Wolverine Comeback Bid Falls Short in Loss to Indiana

Saturday, April 25

Ann Arbor, Mich.

1:05 PM

Michigan

23-18, 0

Indiana

19-21, 0

Indiana

Michigan

Wolverine Comeback Bid Falls Short in Loss to Indiana

4/25/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Wilpon Baseball Complex)
Result: Indiana 8, Michigan 7
Records: U-M (23-18, 6-8 Big Ten), Indiana (19-21, 9-4 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, April 26 -- vs. Indiana (Wilpon Baseball Complex), 1:05 p.m.

Boxscore | Postgame Notes | Photo Gallery | Video Report

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan baseball team put together a four-run seventh inning but could not overcome Indiana scoring eight runs over a four-inning stretch as the Hoosiers tallied 14 hits to take game two of the three-game weekend series, 8-7, on Saturday afternoon (April 25) at the Wilpon Baseball Complex, home of Ray Fisher Stadium.

Junior catcher Chris Berset(Vienna, Va./Heights School), junior rightfielder Nick Urban(Whitehall, Mich./Whitehall) and senior leftfielder Kenny Fellows(Holt, Mich./Holt) each collected a pair ofruns batted in,while Fellows, Urban and sophomore shortstop Anthony Toth(Lorain, Ohio/St. Ignatius) tallied two hits apiece in the loss.

The Hoosiers grabbed the first lead of the game with a four-run second inning, keyed by back-to-back RBI singles with the bases loaded off Wolverine junior starting pitcher Alan Oaks (White Lake, Mich./Divine Child) to go up 4-0.

The Michigan offense responded in the bottom of the second on an RBI double by Urban, scoring junior first baseman Mike Dufek(Scottsdale, Ariz./Desert Mountain) to cut the lead to 4-1.

Before Oaks could fire a pitch in the third, the rains came in, forcing a 59-minute rain delay. After the delay, IU padded its lead when Josh Phegley, the first batter after the delay, hit a home run over the leftfield wall to make the score 5-1. The round-tripper helped chase Oaks from the game in favor of sophomore reliever Kolby Wood(Eau Claire, Mich./Berrien Springs), who finished the third inning.

Indiana's offense continued in the fourth, adding another run to make it 6-1 before the Wolverines responded with two runs in the bottom of the frame when sophomore centerfielder Ryan LaMarre(Jackson, Mich./Lumen Christi) reached on a walk to lead off the frame and scored on a fielder's choice off the bat of Berset, who later scored on an RBI single by Urban to cut the lead to 6-3.

The Hoosiers chased Wood from the game in the top of the fifth inning, scoring twice off a wild pitch and an RBI single by Jake Dunning to take an 8-3 lead, prompting a move to the bullpen for sophomore Matt Gerbe(Shelby Twp., Mich./Eisenhower).

In the seventh, the Wolverines loaded the bases with nobody out and Fellows delivered a two-run double to the gap in left centerfield, cutting the lead to three, 8-5. A sacrifice fly by LaMarre trimmed the lead to two, 8-6, chasing Indiana starting pitcher Eric Arnett. The Wolverine offense was not done, however, as Berset delivered a two-out RBI single up the middle to make it 8-7 after seven innings.

Unfortunately, that was as close as the Wolverines came as Indiana reliever Chris Squires allowed just two hits over the final two-and-two-thirds innings to close out his fourth save of the season and preserve IU's 8-7 victory.

The Wolverines are back in action on Sunday (April 26) for the rubber game of the series, a matinee affair beginning at 1:05 pm.

N O T E S

Michigan (23-18, 6-8 Big Ten) fell into sixth place in the Big Ten standings with Saturday's (April 25) 8-7 loss to Indiana (19-21, 9-4 Big Ten). The top six teams in the final Big Ten regular-season standings qualify for the conference tournament.

Sophomore SS Anthony Toth was 2-for-4 Saturday vs. Indiana for his team-leading 14th two-hit game of the season. Toth shares the team lead with 15 multi-hit games with sophomore CF Ryan LaMarre. Toth is hitting .329 (48-for-146) and has hits in 22 of his last 26 games.

Leading hitter Ryan LaMarre (49-for-138, .355) was 0-for-2 on Saturday vs. Indiana, but he reached base twice on walks and collected his team-leading 48th RBI of the season with a seventh-inning sac fly.

Senior OF Kenny Fellows was 2-for-5 with a two-run double Saturday vs. Indiana as he recorded his 13th multi-hit game and his seventh multi-RBI game of the season. Fellows, who has hits in the past three games and in 20 of his last 24 games, is second on the team with a .345 (51-for-148) batting average, and he has grabbed the team lead with his 51 hits.

Junior OF Nick Urban collected his seventh multi-hit game of the season and his second of the IU series. Urban, who is 4-8 vs. Indiana so far this weekend, is hitting .277 (31-for-112) with seven doubles and 19 RBI.

Members of Michigan's 1999 baseball team that captured the Big Ten Tournament championship in Columbus with wins vs. host Ohio State, Illinois and Minnesota were on hand Saturday at the Wilpon Baseball Complex to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of that feat. Five-year letter winner 1B Bryan Besco (1995-99) threw out the first pitch prior to Saturday's game. Joining Besco on the field for introductions were 1999 teammates: OF Jason Alcaraz (1996-99), RH Luke Bonner (1996-99), U-M's single-season hit leader (94 hits in 1999) Brian Bush (1996-99), LHP Bryan Cranson (1997-2000), C Andy Hood (1997-99), LHP Pete Martay (1996-97, 99), IF and 2000 co-captain Kevin Quinn (1997-2000) and Academic All-American OF Dan Sanborn (1997-99). OF Derek Besco (1995-98), Bryan's twin brotherand the Bill Freehan Award winner as U-M's top hitter on the 1997 Big Ten regular-season championship team - was also at the game.

Contact: Matt Fancett (734) 763-4423