Michigan
Illinois
Parrish Paces Michigan into Big Ten Championship Game
5/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Site: Columbus, Ohio (Bill Davis Stadium)
Event: Big Ten Conference Tournament (Game 4)
Score: Michigan 7, Illinois 6
Records: U-M (31-27), Illinois (34-21)
Next U-M Game: Saturday, May 22 -- vs. Minnesota/Illinois winner at Big Ten Tournament (Columbus, Ohio), 7:05 p.m.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Sophomore catcher David Parrish (Yorba Linda, Calif./Esperanza HS) capped a ninth-inning rally with a game-winning two-out, two-run double to propel the University of Michigan to a 7-6 victory over Illinois Friday night (May 21) in the winners' bracket final of the Big Ten Baseball Tournament at Bill Davis Stadium.
In the ninth inning, Parrish, 3-for-5 with two home runs and five RBIs on the night, lined the first pitch down the leftfield line to drive in Jason Alcaraz (Albuquerque, N.M./Eldorado HS) with the tying run and Brian Bush (Warren, Ohio/Howland HS) with the winning run. Bush and the relay throw to the plate arrived at the same time, but the ball was knocked out of the catcher's mitt.
Michigan (31-27) is one win away from earning the Big Ten's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Wolverines, who have not made an NCAA Tournament appearance since 1989, will play for the title tomorrow (Saturday, May 22) at 7:05 p.m. against the winner of the 3:05 p.m. elimination game between Illinois and Minnesota. A loss by Michigan, the lone undefeated team left in the double-elimination event, would force a second championship game Sunday at 1:05 p.m.
Michigan squandered early 3-0 and 4-1 leads as the Illini pulled to 4-3 after six innings and took a 5-4 lead with two runs in the top of the eighth inning. Mike Cervenak (New Boston, Mich./Divine Child HS) ripped a one-out triple to centerfield and scored the tying run two batters later on Mike Seestedt's (Mt. Pleasant, Mich./Sacred Hart HS) single. Illinois broke the 5-5 tie with a run in the top of the ninth inning, setting the stage for Michigan's two-out heroics. Alcaraz and Bush, both swinging at first pitch offerings, delivered two-out singles before Parrish was able to drive them in with his game-winning double.
Luke Bonner (Taylor, Mich./Divine Child HS), who saved Michigan's tourney-opening win on Thursday (May 20), upped his record to 5-6 on the season with 1.1 innings of relief work. Bryce Ralston (Tacoma, Wash./Curtis HS) worked the first 7.2 innings for the Wolverines, scattering 11 hits and striking out four while allowing five runs (three earned). Tim Lavery (6-6) went the distance for the Illini (34-21), striking out six with no walks but allowing 13 hits and seven runs.
U-M first baseman Bryan Besco (Westland, Mich./John Glenn HS) continued his hot hitting for the Wolverines. He compiled a 3-for-4 evening with a double, triple and his fifth home run of the season. Besco, making a push for Big Ten Tournament MVP honors, is now 6-for-9 for the weekend with four extra-base hits.
| Score by Innings | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | ||||
| Illinois (34-21) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 12 | 0 | ||||
| Michigan (31-27) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 13 | 1 |
Illinois -- Tim Lavery and Jeff Gertz. Michigan -- Bryce Ralston, Luke Bonner (9) and David Parrish. W -- Bonner (5-6). L -- Lavery (6-6). HRs -- Illinois, T.J. Jackson (11); Michigan, David Parrish 2 (9), Bryan Besco.
N O T E S
• Michigan is 10-2 this season in games started by pitcher Bryce Ralston, who owns an 8-1 record.
• Warren, Ohio, native Brian Bush, the only Michigan player from the Buckeye State, scored the game-winning run. He leads the club with a .359 batting average and 84 hits, with his hit total tying Derek Besco (1997) and Casey Close (1986) for the third-best single-season mark in school history.
• Bryan Besco is pushing for the nickname of "Mr. May" with his postseason performance. After going 6-for-15 (.400) with two doubles and three home runs in the 1997 Big Ten Tournament in Ann Arbor, Besco is 6-for-9 (.667) with three doubles, a triple and a homer through two games of the 1999 tourney.
• Bryan Besco's second-inning double was his 22nd of the season, moving him into sole possession of the No. 2 spot on the U-M single-season list. He set the school record with 29 two-baggers in 1997. Besco has 53 career doubles, tying former record-holder Phil Price (1987-90) for second place behind Mike Cervenak, who currently has 61 doubles.
• Luke Bonner's two relief appearances this season have come on back-to-back nights at the Big Ten Tournament. He earned a save against No. 12 Ohio State on Thursday (May 20) and picked up a win against Illinois on Friday (May 21).
