Wolverines Slip at OSU but Still Earn Playoff Berth

Sunday, May 13

Columbus, Ohio

1:05 PM

Michigan

26-26, 10-14

Ohio State

41-14, 20-7

Michigan

Ohio State

5/13/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State freshman LHP Josh Newman fanned a personal- and team-high 11 batters as the homestanding Buckeyes beat the Michigan baseball team 9-2 in the regular-season finale Sunday afternoon (May 13) at Bill Davis Stadium. Newman notched his eighth win of the season, allowing the Wolverines seven hits.

Despite the loss, the Wolverines still earned the sixth and final spot in the Big Ten Tournament due to Northwestern's 4-3 loss at Minnesota on Sunday. Michigan finished 10-14 (.417) in Big Ten play, while Northwestern was 11-17 (.407). The tournament starts Wednesday (May 16) and U-M will play host Ohio State, the Big Ten regular-season champion, at 7 p.m.

Sophomore RHP Tim Leveque (Northridge, Calif./Crespi HS) worked just 1.2 innings in the start, allowing four runs on three hits in the second inning. Leveque took the loss to even his record at 3-3. Sophomore LHP Rich Hill (Milton, Mass./Milton HS) replaced Leveque and worked 4.2 innings, allowing four runs, three earned. He fanned three to move his season total to a team-leading 63 strikeouts.

OSU's Newman fanned four in the first three innings before sophomore CF Blake Rutkowski (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South HS) collected the first Wolverine hit, a two-out single. However, Newman picked off Rutkowski so he faced the minimum nine batters through three innings.

The Wolverines (26-26, 10-14 Big Ten) reached the scoreboard without a hit in the fourth inning as sophomore LF Jordan Cantalamessa (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) reached on a walk, advanced to third on an error and scored on a sacrifice fly by freshman DH Jake Fox (Greenfield, Ind./Indianapolis Cathedral HS).

Michigan scored its second run in the seventh inning on singles by junior/sophomore 1B Nate Wright (Tinley Park, Ill./Andrew HS), sophomore RF Gino Lollio (Cape Coral, Fla./Mariner HS) and senior SS Bill LaRosa (Rochester, Mich./Adams HS).

The Buckeyes (41-14, 20-7 Big Ten) scored twice in the seventh and once in the eighth for the final margin.

N O T E S

Scott Tousa had one hit vs. OSU on Sunday, pushing his career hit total to 210 and moving him into eighth on the all-time Michigan hit list ahead of Tim Flannelly (209 hits, 1983-85). Next is Phil Price (215 hits, 1987-90).

Tousa added four career at bats Sunday to move his career at bat total to 680 and take over fourth place on U-M's career list, passing Jim Paciorek (677, 1979-82) and former teammate Bryan Besco (679, 1995-99) during the game.

Tousa became the ninth Wolverine to play 200 games.

Michigan's hitting leaders (for players with at least 80 at bats) after 52 games are: sophomore 3B Brock Koman (.376, 68-for-181); junior/sophomore 1B Nate Wright (.329, 50-for-152); sophomore OF Gino Lollio (.328, 39-for-119); senior 2B Scott Tousa (.319, 60-for-188); sophomore LF Jordan Cantalamessa (.308, 48-for-156); sophomore CF Blake Rutkowski (.305, 29-for-95); and freshman catcher Jake Fox (.297, 43-for-145).