Fetter Dominant in Complete-Game Win Over Indiana

Friday, April 24

Ann Arbor, Mich.

6:35 PM

Michigan

23-17, 0

Indiana

18-21, 0

Indiana

Michigan

4/24/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Wilpon Baseball Complex)
Result: Michigan 6, Indiana 2
Records: U-M (23-17, 6-7 Big Ten), Indiana (18-21, 8-4 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, April 25 C vs. Indiana (Wilpon Baseball Complex), 1:05 p.m.

Boxscore | Notes & Quotes | Photo Gallery | Video Report

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Senior starter Chris Fetter(Carmel, Ind./Carmel) went the distance and struck out 12 batters to propel the University of Michigan baseball team to a 6-2 win over Indiana on Friday night (April 24) at the Wilpon Baseball Complex, home of Ray Fisher Stadium.

The Wolverine offense capitalized on four Hoosier errors and got a key two-run double by sophomore designated hitter Ryan LaMarre(Jackson, Mich./Lumen Christi), while senior centerfielder Kenny Fellows(Holt, Mich./Holt) scored twice, including the game-winning run for U-M in the victory.

The Wolverines took an early 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning with junior catcher Chris Berset(Vienna Va./Heights School) and junior rightfielder Nick Urban(Whitehall, Mich./Whitehall) each picking up RBI singles for the Maize and Blue. Fellows led off the inning with an infield single, which ricocheted off Indiana starter Blake Monar, and later came around to score on a wild pitch. Junior first baseman Mike Dufek(Scottsdale, Ariz./Desert Mountain) and senior second baseman Kevin Cislo(Novi, Mich./Novi) reached on a walk and a throwing error, respectively, before Berset and Urban came through with back-to-back RBI singles to drive in the two Michigan base runners.

Indiana scored single runs in the fourth and sixth innings to trim the Michigan lead to 3-2 as Kipp Schutz hit an RBI single for the Hoosiers in the fourth and Jerrud Sabourin scored on a wild pitch by Fetter in the sixth.

The Michigan defense made several great plays to keep Indiana from taking the lead as Dufek used a superb relay throw in the fourth to throw out a runner at home and Fetter caught IUs Evan Crawford as the Indiana centerfielder tried to steal home, preserving U-Ms one-run cushion.

Still up by one in the sixth, the Wolverines added some insurance, loading the bases on a pair of Hoosier errors and a single by Dufek before a double-play grounder by Berset brought LaMarre home for a 4-2 lead.

The Wolverines sealed the win in the bottom of the seventh inning when LaMarre connected for a two-out, two-run double off the left-center wall, giving Michigan a 6-2 lead.

That was plenty of run support for Fetter, who fanned two of the final three batters in the ninth, finishing off his third complete game of the season and notching his fourth game of double-digit strikeouts to improve to 6-1 on the season.

The Wolverines return to the Wilpon Baseball Complex on Saturday (April 25) for the second game of their three-game series against Indiana, a matinee affair beginning at 1:05 p.m.

N O T E S

With its 6-2 win over Indiana, Michigan moved into a tie for fifth place in the Big Ten standings with Michigan State, a 15-7 winner over Iowa on Friday.

Senior RHP Chris Fetter pitched his third complete game of the season, working nine innings and allowing eight hits and two runs while recording 12 strikeouts. Fetter has fanned 11 or more opponents four times in 2009, including a career-best 13 vs. Illinois on April 10. Fetter is 6-1 on the season with a 2.18 ERA, and he has 82 strikeouts in 74.1 innings.

Fetter pushed his career strikeout total to 260 on Friday. Fetter move into third on U-M's career strikeout list, passing Fritz Fisher (259, 1961-63) with his 12th and final strikeout in the 6-2 win over the Hoosiers. Next on U-M's career strikeout list is Mike Ignasiak (286, 1985-88) in second place. The U-Mrecord is held by Jim Burton (1969-71) with 288.

Fetter ranks 13th on U-M's single-season K's list and needs just two more strikeouts to vault into the top 10. In addition, he needs just18 more strikeouts to become the fourth Wolverine to reach 100 K's in a season.

With Friday's win over Indiana, Fetter has a 27-8 career record, snapping his tie for fourth on U-M's career win list with Jim Abbott (26 wins, 1986-88) and pulling into a tie for third place with Steve Howe (27 wins, 1977-79). Rich Stoll (1981-83) holds down the second position with 30 wins. The record is 33, set by Mike Ignasiak (1985-88).

Sophomore OF Ryan LaMarre, who leads the team with a .360 (49-for-136) batting average, sparked U-M's win over Indiana with a two-out, two-run double in the seventh inning, pushing the score to 6-2. LaMarre, who served as thedesignated hitteron Friday, collected his 11th double and moved his team-leading RBI total to 47.

Junior OF Nick Urban was 2-for-4 vs. Indiana on Friday for his sixth multi-hit game of the season. Urban drove in his 17th run of the season with a two-out single in the first inning for a 3-0 U-M lead.

Junior catcher Chris Berset had a run-scoring single in the first inning and made several important defensive plays in Friday's win. Berset recorded a putout at the plate at the end of a 9-3-2 relay from RF Nick Urban to 1B Mike Dufek in the fourth inning, made a tag at the plate on attempted steal of home in the fifth, and had 14 total putouts in the game.

Q U O T E S

Michigan Head Coach Rich Maloney
On the effort of starting pitcher Chris Fetter... "Fetter was just Fetter tonight, what can I say He was simply outstanding. They are a very good hitting team and he just pitched very well."

On putting up three quick runs in the first inning... "It was huge. Finally, we caught a few breaks. It seems like we haven't caught any breaks in about four weeks. We battled with two strikes and put balls in play tonight and good things generally happen when you do that. Then we got a big two-run double from (Ryan) LaMarre that busted it open for us."

On Fetter's performance saving the bullpen... "That is huge also. He has really been giving up himself for the team. Every week he is going more pitches than I would like to throw him, but it is what the team needs right now, but he is a senior and he doesn't want to come out, so you have to admire him for that." On the offense finding ways to score runs ... "It goes back to battling and putting the ball in play, good things can happen. Then we get a timely hit and all of that leads to runs. Timely hits has been an issue for us lately; tonight we got some, they made some mistakes and it all leads to the six runs."

On the rest of the series... "They have some more great pitchers coming our way. We are going to have to play really well. Fortunately, we put some pressure on them by winning this one, but make no mistake, they have a great hitting lineup and we are going to have to battle the rest of the weekend."

U-M Senior Starting Pitcher Chris Fetter
On his performance... "It's good to beat Indiana, being from Indiana, and just good to get off to a good start on the weekend. I was able to hit my spots tonight. I give them credit because they were hitting the ball hard all night, but my defense did a great job behind me."

On the three-run spot the offense gave him... "It's a great cushion. It makes you walk out to the mound and be more confident knowing you don't have to make the perfect pitch every time. I am hoping that the offense can continue it for the rest of the weekend for the other guys."

On another complete game and double-digit strikeout performance... "I feel like I have to go out there and do what I can to save the rest of our pitching staff on these weekends. It has been a great run so far; I am just hoping it can continue and we can keep winning."

Contact: Matt Fancett (734) 763-4423