Michigan
24-23
Central Michigan
30-21
Chippewas Pound Four Homers, Top Wolverines 15-3
5/8/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- Central Michigan, playing one of its final games in Theunissen Stadium, celebrated with four homers and a 15-3 win over Michigan in non-conference baseball action Tuesday afternoon (May 8). The Chippewas (30-21) will play their final game at Theunissen this weekend with a new complex set to open next year by the football stadium.
CMU 3B Matt Galloway popped a three-run homer over the 330 sign in the rightfield corner in the first inning to set the tone for day. DH Brad Reid, who entered the game as a pinch hitter in the fourth inning, hit homers in the sixth and seventh inning. Reid's homer in the sixth inning was the second half of a pair of back-to-back homers, with CF Matt Crowley hitting the first homer.
Central Michigan scored in every inning but the seventh when Wolverine senior RHP Vince Pistilli (Highland, Ind./Highland HS) faced just three batters. Pistilli, who fanned three in 1.2 innings, was the lone U-M pitcher to not surrender a homer and the only scoreless pitcher of the day.
Junior LHP Kirk Taylor (Farmington Hills, Mich./North Farmington HS) allowed nine hits and eight runs in 3.1 innings to take his first loss of the year. Chippewa LHP Chad Pleiness (5-3), the second of six Chippewa pitchers, recorded the win as he retired six of the seven Wolverines he faced in the fourth and fifth innings.
Michigan's lone rally came off starter Jeff Garner in the third inning as sophomore CF Blake Rutkowski (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South HS) reached when hit by a pitch and senior 2B Scott Tousa (Dallas, Texas/Lake Highlands HS) followed with a single.
Junior/sophomore DH Mike Sokol (Sterling Heights, Mich./DeLaSalle HS) singled to center to drive in Rutkowski and he advanced to second on a late throw to third base. Freshman catcher Jake Fox (Greenfield, Ind./Indianapolis Cathedral HS) continued his late-season surge with a double into the leftfield corner, cutting CMU's lead to 4-3.
However, the five following CMU pitchers limited Michigan to two hits the rest of the game. A seventh-inning single by Rutkowski and a pinch double in the ninth inning by sophomore/freshman OF Eric Esper (Grand Ledge, Mich./Grand Ledge HS).
Michigan (24-23) hosts Central Michigan for a single game Wednesday (May 9), with freshman RHP Bobby Garza (Southgates, Mich./Anderson HS) on the mound. Garza, who will be making his first career start, is 2-1 with a 10.32 ERA.
N O T E S
Scott Tousa went 2-for-5 at CMU for his 57th career multiple-hit game. The two hits pushed his career hit total to 205, snapping the tie for ninth on the all-time Michigan hit list with two-time All-American and current Cincinnati Red Barry Larkin (203 hits, 1983-85). Next on the hit list is Tim Flannelly (209 hits, 1983-85) in eighth place.
Tousa added five more career at bats to move his career at bat total at 660. Tousa ranks eighth in career at bats, and next up on the list are Bobby Scales (1996-99) and Phil Price (1987-90) tied for sixth (674).
Tousa has played in 195 games and needs five more to become the ninth Wolverine to play 200 games.
The Wolverines had two batters hit by a pitch at CMU to move the season total to 57 batters hit, breaking the old team season record of 55 set in 1999.
Sophomore/freshman OF Eric Esper delivered a pinch double in the ninth inning to push his batting average to .400 (6-for-15). Esper is hitting .600 (3-for-5) as a pinch-hitter, with a double and a homer.
Michigan's hitting leaders (for players with at least 70 at bats) after 47 games are: sophomore 3B Brock Koman (.379, 61-for-161); senior 2B Scott Tousa (.327, 55-for-168); sophomore OF Gino Lollio (.324, 34-for-105); junior/sophomore 1B Nate Wright (.322, 46-for-143); sophomore LF Jordan Cantalamessa (.304, 42-for-138); sophomore CF Blake Rutkowski (.303, 23-for-76); and freshman catcher Jake Fox (.296, 37-for-125).
Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Chad Pleiness (5-3)
L: Taylor, Kirk (1-1)
Batting:
2B: Fox, Jake 1 ; Esper, Eric 1
RBI: Sokol, Mike 1 ; Fox, Jake 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Tousa, Scott 1 ; Sokol, Mike 1 ; Rutkowski, Blake 1
SB: Rutkowski, Blake 1
HBP: Jominy, Brandon 1 ; Rutkowski, Blake 1
PO: Trzos, Jeff 1
Batting:
2B: Tim Groves 1 ; Scott Pickens 1
3B: Bryan Scheurer 1 ; Tim Bullinger 1
HR: Mike Galloway 1 ; Matt Crowley 1 ; Brad Reid 2
RBI: Bryan Scheurer 1 ; Jason Helps 2 ; Mike Gates 1 ; Mike Galloway 3 ; Matt Crowley 3 ; Tim Groves 1 ; Brad Reid 2 ; Ryan Krueger 1 ; Tim Bullinger 1
SF: Mike Gates 1 ; Ryan Krueger 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Bryan Scheurer 1 ; Jason Helps 1 ; Mike Gates 2 ; Mike Galloway 3 ; Matt Crowley 2 ; Brad Reid 2 ; Scott Pickens 1 ; Nick Latra 1 ; Tim Bullinger 2
CS: Scott Pickens 1
HBP: Tom Grzywacz 1 ; Mike Galloway 1
