Nittany Lions Outduel Wolverines in Pitchers' Battle

Friday, March 30

Ann Arbor, Mich.

3:00 PM

Michigan

10-10, 1-1

Penn State

10-15, 3-1

Penn State

Michigan

3/30/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Penn State took the opening game of the Big Ten Conference home-opening series for the University of Michigan by a 2-1 margin Friday afternoon (March 30) at Ray Fisher Stadium, with LHP Dan McCall getting the win over Wolverine junior RHP Bobby Korecky (Saline, Mich./Saline HS).

Penn State (10-15, 3-1 Big Ten) used a pair of back-to-back doubles in the top of the ninth by catcher Chris Netwall and SS Willie Melendez to snap a 1-1 tie for the victory. Michigan (10-10, 1-1 Big Ten) played a solid defense to frustrate the Nittany Lions, throwing two PSU runners out at the plate and another at third base.

Penn State scored the first run of the game in the sixth inning with Donnie Wright driving in the run with an infield grounder after Zack Smithlin and Chris Wright opened the inning with a single and a double. Both of the PSU Wrights went 2-for-3 and each had two doubles, while catcher Netwall had a 3-for-4 game.

Michigan freshman catcher Jake Fox (Greenfield, Ind./Indianapolis Cathedral HS) was 2-for-4 and hit the first home run of his Wolverine career. The two-out homer tied the game in the seventh inning.

McCall (2-0), who dropped his ERA to 2.90, retired the last five Wolverines to collect the win and he notched three of his five strikeouts in the eighth and ninth innings. Korecky dropped his ERA to 2.32 while tossing his fourth complete game. Korecky has had starts that were 0-0 in the fifth (Penn State), sixth (South Florida) and seventh (McNeese State) this season.

The Wolverines will host Penn State in a doubleheader Saturday (March 31, 1 p.m.) with senior LHP Nick Alexander (Alpena, Mich./Alpena HS) and freshman RHP Jim Brauer (Carmel, Ind./Carmel HS) schedule to start. Alexander is 1-2 (5.40 ERA) while Brauer is 1-0 (3.38).

N O T E S

Michigan's hitting leaders (for players with at least 30 at bats) after 20 games are: sophomore OF Gino Lollio (.447, 21-for-47); sophomore LF Jordan Cantalamessa (.377, 23-for-61); sophomore 3B Brock Koman (.364, 28-for-77); senior 2B Scott Tousa (.301, 22-for-73); and junior/sophomore 1B Nate Wright (.292, 14-for-48).

Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423