Michigan
Minnesota
Strong Pitching Boosts U-M past No. 23 Gophers
4/16/1999 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Site:Â Minneapolis, Minn. (Siebert Field)
Score:Â Michigan 8, #23 Minnesota 3
Records:Â Michigan (20-17, 7-6 Big Ten), Minnesota (25-8, 7-2 Big Ten)
Next U-M Games:Â Saturday, April 17 -- DH at Minnesota (Minneapolis, Minn.), 1 p.m. CDT
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- Behind a complete-game effort from senior pitcher J.J. Putz (Trenton, Mich./Trenton HS), the University of Michigan baseball team surprised 23rd-ranked Minnesota with an 8-3 defeat on Friday (April 16) at Siebert Field, snapping the Golden Gophers' nine-game win streak.
Michigan, playing its third straight weekend series against a first-place Big Ten Conference team, improved to 20-17 overall and 7-6 on the league. Minnesota, ranked No. 23 in the Baseball Weekly/ESPN Coaches Top 25 and No. 21 by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, fell to 25-8 and 7-2, losing for just the second time in its last 21 outings.
Putz (2-3) struck out eight and walked four in the first nine-inning complete game of his career. He was helped by three double plays, including a 1-6-3 twin-killing he started in the eighth.
Minnesota got on the board first on Robb Quinlan's two-run single in the third inning, but the Wolverines came right back with three in the top of the fourth on four singles and a sacrifice fly. Mike Cervenak (New Boston, Mich./Dearborn Divine Child HS) and Bryan Besco (Westland, Mich./John Glenn HS) had RBI singles and David Parrish (Yorba Linda, Calif./Esperanza HS) put Michigan ahead 3-2 with a sacrifice fly.
After Mike Arlt tied the game with his solo homer in the sixth, the Wolverines scored five times after two were out in the eighth to put the game away. Parrish again had the go-ahead RBI, knocking in Mike Seestedt (Mt. Pleasant, Mich./Sacred Heart HS) with an infield single that opened the floodgates. After a hit and a fielder's choice loaded the bases, reliever Jason Shupe walked in a pair of runs, and Brian Bush's (Warren, Ohio/Howland HS) two-run single capped the five-run uprising.
The teams will continue their series with two seven-inning games Saturday (April 17) starting at 1 p.m. CDT. Bryce Ralston (Tacoma, Wash./Curtis HS) (4-1, 2.95 ERA) and Big Ten co-Pitcher of the Week Vince Pistilli (Highland, Ind./Highland HS) (2-1, 3.70 ERA) are the Wolverines' probable starters.
