Fourth-Inning Rallies Fuel Wolverine Sweep of Buckeyes

Saturday, April 15

Ann Arbor, Mich.

1:00 PM

Michigan

12-19-1, 5-9

Ohio State

22-13, 4-6

Ohio State

Michigan

Fourth-Inning Rallies Fuel Wolverine Sweep of Buckeyes

4/15/2000 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Ray Fisher Stadium)
Scores: Michigan 2-3, Ohio State 1-2
Records: U-M (13-19-1, 6-9 Big Ten), OSU (22-14, 4-7 Big Ten)
Next U-M Game: Sunday, April 16 -- vs. Ohio State (Ray Fisher Stadium), 1 p.m.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan baseball team scored only in the fourth inning Saturday (April 15) but it was enough to sweep a doubleheader from archrival Ohio State, 2-1 and 3-2, in Big Ten Conference action at Ray Fisher Stadium. With the sweep on Saturday the Wolverines (12-19-1, 6-9 Big Ten) vaulted from eighth place to a tie for fifth in the Big Ten standings.

Sophomore RHP Bobby Korecky (Saline, Mich./Saline HS) pitched his second straight Big Ten complete game in the opener for the Wolverines. Korecky (4-1) allowed seven hits and retired seven of the last eight Ohio State (22-14, 4-7 Big Ten) batters. Senior LF Jason Driscoll doubled with one out in the seventh, but Korecky retired the last two batters, including a strikeout of OSU's Mike Check to end the game.

Both Michigan runs in the opener were unearned off OSU's tough-luck starter and loser Kevin Goodrum (4-3). Junior All-America candidate catcher David Parrish (Yorba Linda, Calif./Esperanza HS), who extended his hitting streak to 17 games with hits in both ends of the doubleheader, led off Michigan's first-game fourth with a single. Parrish advance to second base on a sacrifice bunt by senior RF Jay Dines (Albuquerque, N.M./Sandia HS).

Parrish made a dash for third base on a grounder to short by freshman DH Brock Koman (Pueblo, Colo./South HS). OSU shortstop Trent McIlvain's throw to third eluded John Mayor and the ball ended up in the Buckeye dugout, allowing Parrish to score as Koman advanced to second base. Koman scored the second run on an error for a 2-0 lead and the lead held up with OSU scoring once in the fifth inning.

Junior RHP Vince Pistilli (Highland, Ind./Highland HS) recorded the win in game two, working the first six innings. Pistilli moved his record to 3-4 on the season and lowered his ERA to 3.86 as only one of the runs he allowed was earned.

The Buckeyes grabbed a 1-0 lead in the third inning of the second game with veteran Chad Ehrnsberger collecting a two-out RBI single after 3B Mayor had reached on an error and advanced on a passed ball.

OSU sophomore RHP Brandon Steen allowed just one hit in the first three innings, but Michigan collected five straight hits for the winning rally in the fourth. Junior SS Scott Tousa (Dallas, Texas/Lake Highland HS) doubled to center with one out and he advanced to third on a checked-swing infield single by Parrish. Sophomore 1B/LHP Jeff Trzos (Farmington Hills, Mich./North Farmington HS), who recorded his second save of the season with a 1-2-3 seventh inning, singled to right to tie the game at 1-1. Dines singled to left, scoring Parrish, and freshman 2B Jordan Cantalamessa (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) delivered the final run of the inning with a sacrifice fly.

Pistilli lived on the edge as he escaped situations that included a leadoff double in the fourth and runners on first and second with no outs in the fifth. OSU cut the margin to 3-2 with a run on the sixth as freshman 1B Nick Swisher, 3-for-6 in the doubleheader, singled and advanced on a groundout, a wild pitch and scored on another groundout. Trzos replaced Pistilli at the start of the seventh and retired the three batters he faced.

Michigan hosts Ohio State on Sunday (April 16, 1 p.m.) in a Big Ten single game to close out the weekend series at Ray Fisher Stadium with sophomore RHP Bobby Wood (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) listed as the probable starter. Wood is 0-2 with a 7.65 ERA.

N O T E S

Michigan's three wins over Ohio State are the most in a weekend series since 1989 when OSU won the opener 5-4 and the Wolverines won the next three 10-4, 5-2 and 14-2.

David Parrish extended his hitting streak to a career-best 17 games in the sweep vs. Ohio State. He doubled in the first inning of the opener and had an infield single in Michigan's three-run fourth-inning rally in game two. Parrish leads the team in hitting (.389), hits (42), homers (8), RBI (28), slugging (.685) and on-base percentage (.465). Parrish is hitting .500 (26-for-52) in Big Ten play.

Bobby Korecky (4-1) recorded his third complete game of the season and his second in back-to-back Big Ten starts (at Illinois, vs. OSU). Michigan's pitching staff had one complete game in the first 26 games (Korecky vs. Duquesne) and has four in the last six games (Korecky and Vince Pistilli at Illinois and Nick Alexander and Korecky vs. Ohio State).

Freshman OF Blake Rutkowski (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South HS) collected three consecutive putouts in center field in the fifth inning of game two after Ohio State put the first two runners on in the inning.

Michigan's leading hitters (minimum 65 plate appearances) after Saturday's doubleheader vs. OSU include: David Parrish (.389, 42-for-108); freshman 1B/3B/DH Brock Koman (.301, 34-for-113); senior OF Rob Bobeda (.283, 34-for-120); junior SS/2B Scott Tousa (.275, 33-for-120); Blake Rutkowski (.270, 17-for-63) and senior 3B Kevin Quinn (.256, 21-for-282).

Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423