Michigan
Notre Dame
Michigan Downs Irish, Earns Another Shot at Titans
5/29/1999 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Site: South Bend, Ind. (Frank Eck Stadium)
Event: NCAA Regional (Game 5)
Score: Michigan 11, Notre Dame 5
Records: Michigan (34-29), Notre Dame (43-18)
Next U-M Game: Sunday, May 30 -- vs. Cal State-Fullerton at NCAA Regional (South Bend, Ind.), 1 p.m. CDT
SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Sophomore righthander Vince Pistilli (Highland, Ind./Highland HS) settled into a stellar outing as the University of Michigan offense pounded out 13 hits and defeated Notre Dame 11-5 on Saturday (May 29) in Game 5 of the NCAA Baseball South Bend Regional. The win, Michigan's second of the day, kept the Wolverines (34-29) alive in the double-elimination regional and eliminated Notre Dame (43-18).
U-M, making its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1989, advances to the regional final at 1 p.m. CDT tomorrow (May 30) against Cal State-Fullerton, which defeated Michigan 6-5 in the regional opener. A Wolverine victory would force a second championship game at 6 p.m. CDT.
Pistilli (4-3) allowed two run on three hits in the top of the first inning before settling down, and he ended the game with 7.2 innings pitched and three runs on eight hits. Pistilli only struck out two Notre Dame batters, but used the Ks well, recording the last outs of both the sixth and seventh innings via the strikeout.
Down 2-0, Michigan tied the game with single runs in the third and fourth innings. Notre Dame grabbed a 3-2 lead with a single run in the top of the fifth inning before the Wolverines took the lead for good in the bottom of the inning on Brian Bush's (Warren, Ohio/Howland HS) two-run home run, his seventh of the season and second of the day. The homer was Bush's 92nd hit of the season, setting a new Michigan single-season record, surpassing Mike Watters' mark of 91 set in 1985.
The Wolverines added to their lead with three runs in the sixth inning and two apiece in the seventh and eighth. Mike Seestedt (Mt. Pleasant, Mich./Sacred Heart HS) supplied the runs in the seventh with a two-run shot and Mike Cervenak (New Boston, Mich./Dearborn Divine Child HS), who finished the game 3-for-5 with two doubles, closed the scoring with an RBI double in the eighth inning.
Q U O T E S
Michigan Head Coach Geoff Zahn
"I'm proud of my guys. They lost a tough game yesterday and came out and won this morning and won tonight."
"You're only going to go as far as your pitching, in a tournament."
On the recent hot streak by the Wolverines ... "I attribute it to 14 seniors who don't want to quit playing baseball."
On Cal State-Fullerton ... "They're a great ballclub. They have a lot of things going for them. We have to swing the bat, stay aggressive and get pitching."
"If you are going to beat a team like Fullerton, you have to throw strikes, make them earn it."
Michigan Co-Captain Bobby Scales
On the success of Michigan, Minnesota and Ohio State in this year's NCAA Tournament ... "I think it's a testament to northern baseball. We can play too. ... I hope everybody gets through to the next round. It says the Big Ten (Conference) is strong, northern baseball is strong."
Michigan Pitcher Vince Pistilli
On the first inning ... "It just seemed like everything was moving at 1,000 miles per hour."
On facing Notre Dame ... "You have an idea what you want to do with them, but I had never pitched against them before."
N O T E S
• The Wolverines advanced to the regional final for the second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. In 1989, Michigan made the finals through the winners' bracket before falling to eventual NCAA champion Wichita State.
• Mike Cervenak collected three hits, including two doubles, to give him 453 total bases in his career, a new school record, surpassing Casey Close's (1983-85) 449 total bases.
• Brian Bush set the Michigan single-season hits mark with his fifth-inning home run. Bush has 92 hits on the season, one ahead of teammate Bobby Scales, who is tied for second with previous record-holder Mike Watters (91, 1985).
