Pistilli, Parrish Punish Musketeers Nine

Thursday, March 2

Jacksonville, Fla.

11:00 AM

Michigan

2-4

Xavier

3-7

Xavier

Michigan

3/2/2000 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Junior RHP Vince Pistilli (Highland, Ind./Highland HS) and junior All-America candidate David Parrish (Yorba Linda, Calif./Esperanza HS) led the University of Michigan baseball team to a 7-1 win over Xavier Thursday (March 2) in Kennel Club Classic play at Harmon Stadium on the campus of North Florida.

Pistilli (1-1) pitched six innings of three-hit baseball to record his first win of the season. He allowed one run while striking out three. Catcher Parrish paced the Wolverines with a 3-for-3 game that included his team-leading second homer of the season.

Michigan (2-4) scored four times in the third inning off Xavier starter and loser Jeff Barger, who is 0-2 on the season with both losses to the Wolverines. Senior/junior SS Bill LaRosa (Rochester, Mich./Adams HS) started the fourth-inning rally with a double to right-center, and he moved to third on a single by freshman CF Blake Rutkowski (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South HS). Freshman LF Jordan Cantalamessa (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) collected his first game-winning RBI with a single to left.

With two outs in the third, freshman DH Brock Koman (Pueblo, Colo./South HS) singled to center to drive in two runs. Parrish singled and senior tri-captain RF Rob Bobeda (DeWitt, Mich./DeWitt HS) dumped a double to center to score Koman with the final run of the rally.

Michigan added a pair of unearned runs in the fourth with tri-captain Kevin Quinn (Midland, Mich./Midland HS) making the score 6-0 with a run-scoring single.

Parrish led off the fifth with his liner over the 400-foot sign in dead center for a 7-0 lead.

Xavier snapped its string of scoreless inning vs. Michigan at 13 as 2B Eric Greenwell, who opened the sixth inning with a double, scored on the third 4-6-3 double play of the game turned by the Wolverines. Michigan beat Xavier 5-0 in a rain-shortened, eight-inning game on Sunday (Feb. 27).

The Wolverines play Central Michigan (0-0) on Friday (March 3, 11 a.m.) at Harmon Stadium, with freshman LHP Rich Hill (Milton, Mass./Milton HS) scheduled to make his first start as a Wolverine. Hill (0-0, 0.00 ERA) made his career debut working 3.1 innings vs. Jacksonville State in the season opener.

N O T E S

David Parrish collected his 16th career homer in the 7-1 win over Xavier and his 3-for-3 game marked his 20th career multiple-hit game and seventh three-hit outing.

After making 13 errors in five games, Michigan's defense tightened up Thursday vs. Xavier with no errors for the first time this season. The Wolverines turned three double plays for the second time in three games. Middle infielders SS Bill LaRosa and junior 2B Scott Tousa (Dallas, Texas/Lake Highlands HS) have each participated in seven of U-M's 10 DPs.

The three Wolverines with six starts in the first six games are senior tri-captain Rob Bobeda (RF-3, LF-2, CF-1), junior David Parrish (C-5, DH-1) and freshman Brock Koman (3B-4, DH-2).

Among players with at least 15 plate appearances, Jordan Cantalamessa (6-for-17) leads the Wolverines in hitting with a .353 batting average, followed by Brock Koman (.333, 8-for-24), David Parrish (.286, 6-for-21) and senior RF/1B Jay Dines (.267, 4-for-15).

Freshman Jordan Cantalamessa made his career debut in the outfield vs. Xavier and was 2-for-4 with his team-leading third double of the season. Cantalamessa has made five starts (DH-2, 2B-2, LF-1) and has a pair of two-hit games, a .450 on-base percentage and a .529 slugging percentage.

Five Wolverines pitchers have 0.00 ERAs, including senior LHP Bryan Cranson (1-0, 6 IP), freshman RHP Tim Leveque (0-0, 4.2 IP), freshman LHP Rich Hill (0-0, 3.1 IP), sophomore LHP Kirk Taylor (0-0, 2 IP) and sophomore LHP Jeff Trzos (0-0, 2 IP).

Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423