Michigan
11-12
Bowling Green
14-8
Wright, Sokol Pace Wolverine Offense Over Falcons
4/3/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Junior/sophomore 1B Nate Wright (Tinley Park, Ill./Andrew HS) and junior/sophomore DH Mike Sokol (Sterling Heights, Mich./DeLaSalle HS) helped power Michigan to a 16-4 non-conference baseball win over Bowling Green (14-8) Tuesday (April 3) afternoon in Fisher Stadium.
Wright had a career day, going 4-for-5, scoring four times, driving in five runs and collecting his team-leading fifth home run of the season. Meanwhile, Sokol was 2-for-3 with a pair of triples. He leads the team with three three-baggers.
Michigan (11-12) scored five times in the first, chasing starter and losing pitcher Brett Baumgartner (2-2) before he retired a batter. Wright's two-run single proved to be the game-winning hit and Sokol followed with a two-run triple. Sokol continued around third to score on an error.
Sophomore/freshman OF Eric Esper (Grand Ledge, Mich./Grand Ledge HS) took advantage of his third career at bat as he smashed a long three-run homer to left while pinch-hitting for Sokol in the seventh inning.
The Wolverines used three pitchers in the game, with junior RHP Bobby Wood (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS), the middle man, getting the win. Wood (2-0) worked three hitless innings while striking our four batters.
Michigan starter Tim Leveque (Northridge, Calif./Crespi HS), expected to make his first Big Ten start this weekend against Indiana (April 8), worked the first four innings against BG in his first start of the season. Leveque has been "weathered out" of Big Ten starts vs. Iowa (cold) and Penn State (snow) the past two weekends.
Leveque allowed all four runs, but only BG's homer by catcher Tim Newell in the fourth inning was an earned run, the first allowed by him this season. Leveque is 1-1 with an ERA of 0.42 for 21.1 innings of work (16 strikeouts and one walk). Junior LHP Jeff Trzos (Farmington Hills, Mich./North Farmington HS) worked the final two innings and allowed one hit.
Michigan heads to Eastern Michigan for a single game Wednesday (April 4) at Oestrike Stadium. Sophomore LHP Rich Hill (Milton, Mass./Milton HS), who is 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA, is scheduled to start for the Wolverines.
N O T E S
Senior 2B Scott Tousa (Dallas, Texas/Lake Highlands HS) had an interesting game as he made six plate appearances but was officially 0-for-1 with four runs scored. He was hit by a pitch three times, walked and had a sacrifice bunt.
Michigan's hitting leaders (for players with at least 40 at bats) after 23 games are: sophomore OF Gino Lollio (Cape Coral, Fla./Mariner HS) at .447 (21-for-47); sophomore 3B Brock Koman (.368, 32-for-87); sophomore LF Jordan Cantalamessa (.366, 26-for-71); junior/sophomore 1B Nate Wright (.322, 19-for-59) and senior 2B Scott Tousa (.304, 24-for-79).
With his pinch homer Eric Esper is hitting .667 (2-for-3) and has a 1.667 slugging percentage with five total bases in three at bats.
Bobby Wood dropped his ERA to 2.40, and he has 16 strikeouts in his 15 innings of work.
Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Wood, Bobby (2-0)
L: Brett Baumgartner (2-2)
Batting:
HR: Tim Newell 1
RBI: Neil Schmitz 1 ; Tim Newell 1 ; Nick Schmidt 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Aric Christman 1 ; Nick Elrod 1 ; Scott Dukate 1 ; Tim Newell 1
Batting:
2B: Koman, Brock 1 ; Fox, Jake 1 ; French, Jordan 1 ; Jominy, Brandon 1
3B: Sokol, Mike 2
HR: Wright, Nate 1 ; Esper, Eric 1
RBI: Koman, Brock 3 ; Wright, Nate 5 ; Sokol, Mike 2 ; Esper, Eric 3 ; Fox, Jake 1 ; Ghannam, C.J. 1
SH: Tousa, Scott 1
SF: Koman, Brock 1 ; Wright, Nate 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Tousa, Scott 4 ; Cantalamessa, Jordan 1 ; Koman, Brock 3 ; Wright, Nate 4 ; Sokol, Mike 2 ; Esper, Eric 1 ; Jominy, Brandon 1
SB: Tousa, Scott 1 ; Ghannam, C.J. 1
CS: Ghannam, C.J. 1 ; French, Jordan 1
HBP: Tousa, Scott 3 ; Cantalamessa, Jordan 1 ; Jominy, Brandon 1
PO: Ghannam, C.J. 1
