Michigan
22-7
Eastern Michigan
13-14
Putnam, Abraham Help Wolverines Split With Eagles
4/18/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Ray Fisher Stadium)
Scores: Eastern Michigan 10, Michigan 2; Michigan 10, Eastern Michigan 7
Records: U-M (23-7), EMU (13-15)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Apr. 20 -- vs. Purdue (Ray Fisher Stadium), 6:35 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Sophomore LF Zach Putnam's (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer) RBI double snapped a 6-6 tie and sophomore 3B/P Adam Abraham (Grosse Pointe Park, Mich./South) pitched four innings in relief as the University of Michigan baseball team beat Eastern Michigan 10-7 to gain a doubleheader split Wednesday afternoon (April 20) at Ray Fisher Stadium.
The visiting Eagles (13-15) snapped Michigan's 16-game winning streak by taking the opener, 10-2, using a six-run second inning and three hits each by catcher Derek Lehrman and CF Jeff Davis and the combined five-hit pitching of Kevin Sikora (2-0) and Dan Puls. Lehrman had five hits in the doubleheader for the Eagles.
Michigan (23-7) fell behind in the second game quickly as EMU scored five times in the first inning against veteran LHP Brad Seddon (St. Clair, Mich./St. Clair) as 1B Patrick Dean had a two-run double and SS Aaron Crooks added a two-run single.
The Wolverines scored once in the second on a run-scoring double by junior LF Derek VanBuskirk (St. Clair, Mich./St. Clair), and the bats came alive in the fourth as all six runs were scored after two outs.
With the score 6-2 for EMU in the fourth, the Wolverines collected five consecutive scoring hits, with freshman 2B Anthony Toth (Lorain, Ohio/St. Ignatius), making his first Ray Fisher Stadium start, starting the streak with his first career triple. Sophomore SS Jason Christian (Loveland, Ohio/Loveland) singled to make the score 6-4, and after he advanced on a wild pitch, it was senior Brad Roblin (Wayland, Mass./Rivers School) driving in the fifth run of the game to chase starter Corey Chaffins.
Junior 1B Nate Recknagel (Lake Orion, Mich./Lake Orion) greeted Matt Dillard (0-3) with a double to tie the score at 6-6, and Putnam followed with a double of his own to give the Wolverines a 7-6 lead. It was Putnam's team-leading fifth "gamer" of the year.
Junior Doug Pickens (West Bloomfield, Mich./Brother Rice), who was used as a catcher, at second base and in rightfield in the doubleheader, opened the three-run fifth inning with a double, his third hit of the game. Freshman catcher Chris Berset (Vienna, Va./The Heights School) drove in one run with a single, Christian had a sacrifice fly, and the third run scored on a wild pitch, and in two innings U-M had turned a 6-1 EMU lead into a 10-7 Wolverine victory.
Abraham, the Big Ten co-Player of the Week for his hitting (nine RBI) and fielding (three putouts and 12 assists) at third base last weekend (April 13-15) at Ohio State, allowed four hits and two runs while recording his seventh career win.
Recknagel had given Michigan a 1-0 lead in the first inning of the opener with his team-leading sixth homer of the year, but that was the lone highlight in the defeat as freshman LHP Eric Katzman (Harrington Park, N.J./Northern Valley Old Tappan HS) took the loss, allowing five hits and six runs in 1.2 innings.
Recknagel, with two hits in each game, and Pickens each had four hits to lead the 17-hit attack for the Wolverines in the doubleheader.
The Wolverines open a Big Ten home series against Purdue on Friday (April 20, 6:35 p.m.) in the first night game of the season in Ray Fisher Stadium. Sophomore RHP Zach Putnam (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer HS), 4-2 with a 2.38 ERA, is slated to start the opener for the Wolverines.
N O T E S
Senior OF Brad Roblin regained the team stolen base lead at 17 with three steals in the doubleheader vs. EMU. Roblin is now alone in fifth place on the U-M career stolen base list with 48 steals, just four behind Rodney Goble (52, 1992-95) in fourth place.
Michigan's leading hitters after 30 games are: 1B Nate Recknagel (40-for-108, .370), P/OF Zach Putnam (41-for-112, .366), C/2B/OF Doug Pickens (42-for-116, .362), SS Jason Christian (44-for-122, .361), OF Brad Roblin (39-for-117, .333), sophomore 2B Kevin Cislo (Novi, Mich./Novi) at .333 (22-for-66), senior OF Eric Rose (Blissfield, Mich./Blissfield) at .324 (33-for-102), and 3B/P Adam Abraham (38-for-120, .317).
Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Abraham, Adam (2-1)
L: Matt Dillard (0-3)
Batting:
2B: Derek Lehrman 2 ; Patrick Dean 1
RBI: Derek Lehrman 1 ; Patrick Dean 3 ; Jeff Davis 1 ; Aaron Crooks 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Aaron Powell 1 ; Derek Lehrman 2 ; Steve Bradshaw 1 ; Patrick Dean 1 ; Michael Boyd 1 ; Jeff Davis 1
CS: Michael Boyd 1
PO: Michael Boyd 1
Batting:
2B: Recknagel, Nate 1 ; Putnam, Zach 1 ; Pickens, Doug 1 ; VanBuskirk, Derek 1
3B: Toth, Anthony 1
RBI: Christian, Jason 2 ; Roblin, Brad 1 ; Recknagel, Nate 1 ; Putnam, Zach 1 ; VanBuskirk, Derek 1 ; Berset, Chris 2 ; Toth, Anthony 1
SH: Toth, Anthony 1
SF: Christian, Jason 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Christian, Jason 1 ; Roblin, Brad 1 ; Recknagel, Nate 1 ; Abraham, Adam 1 ; Pickens, Doug 2 ; VanBuskirk, Derek 1 ; Berset, Chris 2 ; Toth, Anthony 1
SB: Roblin, Brad 2
