Illinois Tops Wolverines Despite Four Hits by Parrish

Friday, April 7

Champaign, Ill.

6:35 PM CT

Michigan

9-16-1, 2-7

Illinois

21-8, 8-1

Michigan

Illinois

Illinois Tops Wolverines Despite Four Hits by Parrish

4/7/2000 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Illinois used a 15-hit attack to beat the University of Michigan baseball team 9-4 Friday night (April 7) at Illinois Field, playing in a steady mist most of the contest. The win kept the Illini (21-8, 8-1 Big Ten) in second place in the Big Ten Conference standings behind rained-out Minnesota (4-0 Big Ten), while Michigan (9-16-1) dropped to 2-7 in Big Ten play.

The game was the only complete game played in the Big Ten Friday, with bad weather keeping three of the weekend sets from even starting, while Penn State and Michigan State played two innings at MSU before the game was suspended with PSU leading 5-0.

Fighting Illini junior RHP Jason Anderson (6-1) recorded his sixth win of the season with an eight-hit complete game win, besting Michigan starter Nick Alexander (Alpena, Mich./Alpena HS). Alexander (1-1) worked four innings and allowed 11 hits and six runs (five earned).

Sophomore RHP Bobby Wood (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) pitched the final four innings with five strikeouts. He retired 10 of the first 11 batters he faced before allowing three runs with two outs in the eighth inning.

Junior catcher David Parrish (Yorba Linda, Calif./Esperanza HS) was the highlight on offense for the Wolverines as he was 4-for-4, collecting half the hits allowed by Anderson. Parrish extended his hitting streak to 10 games and jumped his batting average to a team-leading .337. He hit a pair of doubles and drove in three of Michigan's four runs.

Michigan closed the margin to 6-4 in the sixth inning as tri-captain Kevin Quinn (Midland, Mich./Midland HS) led off with a bunt single and moved to second on a single to right by junior SS Scott Tousa (Dallas, Texas/Lake Highlands HS). Freshman DH Brock Koman (Pueblo, Colo./South HS) moved the runners over with a sacrifice bunt and Parrish ripped a double down the leftfield line to drive in the two runs. Parrish upped his team-leading RBI total to 24.

Junior SS Chris Basak paced the Illini with a 4-for-5 game and a pair of doubles, while junior LF Rob Fischer had a 3-for-3 game. Basak and Fischer each drove in three runs.

Michigan and Illinois are slated to play a doubleheader -- a pair of seven-inning games -- Saturday (April 8, 4:05 p.m. CDT). Sophomore RHP Bobby Korecky (Saline, Mich./Saline HS) and junior RHP Vince Pistilli (Highland, Ind./Highland HS) are the probable starters for the Wolverines. Korecky is 2-1 (5.26 ERA) and Pistilli is 2-3 (4.73 ERA).

N O T E S

David Parrish's first-inning single extended his hit streak to 10 games. By going 4-for-4, Parrish collected the second four-hit game of his career (other was 4-for-4 game vs. Michigan State in 1999).

David Parrish leads the team in hitting (.337), homers (7) and RBI (24). He also leads Michigan in hitting in Big Ten play with a .429 average (15-for-35).

Michigan's leading hitters (minimum 30 at bats) after Friday's series opener at Illinois include: junior C David Parrish (.337, 30-for-89), freshman 3B/DH Brock Koman (.330, 31-for-94), senior OF Rob Bobeda (.305, 29-for-95), senior IF Kevin Quinn (.293, 17-for-58) and junior SS Scott Tousa (.258, 24-for-93).

Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423