Illini Top Wolverines, Parrish Extends Hit Streak

Sunday, April 9

Champaign, Ill.

1:05 PM CT

Michigan

10-18-1, 3-9

Illinois

23-9, 10-2

Michigan

Illinois

4/9/2000 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Illinois junior LHP Mitch Walk fired his first complete game of the season and struck out a career-best 12 batters to beat Michigan 7-4 in the final game of the Big Ten Conference baseball weekend series at Illinois Field on Sunday (April 9). Walk (2-1) allowed 10 hits, but fanned 12. U-M senior LHP Bryan Cranson (Bronson, Mich./Bronson HS) took the loss, going 3.1 innings and dropping his record to 2-4.

The Wolverines (10-18-1, 3-9 Big Ten) battled behind the hitting of freshman CF Blake Rutkowski (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South HS), who went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and knocked in three runs. Junior catcher David Parrish (Yorba Linda, Calif./Esperanza HS) was 2-for-3 and collected his fourth double of the series. Parrish, who had nine hits on the weekend, extended his career-best hitting streak to 13 games.

Illinois 3B Craig Marquie paced the offense, going 4-for-5 with four RBI. He snapped a 3-3 tie with a two-run single in the fourth inning and he added insurance with a two-run homer in the sixth.

In the ninth inning the Wolverines collected three hits with Rutkowski getting a single, but he was erased on a 5-4-3 double play. Junior 2B Scott Tousa (Dallas, Texas/Lake Highlands HS), who had two hits in the game, singled and Parrish followed with a long double to left, but Walk fanned senior LF Rob Bobeda (DeWitt, Mich./DeWitt HS) for the fourth time in the game for the final out. The excitement continued as the ball rolled away from the catcher, but Bobeda was out on a bang-bang play at first.

Michigan hosts Ball State on Tuesday (April 11, 3 p.m.) in a single game at Ray Fisher Stadium with sophomore LHP Kirk Taylor (Farmington Hills, Mich./North Farmington HS) listed as the probable starter. Taylor is 0-0 with a 3.38 ERA.

N O T E S

David Parrish extended his hitting streak to a career-best 13 games with a hit in the fifth inning. Parrish was hit by a pitch in his first two at bats.

Parrish was 9-for-13 in the Illinois series with four doubles, and in his last five games vs. Illinois over two seasons he has 12 hits with five doubles and two homers. Parrish leads the team in hitting (.357), hits (35), homers (7) and RBI (25).

Michigan's leading hitters (minimum 60 at bats) after Sunday's game at Illinois include: David Parrish (.357, 35-for-98), freshman 1B/3B/DH Brock Koman (.308, 32-for-104), senior OF Rob Bobeda (.292, 31-for-106), senior IF Kevin Quinn (.275, 19-for-69) and junior SS Scott Tousa (.257, 27-for-105). Koman (Pueblo, Colo./South HS) saw action at first base Sunday.

Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423