Michigan
30-8, 15-1
Michigan State
15-22, 6-13
Wolverines Complete Weekend Sweep of Michigan State
4/29/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
LANSING, Mich. -- Senior co-captain Eric Rose (Blissfield, Mich./Blissfield) was 3-for-5 and drove in five runs for the second straight game as the University of Michigan baseball team pounded Michigan State 21-9 to complete the weekend sweep of the Spartans Sunday afternoon (April 29) in the series finale at Oldsmobile Park.
The Wolverines (30-8) moved their Big Ten mark to 15-1 as junior/sophomore Ben Jenzen (Grosse Pointe, Mich,/South HS) -- the fourth of six Michigan pitchers -- stopped an MSU (15-22, 6-13 Big Ten) rally in the sixth to collect his second win of the year.
Michigan jumped to a 7-0 lead, but it was a two-run double by SS Jason Christian (Loveland, Ohio/Loveland) to snap a 9-9 tie in the seventh to provide his second game-winning RBI of the weekend.
The Wolverines scored 12 runs during the last three innings for the final 21-9 margin -- the most runs scored by the Wolverines since 21 against Eastern Michigan on May 1, 2002. Michigan has now won seven straight and 24 of its last 26 games.
The Wolverines exploded for seven runs on five hits in the third to chase MSU starter Kyle Corcoran. Junior LF Derek VanBuskirk (St. Clair, Mich./St. Clair) tripled to lead off the frame with U-Ms first hit of the game. He scored in a high hop single over the first baseman by sophomore 2B Kevin Cislo (Novi, Mich./Novi).
Senior Rose and sophomore 3B Adam Abraham (Grosse Pointe Park, Mich./South HS) hit run-scoring singles and junior RF Doug Pickens (West Bloomfield, Mich./Brother Rice) launched a three-run homer that landed on Gasoline Alleys playground in deep left-center.
The Spartans turned around and chased Michigan junior/sophomore RHP Chris Fetter (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) with a five-run third inning that included six hits with 3B Eric Roof, DH Kyle Day, catcher Sean Walker and RF Eli Boike getting RBI after the first run scored on a fielding error.
Junior/sophomore RHP Michael Powers (St. Clair Shores, Mich./South Lake HS) faced one batter to get out of the third inning but gave up a double to 1B Evan Friedland to start the fourth. After a sac bunt and a walk, SS Brandon Dohertys groundout drove in Friedland to make the score 7-6.
Christian singled with one out in the sixth and advanced on a balk, and Rose walked to put runners at first and second. With two outs, DH Zach Putnam (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer HS) doubled down the line in left, scoring both runs as Rose hustled around from first on the play to make the score 9-6.
MSU came right back on a single by Jones and a walk to Roof. SS Doherty hit a line drive that deflected off Cislos glove at second and rolled into short right. The play that was almost an inning-ending line drive double play turned into a run-scoring double to make the score 9-7, marking the exit for Powers.
Freshman LHP Eric Katzman (Harrington Park, N.J./Old Northern Valley Old Tappan HS) replaced Powers to face lefty Steve Grettenberger. Katzman walked Grettenberger on four pitches to load the bases and walked DH Kyle Day to force in a run, making the score 9-8.
Junior/sophomore RHP Ben Jenzen (Grosse Pointe, Mich./South HS) replaced Katzman with the bases loaded and one out to face clean-up hitter Sean Walker. Walkers bid for a grand slam was caught at the fence in left by VanBuskirk, but the sac fly tied the game at 9-9. Jenzen retired Boike on a fly to Rose and center to end the inning.
VanBuskirk doubled to left-center with one out in the seventh inning and freshman catcher Chris Berset (Vienna Va./The Heights School) followed with a walk to bring up Cislo, who bounced another high hopper to second for an infield single loading the bases. Christian lined his team-leading 16th double into the gap in left-center to give U-M an 11-9 lead and chase Montgomery.
Rose greeted MSUs A.J. Dunn with a two-run single and he advanced to second on the throw from the outfield and Recknagel followed with a run-scoring single.
