Big Innings Boost U-M to Sweep Over Siena Heights

Sunday, April 22

Ann Arbor, Mich.

1:00 PM

Michigan

19-16

Siena Heights

11-23

Siena Heights

Michigan

4/22/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Ray Fisher Stadium)
Scores: Michigan 12, Siena Heights 2; Michigan 13, Siena Heights 1
Records: U-M (20-16), SHU (11-24)
Next U-M Game: Friday, April 27 -- vs. Illinois (Ray Fisher Stadium), 3 p.m.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan baseball team took a break from final exams Sunday (April 22) and swept a non-conference doubleheader from Siena Heights, 12-2 and 13-1, at Ray Fisher Stadium. The twin wins allowed the Wolverines (20-16) to reach the 20-win plateau for the 27th consecutive season. Michigan last failed to gain 20 wins in 1974 (18-14-1).

Michigan used a pair of big innings in the doubleheader, scoring eight runs in the third inning of game one and six runs in the first inning of the second game vs. Siena Heights (11-24).

The Wolverines scored eight runs in the third inning of the opener as junior/sophomore DH Mike Sokol (Sterling Heights, Mich./DeLaSalle HS) crushed his third homer of the season and the first grand slam of his career. Sophomore 3B Brock Koman (Pueblo, Colo./South HS) followed Sokol's blast with a solo homer as the back-to-back blasts highlighted the first-game rally.

Sophomore CF Blake Rutkowski (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South HS) also paced the season-high 18-hit attack in the opener for Wolverines, going 4-for-4 and scoring three runs, while freshman catcher Jake Fox (Greenfield, Ind./Indianapolis Cathedral HS) had a double and a single in the third inning.

Freshman RHP Jim Brauer (Carmel, Ind./Carmel HS), the second of five Wolverine pitchers in the nine-inning opener, earned the win. Brauer pitched two innings and allowing two runs, after junior RHP Bobby Wood (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) pitched three shutout innings. There was a 1:50 rain delay following Wood's three-inning stint.

Sophomore RHP Tim Leveque (Northridge, Calif./Crespi HS) took the win in game two as he pitched the fourth and fifth innings after sophomore LHP Rich Hill (Milton, Mass./Milton HS) worked three scoreless innings to open the game.

In the first inning of the second game leadoff hitter Gino Lollio (Cape Coral, Fla./Mariner HS) had a pair of singles as 11 batters came to the plate and six scored. Sophomore catcher Alex Coleman (Dallas, Texas/Lake Highlands HS) launched his first career homer, a three-run shot, in the fourth inning of the second game.

Michigan finishes off final exams and the Wolverines return to Big Ten action next Friday (April 27, 3 p.m.), hosting Illinois with junior RHP Bobby Korecky (Saline, Mich./Saline HS) scheduled to start. Korecky is 5-2 with a 2.07 ERA after pitching two scoreless innings in the opener vs. Siena Heights.

N O T E S

Michigan's eight-run third inning in the opener vs. Siena Heights was the biggest inning of the season for the Wolverines. The previous high was seven runs in the fourth inning at Western Michigan (April 11). The rally came after a rain delay that lasted nearly two hours (1:50) with Michigan leading 3-0 in the middle of the third inning.

The grand slam homer by junior/sophomore DH Mike Sokol in the eight-run third inning was the first Michigan grand slam home run in Ray Fisher Stadium since Matt Copp's slam vs. Northwestern in 1993 (5/9/93). The last U-M slam had been hit by catcher Mike Seestedt at San Diego (2/27/99).

When sophomore 3B Brock Koman followed Sokol's grand slam with a solo homer, it marked Michigan's first back-to-back home runs in Fisher Stadium since Mike Cervenak and Derek Besco went back-to-back in 1996 (4/6/96) vs. Minnesota. Michigan's last back-to-back had been at Houston in 1998 with David Parrish and Brian Kalczynski hitting the homers (3/8/98).

Junior/sophomore 1B Nate Wright (Tinley Park, Ill./Andrew HS) extended his hitting streak to 14 games with two hits in each game vs. Siena Heights.

Koman collected the game-winning RBI in each game of the doubleheader, moving his team-leading total to six and snapping his tie at four with Wright. Koman's first "gamer" was a 6-3 grounder scoring Tousa in the bottom of the first inning. Koman's second-game "gamer" was a first-inning sacrifice fly.

Tri-captain Scott Tousa (Dallas, Texas/Lake Highlands HS) collected his 52nd career multiple-hit game, going 2-for-5 in the opener vs. Siena Heights. Tousa then sat out the second game of the doubleheader for his first game off of the year.

Michigan's hitting leaders (for players with at least 65 at bats) after 36 games are: sophomore 3B Brock Koman (.407, 55-for-135); junior/sophomore 1B Nate Wright (.393, 42-for-107); sophomore OF Gino Lollio (.364, 28-for-77); senior 2B Scott Tousa (.315, 40-for-127); sophomore LF Jordan Cantalamessa (.301, 34-for-113) and senior/junior CF C.J. Ghannam (.296, 21-for-71).

Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423