Oregon State Spoils Michigan's Opener in California

Friday, February 22

Riverside, Calif.

11:00 AM PT

Michigan

0-1

Oregon State

4-5

Michigan

Oregon State

2/22/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Jim Schneider

Site: Riverside, Calif. (Riverside Sports Complex)
Event: UC-Riverside RBI Tournament
Score: Oregon State 10, Michigan 4
Records: U-M (0-1), OSU (4-5)
Next U-M Game: Saturday, Feb. 23 -- vs. San Francisco at UC-Riverside RBI Tournament (Riverside, Calif.), Noon PST

RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- Oregon State used a five-run fifth inning to spark a 10-4 win over Michigan in the baseball season opener for the Wolverines Friday (Feb. 22) in RBI Tournament action at the Riverside Sports Complex. The Beavers of the Pac-10 Conference moved their record to 4-5 on the season.

Michigan junior LHP Rich Hill (Milton, Mass./Milton HS) worked the first four innings and fanned six, but he was the hard-luck loser as he allowed five hits and three runs, all unearned. Sophomore RHP Ben Rowe moved his record to 3-1 for OSU, working 5.1 innings and allowing three hits and two runs.

Michigan grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning as the "Colorado Vets" came through. Junior LF Jordan Cantalamessa (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) doubled to open the inning and scored on a single by junior 3B Brock Koman (Pueblo, Colo./South HS).

OSU scored twice on a two-out throwing error by Hill in the third inning and another on Koman's throwing error in the fourth inning.

Junior RHP Tim Leveque (Northridge, Calif./Crespi HS) replaced Hill in the fifth inning and was tagged for five runs on six hits in his one inning of work, with OSU senior CF Tom Creighton hitting a run-scoring triple to push the lead to 4-1. Junior 3B Brian Barden's two-run single closed out the rally.

OSU's eighth and ninth hitters in the order, sophomore catcher Paul Richie (2-for-3) and sophomore 2B Kerisi Reynolds (3-for-4), respectively, scored five of the Beavers' 10 runs.

Freshman RHP Matt Collins (Bloomfield Village, Mich./Country Day) allowed two runs (one earned) and one hit while working the final three innings in his career debut.

The Wolverines added a pair of runs in the ninth inning. Co-captain Mike Sokol (Sterling Heights, Mich./DeLaSalle HS) doubled to open the inning and sophomore RF Brandon Roberts (Arlington, Texas/Martin HS) hit a two-run, bases-loaded double.

Senior Bobby Korecky (Saline, Mich./Saline HS), a second team All-Big Ten starting pitcher in 2001, collected the first Wolverine hit of the season and his first career hit while making the first non-pitching start of his career. Batting eighth in the lineup, Korecky singled to center on the first pitch he saw with two outs in the second inning. On defense Korecky had two putouts and turned a double play in his infield debut.

The Wolverines (0-1) continue early season action at the RBI Tournament hosted by UC-Riverside by meeting San Francisco (2-7 prior to playing host UC-Riverside on Friday) in the second game of the three-day tourney at noon Saturday (Feb. 23). Sophomore RHP Jim Brauer (Carmel, Ind./Carmel HS), 3-3 in 2001, will be on the mound against the Dons.

N O T E S

• Wolverine co-captain Nate Wright (Tinley Park, Ill./Andrew HS) had his hitting streak snapped at eight games in the opener while junior catcher Alex Coleman (Dallas, Texas/Lake Highlands HS) and junior CF Gino Lollio (Cape Coral, Fla./Mariner HS) had streaks of six and five games, respectively, stopped.

• Michigan preseason All-America 3B Brock Koman, who extended his hitting streak to five games, will be playing against his cousin Luke Gradishar, the senior 2B for San Francisco.

• LHP Rich Hill, the active career strikeout leader for the Wolverines, fanned six in four innings in the opener to give him 131 in 105 innings for his career.

• Michigan's hitting leaders after the opener are: sophomore RF Brandon Roberts (.500, 1-for-2); 3B Brock Koman (.500, 1-for-2, two walks); senior RHP/2B Bobby Korecky (.333, 1-for-3); DH Mike Sokol (.250, 1-for-4) and junior LF Jordan Cantalamessa (.200, 1-for-5).