Rain, Plane Contribute to Tie Between U-M and Miami

Sunday, March 19

Miami, Fla.

1:00 PM

Michigan

6-8-1

Miami (Fla.)

19-8-1

Michigan

Miami

3/19/2000 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

CORAL GABLES, Fla. -- Senior tri-captain Rob Bobeda's (DeWitt, Mich./DeWitt HS) second homer of the game, leading off the ninth inning, gave the University of Michigan baseball team a 6-6 tie against Miami Sunday afternoon (March 19) at Mark Light Stadium. The contest completed a three-game series between the Wolverines (6-8-1) and Hurricanes (18-8-1).

After the start of the game was delayed 43 minutes by rain, the teams played 10 innings before the contest was stopped due to Michigan's travel plans, with no inning starting after 4:45 p.m.

Bobeda, who was 4-for-5 Sunday, had the best weekend of his career for the Wolverines. He went 8-for-13 (.615) with two doubles, two homers, five runs scored and four RBI in the series against the defending national champions. Bobeda, who leads the team with five homers, jumped his batting average 83 points in the series to .333. It was his first career four-hit game for the Wolverines, his sixth multiple-hit game of the season and the 27th of his career.

The Wolverines held the early lead, scoring an unearned run in the first inning and scoring twice in the third on a two-run homer by junior catcher David Parrish (Yorba Linda, Calif./Esperanza HS), his fourth homer of the year and 18th of his career.

Senior LHP Bryan Cranson (Bronson, Mich./Bronson HS) worked 6.1 innings and held a 5-2 lead heading to the seventh inning, but he walked the bases loaded with one out and Miami freshman first baseman Danny Matienzo hit a grand slam homer off freshman LHP Rich Hill (Milton, Mass./Milton HS) to give the Hurricanes a 6-5 lead.

Cranson (2-1, 5.96 ERA), allowed eight hits and five runs (all earned) with five strikeouts and five walks. Junior LHP Nick Alexander (Alpena, Mich./Alpena HS) replaced Hill and retired the last 10 Hurricane batters of the game to preserve the tie.

Bobeda led off the ninth with his second homer of the game, touching Miami closer Luke DeBold, to tie the game at 6-6.

The Wolverines had a chance in the 10th when junior 2B Scott Tousa (Dallas, Texas/Lake Highland HS) doubled with two outs, his second double of the game, but he was stranded as tri-captain Kevin Quinn's (Midland, Mich./Midland HS) long flyball to left was caught for the final out.

With the time running out, Alexander notched his third strikeout of the game to open the bottom of the 10th inning and collected a grounder and covered first base himself unassisted to end the game.

Michigan opens the home portion of the schedule Wednesday (March 22, 3 p.m.) hosting Washtenaw County rival Eastern Michigan with Hill (1-1, 7.50 ERA) on the mound. The Wolverines open Big Ten Conference play this weekend (March 24-26), hosting Minnesota in Ray Fisher Stadium. The opener is Friday (March 24) at 3 p.m.

N O T E S

The tie is the 37th all-time for the Wolverines and the first since a 7-7 tie at Baylor in 1998 when the game was halted by rain in the 10th inning.

Tri-captain Kevin Quinn extended his career-best hitting streak to eight games with a pair of singles vs. Miami on Sunday. Tri-captain Rob Bobeda moved his hitting streak to seven games and freshman Brock Koman (Pueblo, Colo./South HS) moved his streak to six games. Freshman RF Gino Lollio (Cape Coral, Fla./Mariner HS) had his streak snapped at five games.

Rob Bobeda, one of three Wolverines to start all 15 games in 2000, has already matched his career-best homer output of five in 1999. He hit his five 1999 homers in 53 games.

Michigan's leading hitters heading into the home opener include freshman 3B Brock Koman (.410, 25-for-62), senior OF Rob Bobeda (.333, 19-for-57), junior 2B Scott Tousa (.294, 15-for-51), senior 3B/SS Kevin Quinn (.294, 10-for-34) and junior C David Parrish (.278, 15-for-54).

Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423