Wood Fans 10, Tousa Homers Twice in Win Over Purdue

Thursday, May 17

Columbus, Ohio

7:05 PM

Michigan

27-27

Purdue

32-23

Purdue

Michigan

5/17/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Senior 2B Scott Tousa (Dallas, Texas/Lake Highlands HS) blasted two homers and junior RHP Bobby Wood (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) fanned a career-high 10 as Michigan beat Purdue 10-2 Thursday night (May 17) in a Big Ten Tournament elimination game in Bill Davis Stadium. It was the first meeting between the teams since March 23, 1997.

Wood (5-3) pitched his third complete game of the season and the first nine-inning complete game as a Wolverine as he allowed the second-seeded Boilermakers just two runs and dropped his ERA to 2.57. Wood struck out the side in the first inning and collected inning-ending strikeouts in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings with runners in scoring position.

Tousa had homers in the seventh and eighth innings of the game and finished with four RBI including the game-winner.

Purdue catcher David Harrell opened the second inning with a homer to right-center, his sixth of the year and it was 1-0 for Purdue for four innings. Michigan senior SS Bill LaRosa (Rochester, Mich./Adams HS) collected the first Michigan hit of the game, a one-out triple in the third inning, but he was left stranded on third.

Michigan (27-27) reached the scoreboard in the fifth inning, scoring five runs on four hits and a pair of Purdue errors. Junior LF Jordan Cantalamessa (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) opened the frame with a single and moved to third on a sac bunt by junior/sophomore 1B Nate Wright (Tinley Park, Ill./Andrew HS) and a wild pitch. Senior OF C.J. Ghannam (Farmington, Mich./Harrison HS) singled to right to tie the game at 1-1.

Tousa was credited with a run-scoring single when his bases-loaded bid for extra bases was knocked down by an outfielder. Michigan's fourth hit of the five-run inning was a two-run single by catcher Jake Fox (Greenfield, Ind./Indianapolis Cathedral HS).

Tousa opened the seventh with a homered to right, his third of the season. Sokol followed with a walk and scored on a double by sophomore 3B Brock Koman (Pueblo, Colo./South HS) and Cantalamessa singled in Koman. Koman's double chased Purdue's starter Chadd Blasko (6-6).

With the win Michigan will play Saturday at 12:05 p.m., with its starting pitcher to be announced. If Penn State beats Ohio State on Friday, U-M will play Penn State. Otherwise, the Wolverines will face the loser of Friday's Minnesota-Illinois game.

N O T E S

Prior to tonight's Michigan-Purdue playoff game, the last time the teams had met was at Purdue on March 21-23, 1997, and the teams split four games. Michigan ended up winning the Big Ten championship that season. The only current Wolverines on the roster that season were fifth-year seniors Bill LaRosa, who was red-shirting, and RHP Bryce Ralston (Tacoma, Wash./Curtis HS), who was injured and ended up getting a medical redshirt for that season.

Starting pitcher Bobby Wood fanned a career-high 10 vs. Purdue. He fanned six at Miami (Fla.) in 1999 for his previous best.

Scott Tousa had three hits vs. Purdue Thursday (May 17) night, pushing his career hit total to 215 to tie seventh-ranked Phil Price (215 hits, 1987-90) on U-M's career list. Next is former teammate Bobby Scales (226 hits, 1996-99).

Tousa added five more career at bats vs. Purdue to move his career at bat total to 690. He ranks fourth on the Michigan career at bats list.

Michigan's hitting leaders (for players with at least 80 at bats) after 53 games are: sophomore 3B Brock Koman (.370, 70-for-189); junior/sophomore 1B Nate Wright (.329, 51-for-155); senior 2B Scott Tousa (.328, 65-for-198); sophomore LF Jordan Cantalamessa (.317, 52-for-164); sophomore OF Gino Lollio (.312, 39-for-125); and freshman catcher Jake Fox (.305, 47-for-154).

Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423