Illinois Gains Weekend Split Behind Vorwald Four-Hitter

Sunday, April 29

Ann Arbor, Mich.

1:00 PM

Michigan

22-18, 8-8

Illinois

23-25, 10-13

Illinois

Michigan

Illinois Gains Weekend Split Behind Vorwald Four-Hitter

4/29/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Illinois junior RHP Matt Vorwald, who suffered a blown save in the series opener, bounced back to toss a four-hitter and beat Michigan 5-1 in Big Ten Conference baseball action Sunday afternoon (April 29) at Ray Fisher Stadium. Vorwald (4-3) notched his first career complete game in the win for Illinois (23-25, 10-13 Big Ten). The Wolverines (22-18) dropped back to .500 in Big Ten play with an 8-8 record.

Sophomore RF Gino Lollio (Cape Coral, Fla./Mariner HS) collected half of the Wolverine hits in the series finale, including a double for the first Michigan hit, opening the fifth inning.

Trailing 3-0 the Wolverines tried for some two-out magic in the seventh inning as Lollio singled to right and advanced to third as freshman catcher Jake Fox (Greenfield, Ind./Indianapolis Cathedral HS) followed with the third hit of the afternoon. Sophomore LF Jordan Cantalamessa (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) lined the first pitch he saw into the leftfield corner for a run-scoring double and the Wolverines had the tying runs in scoring position. However, Vorwald retired freshman SS Brandon Jominy (Coral Springs, Fla./Westminster Academy) on a foul pop to end the threat.

Illinois added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the eighth for the final margin.

Sophomore LHP Rich Hill (Milton, Mass./Milton HS) worked the first seven innings, allowing seven hits and three runs. He fanned seven to push his team-leading season total to 56 in 45.2 innings. Senior LHP Nick Alexander (Alpena, Mich./Alpena HS) worked a third of an inning and was charged with two runs in the eighth inning, and junior LHP Jeff Trzos (Farmington Hills, Mich./North Farmington HS) pitched the final 1.2 innings.

Michigan will face nationally ranked Notre Dame Tuesday night (May 1, 7:30 p.m.) in the annual "Baseball Bash" at Old Kent Park in Comstock, Mich., outside Grand Rapids.

N O T E S

Senior SS Bill LaRosa (Rochester, Mich./Adams HS) missed Sunday's contest and is "day to day" heading into the final two weekends of Big Ten play vs. archrivals Michigan State (May 4-6) and Ohio State (May 11-13).

Michigan's hitting leaders (for players with at least 70 at bats) after 40 games are: sophomore 3B Brock Koman (.395, 58-for-147); junior/sophomore 1B Nate Wright (.350, 43-for-123); sophomore OF Gino Lollio (.344, 31-for-90); senior 2B Scott Tousa (.303, 43-for-139); and sophomore LF Jordan Cantalamessa (.296, 37-for-125).

In Big Ten action the Wolverines' hitting leaders are Koman (.389), Fox (.362) and junior/sophomore DH Mike Sokol (.357).

Big Ten Standings (after Sunday's Games)

 1. Ohio State 15-5 .750 2. Purdue 16-6 .727 3. Minnesota 15-8 .652 4. Penn State 10-8 .556 5. MICHIGAN 8-8 .500 6. Illinois 10-13 .435 7. Northwestern 8-12 .400 8. Michigan State 6-12 .333 Iowa 7-14 .333 10. Indiana 5-14 .263

Sunday Scores
Illinois 5, Michigan 1
Iowa 9, Northwestern 2
Ohio State 5, Minnesota 1
Indiana 14, Purdue 7

Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423