Michigan
Eastern Michigan
Eagles Use Late Rally to Topple Wolverines
5/6/1999 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Site:Â Ypsilanti, Mich. (Oestrike Stadium)
Score:Â Eastern Michigan 10, Michigan 9
Records:Â U-M (25-22), EMU (20-23-1)
Next U-M Game:Â Saturday, May 8 -- vs. Indiana (Ray Fisher Stadium), 1 p.m.
YPSILANTI, Mich. -- Eastern Michigan freshman third baseman Todd Moore stroked a two-out, bases-loaded single in the bottom of the ninth to give the host Eagles a 10-9 baseball win over the University of Michigan Thursday afternoon (May 6) in Oestrike Stadium.
The exciting contest featured lead changes in each of the last three innings. The Wolverines dropped to 25-22 on the season, while EMU reached the 20-win plateau with the victory (20-23-1).
Junior RHP Ryan Janis, the fifth EMU pitcher recorded his team-leading sixth win of the season, while Michigan sophomore RHP Joe Young (Detroit, Mich./Bishop Gallagher HS) suffered the loss, dropping to 1-1 on the season.
Senior co-captain Bobby Scales (Roswell, Ga./Milton HS) gave the Wolverines a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning with his team-leading eighth homer of the season, and he added a run-scoring single in the eighth. Scales extended his current hitting streak to 11 games, his third double-digit hit streak of the season.
Freshman RHP Phil Lobert (Spring Lake, Mich./Grand Haven HS) made his first career start and pitched five strong innings, allowing four runs and striking out a career-best six batters. Lobert lowered his ERA to 8.25 and raised his season strikeout total to nine in his 12 innings of work.
Sophomore SS Scott Tousa (Dallas, Texas/Lake Highlands HS) tied the game at 4-4 with a two-out double in the sixth and started the every-other inning rally pattern.
EMU scored four runs after two outs against freshman LHP Jeff Trzos (Farmington Hills, Mich./North Farmington HS), with Eagle SS Nick Soliz dropping a two-out pop double to center for the final two runs.
Trailing 8-4, the Wolverines bounced back with a five-spot in the eight inning against three Eagle pitchers. In the eighth inning rally, sophomore catcher David Parrish (Yorba Linda, Calif./Esperanza HS) opened up the inning with the second of his three hits and the next four Wolverines followed suit as LF Rob Bobeda (DeWitt, Mich./DeWitt HS), DH Mike Seestedt (Mt. Pleasant, Mich./Sacred Heart HS), Tousa and Scales added singles to make the score 8-6.
With one out, CF Brian Bush (Warren Ohio/Howland HS) hit a sacrifice fly and 1B Bryan Besco (Westland, Mich./John Glenn HS) followed with a two-out, two-run double to give Michigan a 9-8 lead.
Young worked a 1-2-3 eighth but the wheels fell off in EMU's winning rally in the ninth. The Eagles used a walk, an error, a double steal and an intentional walk to load the bases with one out. A fielder's choice kept the bases loaded with two outs and set up the wild finish.
Young struck out EMU DH Jason McGavin on a breaking pitch that eluded Parrish and the tying run scored on the wild pitch. Moore followed with his flyball single to right-center that dropped in as the game-winning hit.
Michigan (12-8 Big Ten, 3rd place) hosts Indiana (11-9, 4th place) in a crucial four-game Big Ten Conference series that starts with a single game Saturday (May 8) in Fisher Stadium. The series includes a Mother's Day doubleheader on Sunday (May 9) and concludes with a single game on Monday (May 10). Starting time each day is 1 p.m.
NOTES
• Sophomore catcher David Parrish went 3-for-5 at EMU and is hitting .625 (15-for-24) in his last six starts (3-for-4 vs. Notre Dame; 4-for-4, 3-for-4 and 0-for-3 vs. Michigan State; 2-for-4 at Ball State; and 3-for-5 at EMU). Parrish is now hitting .313 with six homers and 25 RBI.
• Career Hit Update: Senior co-captain Bobby Scales was the only one of the three active members in the 'M' career top 10 to collect a hit at EMU. With his two hits, Scales tied two-time All-American shortstop Barry Larkin (203 hits, 1993-85) for eighth place. Senior 3B Mike Cervenak (New Boston, Mich./Dearborn Divine Child HS) went 0-for-4 and still needs one hit to take the all-time hit lead from Ken Hayward (267, 1982-85). Senior RF Jason Alcaraz (0-for-4) is fourth on the all-time list with 249 hits, just five hits behind Jim Paciorek (254 hits, 1979-82).
• Senior 1B Bryan Besco's two-out, two-run double that capped off the five-run eighth at EMU was his team-leading 14th of the season and the 45th double of his career. He ranks seventh in career doubles and moved his 10th-ranked career RBI total to 134. His next targets are Barry Larkin, who is ninth with 136, and Jeff Jacobson (1980-83), who is eighth with 137.
