Katzman Fans 10, Dufek Homers in Victory Over IPFW

Saturday, March 21

Ann Arbor, Mich.

1:05 PM

Michigan

13-5

IPFW

5-9

IPFW

Michigan

3/21/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Wilpon Complex)
Score: Michigan 4, IPFW 1
Records: U-M (13-5), IPFW (5-9)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, March 21 -- vs. IPFW (Wilpon Complex), 1:05 p.m.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Junior first baseman Mike Dufek's(Scottsdale, Ariz./Desert Mountain) two-run homer in the first inning proved to be enough offense for the University of Michigan baseball team in a 4-1 victory over IPFW Saturday (March 21) in game two of a three-game set at the Wilpon Baseball Complex, home of historic Ray Fisher Stadium.

The Wolverines jumped in front early, scoring three runs in the opening inning. Senior second baseman Kevin Cislo(Novi, Mich./Novi) started the inning with a bunt single, moved to third on a hit-and-run single through the left side by senior leftfielder Kenny Fellows(Holt, Mich./Holt), and scored on a sacrifice fly by sophomore centerfielder Ryan LaMarre(Jackson, Mich./Lumen Christi) to make it 1-0. With Fellows still aboard and two out, Dufek launched his fifth home run of the season --his firstat home this year -- to give the Wolverines a 3-0 lead.

IPFW struck back with an unearned run in the second off junior starting pitcher Eric Katzman(Harrington Park, N.J./Old Tappan) to make it a 3-1, but the Wolverines added to their lead in the second inning, manufacturing a run on a suicide squeeze bunt by sophomore shortstop Anthony Toth(Lorain, Ohio/St. Ignatius) that scored junior rightfielder Alan Oaks(White Lake, Mich./Divine Child).

Katzman (3-1) found a rhythm after the second inning, striking out a career-high 10 Mastodons through six innings of work. He allowed just four hits and the one unearned run before giving way to sophomore reliever Matt Miller(Zionsville, Ind./Zionsville). Miller fanned five of the 11 batters he faced over the final three innings to pick up his second save of the year.

Six different Wolverines collected a hit apiece in the victory, with Dufek's two RBI pacing the squad.

The Wolverines are back in action Sunday (March 22) for the final game of the three-game series against IPFW at the Wilpon Baseball Complex. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m.

N O T E S

Saturday's 4-1 victory over IPFW was Rich Maloney 250th win as Michigan's head coach. He is 250-131 in his seven seasons at Michigan. It marked his 506th overall win in his 14 seasons as a head coach, including 256 wins in seven seasons at Ball State (1998-2002).

Junior LHP Eric Katzman moved his record to 3-1 as he pitched six innings and struck out a career-high 10 batters while allowing just four hits and one unearned run. Katzman is tied for the team lead in wins (3) with senior RHP Chris Fetter. Katzman, who dropped his earned run average to 2.84, has 27 strikeouts in 25 innings this season and owns 80 career strikeouts and an 8-4 career record.

Sophomore RHP Matt Miller allowed one hit as he closed out Saturday's win with three shutout innings to record his second save of the year. Miller fanned five batters and dropped his team-leading ERA to 2.13. He has 16 strikeouts in 12.2 innings.

Michigan's pitching duo of Katzman and Miller combined for 15 strikeouts on Saturday vs. IPFW, one shy of the team's season-high total of 16 K's when sophomore RHP Travis Smith had nine strikeouts and Miller added seven against Cincinnati in a 6-1 U-M win Feb. 21 in the Big East/Big Ten Challenge in Clearwater, Fla. The Wolverine pitchers have collected double-digit strikeouts seven times this season.

Senior co-captain 2B Kevin Cislo moved his career-best and team-leading hitting streak to 14 games with a first-inning bunt single. Former Wolverine P/DH Zach Putnam (2006-08) had a 16-game hitting streak for the team best in 2008. Cislo was 1-for-4 vs. IPFW, and his current batting average is .362 (25-for-69).

Junior 1B Mike Dufek extended his career-best hitting streak to nine games with a two-run homer in the first inning Saturday. Dufek's homer, his fifth of the season, pushed U-M's first-inning lead to 3-0. Dufek was 1-for-2 with a walk as he moved his batting average to .304 (21-for-69), and he ranks second on the team with 16 RBI. Dufek has eight career homers that are official and 10 counting the two round-trippers he hit against the New York Mets in an exhibition game that do not count on his official collegiate stats.

Sophomore CF Ryan LaMarre, who leads the Wolverines with a .386 average (27-for-70), was 0-for-1 with a walk vs. IPFW on Saturday, but his first-inning sacrifice fly, which opened the scoring, proved to be his team-leading third game-winning RBI of the season. LaMarre has four career "gamers."

Junior/sophomore SS Anthony Toth was 1-for-2 with a single and a sacrifice bunt Saturday vs. IPFW as he matched his career-best hitting streak at four games. Toth has three four-game hitting streaks in his career and has hits in eight of his last nine games, jumping his batting average to .317 (19-for-60).

Contact: Matt Fancett (734) 763-4423