runs on base and faced three batters in the seventh for his third save of the season.

Michigan scored two unearned runs in the second inning to tie the game on a throwing error and Roberts hit his homer in the fourth. The Wolverines added two runs in the sixth on singles by Roberts and Mahler followed by run-scoring singles by freshman LF Brad Roblin (Wayland, Mass./Rivers School) and Getz.

Michigan reached the scoreboard in the fourth inning of the opener as CF Rose collected the first Michigan hit of the game when he singled up the middle. He moved to second on a balk by OSU starter Trent Luyster (3-3) and he took third on a wild pitch. Bohm lined his team-leading 15th double to the fence in left center for the 1-0 lead. Junior RF Matt Butler (Lombard, Ill./Driscoll Catholic) collected the third and final hit of the game for Michigan in the seventh inning.

The Buckeyes loaded the bases with one out in the fifth with Anderson collecting his team-leading 13th double for his third hit of the game. However OSU clean up hitter Caravati hit a fly to right and Butler made the catch and fired the ball to junior/sophomore catcher Jeff Kunkel (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest HS) to double up OSU catcher Doug Kinnear trying to score from the third.

Feldkamp kept the shutout going until the Garrard homer in the sixth and the Buckeyes used two walks and two singles in the seventh to win the opener.

Getz, Roberts, Mahler and Roblin each had two hits in the nightcap for the Wolverines and Bohm and Butler each had two hits in the doubleheader.

Michigan is scheduled to close out the weekend series at Ohio State with a single game Sunday (Apr. 25, 1:05 p.m.).

N O T E S

• Following Big Ten action on Saturday (Apr. 24) there is a five-way tie on top of the standings including Michigan, Ohio State, Purdue, Penn State and Minnesota all at 9-6. There were three sweeps on Saturday with the home teams winning each game as Purdue beat Michigan State 5-0 and 6-3, Penn State topped Iowa 2-1 and 4-1 and Illinois swept Indiana 3-1 and 3-2. Michigan split at Ohio State taking the second game 8-4 after OSU's 2-1 win in the opener. The other split had host Northwestern beating Minnesota 6-3 in the first game and the Golden Gophers winning the second game 7-5 in extra innings.

• Former Wolverine pitchers Joe Young (1998-2001) and Jonathan Moss (2002) were on hand at Bill Davis Stadium on Saturday (Apr. 24).

• Sophomore 2B Chris Getz had his overall hitting streak snapped at a season-high 13 games as he was held without a hit in the opener of Saturday's doubleheader.

• Michigan's leading hitters after 36 games include: 1B Kyle Bohm at .404 (55-for-136; Jeremy Goldschmeding (Allegan, Mich./Allegan HS) at .359 (33-for-92); Matt Butler at .328 (43-for-131); Brandon Roberts at .327 (36-for-110); Chris Getz at .319 (45-for-141); 3B A.J. Scheidt (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Lahser HS) at .317 (45-for-142) and OF Eric Rose at .314 (27-for-86).