Keystone Combo, Alexander Lead U-M Past Hawkeyes

Friday, May 12

Ann Arbor, Mich.

3:00 PM

Michigan

19-30-1, 9-16

Iowa

17-34, 9-16

Iowa

Michigan

5/12/2000 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Junior 2B Scott Tousa (Dallas, Texas/Lake Highlands HS) went 3-for-4 and hit a two-run homer that led to Michigan's 6-2 Big Ten Conference baseball win over Iowa on Friday afternoon (May 12) at Ray Fisher Stadium.

The win kept the Wolverines (19-30-1, 9-16 Big Ten) alive in the Big Ten playoff race and pulled them into a tie for seventh place with the visiting Hawkeyes (17-34, 9-16 Big Ten). The Wolverines will have to wait until Saturday for a final score from Northwestern, where the host Wildcats held an 11-6 lead over Penn State in the eighth inning before play was suspended by rain. A Northwestern win would eliminate Michigan from postseason play.

Junior LHP Nick Alexander (Alpena, Mich./Alpena HS) pitched a seven-hitter to record his fourth win of the season. Alexander allowed just two runs in the third inning as he hurled his third nine-inning complete game of the season and lowered his ERA to a team-leading 3.10.

The Wolverines scored quickly off Iowa freshman RHP Nick Jensen (3-5) as Tousa beat out a bunt single and scored on a double by junior catcher David Parrish (Yorba Linda, Calif./Esperanza HS). The Hawkeyes managed to get four of their seven hits in the third inning after two outs, with sophomore 1B Brad Carlson driving in both runs with a single to right.

The lead was short-lived as Michigan used a single by freshman CF Blake Rutkowski (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South HS) and the Tousa homer to regain the lead at 3-2. The homer was the fourth of the season for Tousa and his first career homer at Ray Fisher Stadium.

Michigan added a run in the fifth as Tousa walked, stole second base and moved to third on a single by senior/junior SS Bill LaRosa (Rochester, Mich./Adams HS). Parrish knocked in Tousa with his team-leading fifth sacrifice fly of the season.

The final two runs came in the sixth inning as the Wolverines loaded the bases on singles by sophomore 1B Jeff Trzos (Farmington Hills, Mich./North Farmington HS), sophomore RF C.J. Ghannam (Farmington, Mich./Harrison HS) and a sac bunt by senior 3B Kevin Quinn (Midland, Mich./Midland HS). Quinn reach first on a throwing error by the pitcher Jensen. Rutkowski drove in Trzos with a sacrifice fly and LaRosa knocked in Ghannam with a two-out bunt single.

LaRosa was 3-for-4 vs. Iowa, the second three-hit game of his Wolverine career. Iowa freshman catcher Brad Husz was 2-for-3 to lead the Hawkeye attack.

Michigan is slated to play a pair of Big Ten games vs. Iowa on Saturday (May 13) with sophomore RHP Bobby Korecky (Saline, Mich./Saline HS) and junior RHP Vince Pistilli (Highland, Ind./Highland HS) on the mound for the Wolverines. Korecky is 4-3 (3.83 ERA) and Pistilli is 4-5 (3.79).

N O T E S

Junior LHP Nick Alexander tossed his third Big Ten complete game in the win over Iowa. Alexander, who lowered his overall ERA to a team-leading 3.10, has complete-game wins over Ohio State, Michigan State and Iowa. Alexander's big stat is 35 strikeouts and just eight walks in his 61 innings.

Junior 2B Scott Tousa's first-inning single extended his hitting streak to 14 games. Tousa has hits in 22 of his last 23 games, while junior catcher David Parrish's RBI double in the first extended his hit streak to 10 games. Parrish has had hits in 29 of his last 32 games. Tousa, with three hits in the Iowa opener, has taken a 61-59 edge in the overall hit race with Parrish.

Michigan's leading hitters (minimum 110 plate appearances) after Friday's game vs. Iowa include: David Parrish (.360, 59-for-164); junior SS/2B Scott Tousa (.330, 61-for-185); senior OF Rob Bobeda (.311, 55-for-177); freshman 1B/3B/DH Brock Koman (.298, 51-for-171) and senior 3B Kevin Quinn (.293, 36-for-123).

Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423