Highlanders Jump to Early Lead, Breeze Past Wolverines

Wednesday, February 27

Riverside, Calif.

4:00 PM PT

Michigan

1-5

California-Riverside

11-5

Michigan

UC Riverside

Highlanders Jump to Early Lead, Breeze Past Wolverines

2/27/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- Host UC-Riverside (11-5) grabbed a 9-1 lead after three innings and the Highlanders won their fourth straight game, beating the University of Michigan baseball team by a 13-7 score Wednesday afternoon (Feb. 27) at the Riverside Sports Complex.

Sophomore RHP Bobby Garza (Southgate, Mich./Anderson HS) was roughed up in the first inning of his first outing of the season as the host Highlanders scored five times on four hits, with catcher Jimmy Anderson and RF Tim Faulkner collecting two-run singles.

The Wolverines bounced back in the top of the second and picked up a run as senior/junior Mike Sokol (Sterling Heights, Mich./DeLaSalle HS) singled, reached second on a groundout and scored on the first career single by freshman RF Chris Burhans (Alpharetta, Ga./The Marist School).

Garza (0-1) continued to struggle, allowing four runs in the third with three hit batters, a walk, another two-run single by Faulkner and a two-run double by Adam Seuss. Senior LHP Kirk Taylor (Farmington Hills, Mich./North Farmington HS) replaced Garza in the fourth and worked four scoreless innings, allowing just one hit.

Michigan scored in the sixth as junior 3B Brock Koman (Pueblo, Colo./South HS) reached on an error, advanced to third on Sokol's second single of the game and crossed the plate following a sacrifice fly by junior RF Gino Lollio (Cape Coral, Fla./Mariner HS).

UCR put the game away with four runs in the bottom of the eighth.

Michigan scored four in the ninth for the final margin with junior Jason Wuerfel (Cedar, Mich./Glen Lake HS) driving in one with a double, and he scored on a grounder to short. A third run scored on a wild pitch and Lollio was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded for the final run of the night.

Following an off day, the Wolverines (1-5) will play a three-game weekend series against the University of San Diego. The Toreros opened the season with 10 wins and dented Collegiate Baseball's Top 25 at No. 22. Junior LHP Rich Hill (Milton, Mass./Milton HS) is slated to make his second start of the season in the opener Friday at 2 p.m. PST. Hill (0-1, 3.86 ERA) allowed three unearned runs in the season-opening loss to Oregon State but was touched up for three runs in the eighth at UCR Wednesday.

N O T E S

Michigan's "All-Colorado" starting infield made its second straight start in the game at UC-Riverside. All three of the Colorado natives on the team started on the infield with Brock Koman at 3B, Nick Rudden at SS and Jordan Cantalamessa at second base.

Chris Burhans became the fourth Wolverine to notch his first career hit in 2002, joining senior DH Bobby Korecky (Saline, Mich./Saline HS) vs. Oregon State #1, junior LF Dan Augustine (Wausau, Wis./West HS) vs. UC-Riverside #1, and freshman SS Nick Rudden (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) vs. UC-Irvine.

Michigan's hitting leaders after the six games (10 at-bat minimum) include: senior RHP/2B Bobby Korecky (.385, 5-for-13); 3B Brock Koman (.348, 8-for-23); sophomore RF/DH Brandon Roberts (.294, 5-for-17); sophomore catcher Jake Fox (Greenfield, Ind./Indianapolis Cathedral HS) at .286, 4-for-14) and senior/junior 1B Mike Sokol (.280, 7-for-25).

Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423