Comebacks in Ninth, 10th Boost Michigan Over Illinois

Friday, April 27

Ann Arbor, Mich.

3:00 PM

Michigan

21-16, 7-6

Illinois

21-24, 8-12

Illinois

Michigan

Comebacks in Ninth, 10th Boost Michigan Over Illinois

4/27/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Sophomore 3B Brock Koman (Pueblo, Colo./South HS) lined a game-winning single to right-center as Michigan beat Illinois 11-10 in 10 innings Friday (April 27) at Ray Fisher Stadium. The game-winning hit was the third straight for Koman and his seventh of the season, and it capped an afternoon that featured a pair of late rallies as Michigan (21-16, 7-6 Big Ten) scored eight runs in the last two innings for the win.

Michigan scored three times in the ninth to tie the game at 6-6 and send the game into extra innings, then scored five runs in the bottom of the 10th inning after Illinois had taken a 10-6 lead.

Senior tri-captain LHP Nick Alexander (Alpena, Mich./Alpena HS) collected his second win of the season despite allowing the four runs in the 10th. He worked two inning in relief of starter junior RHP Bobby Korecky (Saline, Mich./Saline HS). Korecky, who had his streak of complete games snapped at six, left the game after eight innings trailing 5-3.

Illinois starter Andy Dickinson was in command most of the way as he was seeking his ninth win of the season against one defeat. He fanned nine Wolverines and in the first eight innings had only been touched for three runs.

Michigan collected the three runs in the sixth on a single by senior 2B Scott Tousa (Dallas, Texas/Lake Highlands HS), a run-scoring double by junior/sophomore DH Mike Sokol (Sterling Heights, Mich./DeLaSalle HS) and a two-run homer by Koman. Koman was 2-for-6 in the game, but he moved his team-leading RBI total to 44. Koman is hitting .404 (57-for-141) and has a nine-game hitting streak.

Illinois (21-24, 8-12 Big Ten) pounded out 18 hits in the loss, led by 1B Andy Schutzenhofer, who was 4-for-6 and scored four runs, and 3B Luke Simmons, who was 4-for-6 with a pair of doubles. CF Rob Fischer had a three-run homer in the 10th to push the Illinois lead to 10-6.

The Wolverine "rally heroes" were mostly the same people as sophomore RF Gino Lollio (Cape Coral, Fla./Mariner HS), freshman catcher Jake Fox (Greenfield, Ind./Indianapolis Cathedral HS) and sophomore CF Blake Rutkowski (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South HS) each scored in the ninth to tie and in the 10th to set up the win.

Sokol, who knocked in three runs in the game, tied the game at 6-6 with a groundout in the ninth and tied the game at 10-10 with a two-out single in the 10th to set up Koman's finish.

Senior SS Bill LaRosa (Rochester, Mich./Adams HS), who moved to second base to fill in for the injured Tousa in the eighth, saved the game on defense in the ninth when he kept the 11th Illinois run off the scoreboard on a 4-2 force at the plate, and he hustled to beat a potential game-ending double play in the 10th and later scored the tying run (10-10).

Freshman SS Brandon Jominy (Coral Springs, Fla./Westminster Academy), who replaced Tousa in the leadoff spot in the lineup, walked with the bases loaded in the ninth and kept the game going with a run-scoring single in the 10th. He also started a 6-3 line-drive double play to end the top of the 10th.

Michigan's only three hits in the winning rally in the 10th inning were consecutive singles by Jominy, Sokol and Koman -- the seventh, eighth and ninth batters in the inning.

Michigan hosts Illinois in a Big Ten doubleheader Saturday (April 28, 1 p.m.) at Ray Fisher Stadium, with sophomore RHP Tim Leveque (Northridge, Calif./Crespi HS) and junior RHP Bobby Wood (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) slated to start for the Wolverines. Leveque is 3-1 with an ERA of 0.79, while Wood enters the game with a 3-1 record (2.57 ERA).

N O T E S

Friday's Michigan-Illinois opener featured two of the top pitchers in the Big Ten, but neither Michigan's Bobby Korecky nor Illinois starter Andy Dickinson figured in the win. Korecky, who had his complete-game streak snapped at six games, worked eight innings and allowed six runs and 13 hits. Illini lefty Dickinson, shooting for his ninth win of the season, went eight innings plus two batters in the ninth and he left the game with a 6-3 lead. Dickinson allowed five runs on six hits and fanned nine. Korecky, who entered the game leading the Big Ten with a 2.07 ERA, had his season mark move to 2.43.

Korecky, who has 16 strikeouts in his last two starts, reached the century mark in career strikeouts. Korecky has 101 strikeouts in 48 career appearances.

Junior/sophomore 1B Nate Wright (Tinley Park, Ill./Andrew HS) had his hitting streak snapped at 14 games with an 0-for-5 day, and he was on deck when Brock Koman knocked in the winning run in the 10th inning.

Tri-captain Scott Tousa (Dallas, Texas/Lake Highlands HS) collected his 191st career hit, a bunt single in the sixth inning. He was safe at first on a bang-bang play in which he collided with the second baseman, and after scoring Michigan's first run of the game and playing defense in the top of the seventh, he was removed from the game. Tousa received stitches on his chin and was cleared for Saturday action. He returned to the dugout as Michigan was tying the game in the ninth inning.

Michigan's hitting leaders (for players with at least 67 at bats) after 37 games are: sophomore 3B Brock Koman (.404, 57-for-141); junior/sophomore 1B Nate Wright (.375, 42-for-112); sophomore OF Gino Lollio (.350, 28-for-80); senior 2B Scott Tousa (.318, 41-for-129); sophomore LF Jordan Cantalamessa (.299, 35-for-117); and senior/junior DH/1B Mike Sokol (.298, 31-for-104).

Big Ten Standings (after Friday's Games)

 1. Purdue 15-4 .789 2. Minnesota 15-5 .750 3. Ohio State 12-5 .706 4. Penn State 10-8 .556 5. MICHIGAN 7-6 .538 6. Northwestern 7-10 .412 7. Illinois 8-12 .400 8. Michigan State 6-12 .333 9. Iowa 5-13 .278 10. Indiana 3-13 .188

Friday Scores
Michigan 11, Illinois 10 (10 innings)
Northwestern 13, Iowa 2
Ohio State 7, Minnesota 2
Purdue 10, Indiana 6

Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423