Eagles Use Dramatic Homer to Slip Past Wolverines

Wednesday, May 3

Ypsilanti, Mich.

7:00 PM

Michigan

15-26-1

Eastern Michigan

16-31

Michigan

Eastern Michigan

5/3/2000 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

YPSILANTI, Mich. -- Junior SS Nick Soliz saved his best for last as he hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to give host Eastern Michigan a 9-8 win over the University of Michigan baseball team on Wednesday (May 3) in the first night game ever played in EMU's Oestrike Stadium.

Soliz was 0-for-4 heading into his game-winning at bat for the Eagles (16-31), but blasted the ball way over the leftfield fence off Michigan sophomore RHP Bobby Wood (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) for his third homer of the year. Wood (0-4) entered the game in the bottom of the ninth and, after getting the first batter, walked EMU CF Vincent Thomas on four pitches. Soliz hit his homer on the next pitch.

The Wolverines (15-26-1) had some exceptional moments, but came up short at the end of the game. EMU senior RHP Sean Harrington (5-3), making his second relief appearance of the season, worked 3.2 innings for the win.

Sophomore 1B Jeff Trzos (Farmington Hills, Mich./North Farmington HS) went 3-for-3 and hit the first two home runs of his Wolverine career. Trzos, who jumped his batting average 49 points in the game to .271, became the first Wolverine to score four times in a game this season. He homered in the fourth inning to give Michigan a 5-1 lead and added another solo shot in the sixth inning to make the score 6-2. Trzos, a lefty, hit both homers off EMU LHP Jeremy Nordquist.

After allowing EMU an unearned in the first inning, Wolverine starter junior RHP Vince Pistilli (Highland, Ind./Highland HS) retired the last seven batters he faced in his three-inning stint. Pistilli lowered his ERA to 4.06 heading into the Michigan State series (May 5-7).

The Wolverines scored four times in the second inning with senior LF Rob Bobeda (DeWitt, Mich./DeWitt HS) launching his team-leading ninth homer to lead off the second inning. It was Bobeda's third homer in two days; in fact, his third homer in five at bats.

Senior 3B Kevin Quinn (Midland, Mich./Midland HS) gave the Wolverines a 2-1 lead with a two-out bases loaded swinging bunt and Jr. SS Scott Tousa (Dallas, Texas/Lake Highlands HS) followed with a two-run double and the score was 4-1.

Senior LHP Bryan Cranson (Bronson, Mich./Bronson HS) replaced Pistilli in the fourth inning and was touched for a homer by CF Thomas with two outs in the fifth, but the second Trzos homer made it 6-2 heading to the bottom of the sixth. The first four Eagles in the sixth collected hits off Cranson. EMU sophomore LF Greg Anglin (3-for-4 in the game) highlighted the rally with a run-scoring triple.

Freshman RHP Brad McCloskey (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Brother Rice HS) replaced Cranson and later in the sixth inning gave up a two-run single to Thomas to give EMU the lead, 7-6. McCloskey picked off Thomas to end the inning.

Quinn, who had a career-best four hits (4-for-5), opened the seventh with a single and scored on a double by junior catcher David Parrish (Yorba Linda, Calif./Esperanza HS). Trzos singled to lead off the eighth inning and scored the potential winning run on Quinn's fourth hit of the game. Meanwhile, freshman LHP Rich Hill (Milton, Mass./Milton HS) retired six of the seven batters he faced in the seventh and eighth innings.

Michigan opens the weekend series vs. Michigan State on Friday (May 5, 3 p.m.) in Ray Fisher Stadium with junior LHP Nick Alexander (Alpena, Mich./Alpena HS) on the mound. Alexander, who picked up his third career save on Tuesday (May 2) vs. Oakland, is 2-2 (3.98 ERA).

N O T E S

Senior tri-captain Rob Bobeda (DeWitt, Mich./DeWitt HS), playing is his 143rd career game, was 2-for-4 with a homer to grab the team lead with nine round-trippers. He has 35 career multiple-hit games and 17 career homers and pushed his career hit total to 130. Bobeda is tied with David Parrish for the team lead with 50 hits.

The two homers hits by 1B/DH/LHP Jeff Trzos vs. EMU mark the second time in two days and the fourth time this season that a Wolverine has hit two homers in a game. Rob Bobeda hit a pair of homers in a game twice this season, vs. the University of Miami (3/19) and vs. Oakland (5/2). David Parrish hit two homers at Indiana (4/2). Trzos had 10 hits and three runs scored before his 3-for-3, two homers and four runs scored at EMU.

Freshman LHP Rich Hill fanned three of the six batters he retired to move his team strikeout lead to 44 in 33.1 innings. His 11.96 strikeouts per nine innings pitched leads the Big Ten Conference.

Junior SS Scott Tousa (Dallas, Texas/Lake Highlands HS) singled in the first inning vs. Eastern Michigan to extend his hitting streak to seven games. He has hits in 15 of his last 16 games. Tousa was 2-for-4 vs. EMU to push his season hit total to 47, passing his previous season best of 46 set in 1999.

Michigan's leading hitters (minimum 75 plate appearances) after Wednesday's game vs. Eastern Michigan include: David Parrish (.355, 50-for-141); senior OF Rob Bobeda (.314, 50-for-159); junior SS/2B Scott Tousa (.299, 47-for-157); freshman 1B/3B/DH Brock Koman (.297, 43-for-145) and senior 3B Kevin Quinn (.294, 32-for-109).

Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423