The Wolverines added six more runs in the eighth, with Rose driving in two more runs with a triple.
Abraham, Berset and Rose each had three hits to pace the 21-hit attack, Michigan's highest output of the year. Rose had eight of Michigans 61-hit attack while Christian scored 11 times as U-M outscored MSU 50-21.
The Wolverines play a mid-week doubleheader at Western Michigan on Wednesday (May 2, 1 p.m.) -- the original schedule shows a single game at 3 p.m.
N O T E S
Pitching was not a major factor in the Big Ten on Sunday, with Michigans 21-9 win at MSU leading the way. Iowa topped Northwestern 14-10, Minnesota beat Illinois 15-6, Ohio State topped Purdue 6-3 and Indiana, the lone home team to win, beat Penn State 8-7.
Big Ten Standings (Includes 4-29-07):
1. Michigan 15-1 .938 2. Minnesota 12-3 .800 3. Ohio State 11-7 .611 Penn State 11-7 .611 5. Iowa 11-8 .579 6. Illinois 8-10 .444 7. Purdue 8-11 .421 8. Michigan St. 6-13 .316 9. Indiana 6-14 .300 10. Northwestern 3-17 .150With 30 wins for the season, Wolverine head coach Rich Maloney has won at least 30 games in all 12 of his head coaching season (seven at Ball State and five at Michigan).
Eric Rose extended his career-best hitting streak to 22 games with a third inning RBI single on Sunday. He also added his team-leading 20th stolen base to add to his career stolen base mark which stands at 76. Rose had 13 RBI in the weekend series including the 100th of his career.
Junior 1B Nate Recknagel reached three times in six plate appearances on Sunday. He has reached base 72 times in his last 26 games. His on base percentage is .509.
Michigan's leading hitters after 38 games are: 1B Nate Recknagel (51-for-135, .378), SS Jason Christian (57-for-152, .375), 2B Kevin Cislo (34-for-91, .374), CF Eric Rose (46-for-130, .354), P/OF Zach Putnam (50-for-142, .352), 3B/P Adam Abraham (52-for-149, .349), C/2B/OF Doug Pickens (50-for-144, .347), and OF Brad Roblin (Wayland, Mass./Rivers School) at .338 (45-for-133).
Contact: Jim Schneider (734-763-4423)
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Jenzen, Ben (2-1)
L: Mike Monterey (1-2)
Batting:
2B: Christian, Jason 1 ; Recknagel, Nate 1 ; Putnam, Zach 1 ; VanBuskirk, Derek 1 ; Berset, Chris 1
3B: Rose, Eric 1 ; VanBuskirk, Derek 1
HR: Pickens, Doug 1
RBI: Christian, Jason 3 ; Rose, Eric 5 ; Recknagel, Nate 2 ; Putnam, Zach 2 ; Toth, Anthony 1 ; Abraham, Adam 1 ; Pickens, Doug 3 ; Berset, Chris 1 ; Cislo, Kevin 2
SF: Cislo, Kevin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Christian, Jason 4 ; Rose, Eric 4 ; Recknagel, Nate 2 ; Abraham, Adam 2 ; Pickens, Doug 2 ; VanBuskirk, Derek 2 ; Urban, Nick 1 ; Berset, Chris 2 ; Cislo, Kevin 2
SB: Rose, Eric 1
CS: Recknagel, Nate 1 ; Pickens, Doug 1
HBP: Abraham, Adam 1
Batting:
2B: Brandon Doherty 1 ; Sean Walker 1 ; Evan Friedland 1 ; Dennis Jones 1
RBI: Brandon Doherty 2 ; Kyle Day 2 ; Sean Walker 2 ; Eli Boike 1 ; Eric Roof 1
SH: Dennis Jones 1
SF: Sean Walker 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Brandon Doherty 2 ; Steve Gerstenberger 1 ; Kyle Day 1 ; Evan Friedland 2 ; Dennis Jones 2 ; Eric Roof 1
SB: Kyle Day 1 ; Dennis Jones 1
