Michigan
Illinois
Putz Fires Shutout as Michigan Sweeps Illinois
4/3/1999 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Site:Â Ann Arbor, Mich. (Ray Fisher Stadium)
Scores:Â Michigan 6, Illinois 5; Michigan 7, Illinois 0
Records:Â U-M (15-12, 5-2 Big Ten), Illinois (15-8, 5-2 Big Ten)
Next U-M Game:Â Sunday, April 4 -- vs. Illinois (Ray Fisher Stadium), 1 p.m. EDT
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan baseball team used a comeback and a shutout to sweep Illinois in a Big Ten doubleheader Saturday (April 3) in Ray Fisher Stadium. The Wolverines (15-12, 5-2 Big Ten) pulled into a second-place tie with Illinois (15-8, 5-2 Big Ten). Ohio State leads the league with a 3-0 record, and the Buckeyes play in Ann Arbor next weekend (April 9-11).
Michigan trailed 5-1 in the fifth inning of the opener but exploded for five runs, with senior centerfielder Brian Bush (Warren, Ohio/Howland HS) delivering the big blow, a two-out, two-run triple off Illini closer Jimmy Journell that knocked in the tying and go-ahead runs.
Junior/sophomore Bryce Ralston (Tacoma, Wash./Curtis HS) notched his team-leading fourth win and freshman RHP Bobby Korecky (Saline, Mich./Saline HS) retired the final five betters for his third save.
In the second game, senior RHP J.J. Putz (Trenton, Mich./Trenton HS) record his second career complete-game shutout. The veteran allowed four hits and fanned three. Putz collected 10 groundball outs, faced three batters in an inning four times and never faced more than four batters in an inning in the game.
Senior co-captain Mike Cervenak (New Boston, Mich./Dearborn Divine Child HS) and junior Jay Dines (Albuquerque, N.M./Sandia HS) provided the offense for Putz to record his 12th career win. The "3-4" hitters were a combined 4-for-5 as each had a homer and a double. Cervenak scored three times and drove in four runs, while Dines drove in the other three runs.
Dines homered in the first inning for the game-winning hit and a 2-0 lead and Cervenak homered to right in the third inning to make the score 4-0. The Wolverines iced the sweep in the fifth inning, scoring three times after two outs with Cervenak (two RBIs) and Dines collecting back-to-back run-scoring doubles.
The Wolverines close out the series with Illinois on Sunday with a single game starting at 1 p.m. EDT. Sophomore RHP Vince Pistilli (Highland, Ind./Highland HS) is expected to start. He is 1-0 with a 3.75 ERA.
NOTES
• Co-captain Mike Cervenak stroked his 50th career double in the second game to move into second place on 'M's all-time doubles list. The record is 53 held by Phil Price (1987-90).
• Cervenak's double was career hit 241 and vaulted him into third place on Michigan's all-time hit list as he tied and passed Casey Close (240 hits, 1983-86) during Saturday (April 3) action vs. Illinois. Next up for Cervenak in the hit race is Jim Paciorek (254 hits, 1979-82).
• Senior Jason Alcaraz (Albuquerque, N.M./Eldorado HS) added two hits to his hit total in the doubleheader and has 227. Close (240) is next on his list. The Michigan career hit leader is Ken Hayward (267 hits, 1982-85).
• Bryce Ralston recorded his fourth win of the season in the opener of the doubleheader on Saturday (April 3). Ralston is 4-1 with a 3.41 through 27 games. In the 1998 season Brian Berryman and Bryan Cranson shared the 'M' team lead with four victories in 49 games.
• Let's Go to the Book: Co-captain Bobby Scales (Roswell, Ga./Milton HS), who had a 12-game hitting streak to open the season, extended his current streak to 11 games with his run-scoring single during the game-winning rally in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader. Scales did not get a hit in the second game but drew three walks and his streak continues. (Note: According to the NCAA Rule book, Rule 10, Section 30.a -- "A consecutive hitting streak shall not be terminated if the plate appearance results in a base on balls, hit batsman, defensive interference or a sacrifice bunt. A sacrifice fly shall terminate the streak.")
