Wolverines Send Seniors Off in Style, Down Gophers

Sunday, May 10

Ann Arbor, Mich.

1:05 PM

Michigan

27-23, 8-13

Minnesota

33-14, 15-5

Minnesota

Michigan

5/10/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Wilpon Baseball Complex)
Score: Michigan 10, Minnesota 4
Records: U-M (27-23, 8-13), Minnesota (33-14, 15-5)
Next U-M Event: Tuesday, May 12 -- Doubleheader vs. Ball State (Wilpon Complex), 3:05 p.m.

Boxscore | Postgame Notes | Photo Gallery

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan baseball team sent its six-member senior class out a winner today (Sunday, May 10) as junior centerfielder Ryan LaMarre(Jackson, Mich./Lumen Christi) went 4-for-5 with four RBI in a 10-4 victory over Minnesota on Senior Day at the Wilpon Baseball Complex, home of Ray Fisher Stadium.

Senior rightfielder Kenny Fellows(Holt, Mich./Holt) went 3-for-5 with three runs scored and junior/sophomore designated hitter Jake McLouth(Whitehall, Mich./Grand Rapids CC) added a pair of hits and two RBI in the victory. The top three men in the Michigan lineup -- Fellows, sophomore shortstop Anthony Toth(Lorain, Ohio/St. Ignatius) and LaMarre -- provided most of the offensive punch, combining to go 8-for-13 and scoring nine of Michigan's 10 runs.

Down 2-0 in the first, the Wolverine offense manufactured a pair of runs when Fellows led off the inning with a bunt single and moved to third on a perfect hit and run through the right side by Toth. Fellows then plated U-M's first run on a base hit to right by LaMarre to make the score 2-1. After a two-out walk to junior catcher Chris Berset(Vienna, Va./Heights School), McLouth delivered a bloop single over second base to force a 2-2 tie.

The Wolverines took the lead in the second courtesy of LaMarre's 11th home run of the season, a three-run line shot over the wall in left center to give Michigan and junior starting pitcher Alan Oaks(White Lake, Mich./Divine Child) a 5-2 lead.

Minnesota answered with a run in the fifth before Oaks wiggled out of the threat with his second strikeout of the game, preserving a 5-3 lead though four-and-a-half innings and watched as the Wolverines regained their three-run lead on a sacrifice fly by junior first baseman Mike Dufek(Scottsdale, Ariz./Desert Mountain). The Maize and Blue then pushed the advantage to 7-3 on McLouth's second RBI base knock of the afternoon.

After Minnesota scored once in the seventh, the Wolverines added two more of their own in the bottom of the inning when Toth came home on a Minnesota error and Berset delivered an RBI groundout to push the lead to 9-4.

Oaks gave way to Dufek on the hill in the eighth after holding the Golden Gophers to just three earned runs over seven innings and striking out two en route to his first career win, and Dufek mowed down a pair of Gophers in the final two innings to close out the 10-4 Wolverine victory.

The Wolverines appear for the final time this season at home this Tuesday (May 12) when they host the Ball State Cardinals at the Wilpon Complex. Doubleheader action begins at 3:05 pm.

N O T E S

Michigan (27-23, 8-13 Big Ten) remains a game behind Purdue (8-11) after Sunday's 10-4 win over Minnesota (33-14, 15-5 Big Ten) with the loss knocking the visiting Golden Gophers out of first place. Purdue has four games remaining in Big Ten play, including a rare Monday (May 11) tilt at Michigan State, while the Wolverines close conference action next week (May 14-16) at Northwestern.

After taking two of three games at Iowa to open the Big Ten schedule, the Wolverines have gone 1-2 for six straight weeks in conference play. Ironically, the Wolverines have beaten teams in first place five times this season, including each of the teams ranked first through fourth in the current standings (Illinois, Ohio State, Minnesota and Indiana).

Sophomore OF Ryan LaMarre's three-run homer in the second inning snapped a 2-2 tie and proved to be his fifth game-winning RBI of the season and the sixth 'gamer' of his Wolverine career. LaMarre ranks second on the team with 11 homers for the season and leads the team in runs scored (49) and RBI (55).

LaMarre, who leads the Wolverines in hitting in Big Ten play with a .342 (25-for-73) average, collected his team-leading 18th multi-hit game in Sunday's win over Minnesota, his third four-hit game of the season. LaMarre has 14 multi-RBI games this season with a team-leading total of five four-RBI games.

Senior OF Kenny Fellows, playing in his final Big Ten home game, was 3-for-5 with a double and three runs scored Sunday in the win over Minnesota. Fellows collected his 16th multi-hit game of the season and his fourth three-hit game. Fellows, who has 11 doubles, also collected his team-leading 18th stolen base in the eighth inning.

Junior/sophomore DH Jake McLouth hit .455 (5-for-11) to lead the Wolverines in the three-game series vs. Minnesota and collected his 10th multi-hit game of the season and now ranks fourth on the team with 24 RBI.

Junior RHP Alan Oaks recorded his first career win as a Wolverine in the game Sunday vs. Minnesota. Oaks is 1-3 with a 5.40 ERA.

Junior 1B/RHP Mike Dufek, who hit .348 (8-for-23) in five games this week, was 0-for-4 Sunday vs. Minnesota with a sac fly that produced his 54th RBI of the season, one behind team leader Ryan LaMarre.

Dufek closed out Sunday's win on the mound, pitching two hitless innings with a pair of strikeouts in a non-save situation. Dufek is 1-0 with a 2.30 ERA and three saves with 19 strikeouts in 15.2 innings covering 10 appearances.

Junior catcher Chris Berset, who led the Wolverines by hitting .529 (9-for-17) in the five games this week, had his personal season-best hitting streak snapped at six games. Berset reached base seven times in the series vs. Minnesota, including twice on Sunday with a walk and a HBP.

Junior/sophomore SS Anthony Toth scored three runs in Sunday's win over Minnesota, marking the third time that Toth has scored three runs in a game this season. Toth ranks third on the team in runs scored (38).

Sophomore/freshman 1B/OF Garrett Stephens made the first Big Ten start of his Wolverine career Sunday vs. Minnesota and collected his first conference hit with a leadoff single in the second inning. Stephens has four hits, including a homer in 21 games this season, with three overall starts -- two at 1B and Sunday's start in LF.

Contact: Matt Fancett (734) 763-4423