Roberts, Hill Spark Wolverines to Sweep at Illinois

Saturday, April 13

Champaign, Ill.

4:05 PM CT

Michigan

10-17, 5-5

Illinois

17-8, 4-6

Michigan

Illinois

4/13/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Site: Champaign, Ill. (Illinois Field)
Scores: Michigan 10, Illinois 0; Michigan 5, Illinois 3
Records: U-M (11-17, 6-5 Big Ten), Illinois (17-9, 4-7 Big Ten)
Next U-M Game: Sunday, April 14 -- at Illinois (Champaign, Ill), 1:05 p.m. CDT

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Sophomore LF Brandon Roberts (Arlington, Texas/Martin HS) blasted two home runs and junior LHP Rich Hill (Milton, Mass./Milton HS) tossed a five-hit shutout to lead the University of Michigan baseball team to Big Ten doubleheader sweep over Illinois by scores of 10-0 and 5-3 Saturday (April 13) at Illinois Field. Roberts hit a grand slam to help ice the opener for Hill and his two-run homer in the nightcap provided the margin of victory for the Wolverines (11-17, 6-5 Big Ten).

Freshman RHP Matt Collins (Bloomfield Village, Mich./Country Day), the third of three pitchers in the second game, won his third game of the season, striking out the final batter with the bases loaded to close out the win. Collins leads the team in wins (3) and Roberts leads the team in homers (5).

The pitching duel from Friday's 1-0 Illinois win continued with Hill and Illinois starter RHP Ted Rowe matching zeros for the first four innings of the opener. Hill tossed a five-hit shutout, his second in three Big Ten starts this season and third of his career. He fanned eight for the second straight week and now has 23 strikeouts in 20 innings of conference play.

The Wolverines used a five-run seventh inning to double the final margin, with the Roberts grand slam the big blow. Roberts has three career grand slam homers including two this season with the other hit at Texas-San Antonio.

Sophomore DH Jake Fox (Greenfield, Ind./Indianapolis Cathedral HS) led off the fifth inning of the opener with a long homer over the scoreboard in left. The homer was the third of the season for Fox and was the game-winning RBI. Fox added a double in the seventh inning to go 2-for-3 with two runs scored. The homer was the third of the season for Fox, which tied him for the team lead until Roberts regained the lead with his fourth and fifth of the year in the doubleheader.

With one out in the fifth senior/junior 1B Nate Wright (Tinley Park, Ill./Andrew HS) drilled a double to the gap in right-center and he scored on a two-out single by freshman CF Matt Butler (Glendale Heights, Ill./Driscoll Catholic HS). Butler, who had his four-game hit streak snapped on Friday, was 2-for-2 with a walk and a sacrifice bunt in the opener.

Illinois (17-9, 4-6) scored its first run of the day -- and the first in 10 innings -- in the second inning of the second game off U-M RHP Jim Brauer (Carmel, Ind./Carmel HS). The run was the second in 17 innings in the series for the Illini. Illinois scored on a single by veteran Luke Simmons, a pair of groundouts and a single off Brauer's leg by RF Joe Parenti.

Meanwhile, Illini starter Reilly Smith, the converted closer, held the Wolverines hitless through three innings of the second game. In the fourth inning junior SS Brock Koman (Pueblo, Colo./South HS) drew his fifth walk of the series and he advanced on a Roberts groundout. Fox, who had two doubles and a homer in the twinbill, followed with a double to right-center for the first Wolverine hit to tie the game at 1-1. Fox. Wright hit a shot up the middle that deflected off 2B Dusty Bensko for a single with the ball ending up in short centerfield, allowing Fox to score the go-ahead run.

Freshman LHP Paul Hammond (Mason, Ohio/Mason HS) replaced Brauer to start the fourth inning, but he left with the bases loaded and a 3-2 count on Bensko. Collins replaced Hammond and threw ball four, a walk charged to Hammond, to force in the tying run. The next hitter, LF Pat Flynn, dropped down a bunt and Collins retired him on a bang-bang play at first.

The Wolverines rallied for three in the top of the sixth as junior RF Gino Lollio (Cape Coral, Fla./Mariner HS) singled and moved to second on a bunt by sophomore 3B Brandon Jominy (Coral Springs, Fla./Westminster Academy). Koman followed with a double to center for the "gamer," snapping the 2-2 tie, and Roberts followed with a long homer to right. Collins worked 3.1 innings to close out the game and he fanned five.

The Wolverines (11-17, 6-5 Big Ten) and the host Fighting Illini conclude the weekend series with a single game on Sunday (April 14, 1:05 p.m. CDT) with senior LHP Jeff Trzos (Farmington Hills, Mich./North Farmington HS) pitching for the Wolverines. Trzos is 1-3 with a 5.18 ERA and pitched seven innings with a no-decision at Minnesota last weekend.

N O T E S

Junior SS Brock Koman's sixth-inning double in the second game was the 42nd of his career and puts him in a tie for eighth place on Michigan's career doubles list with Derek Besco (42, 1995-98).

Michigan's hitting leaders after 28 games (22 at-bat minimum) include: 3B/SS Brock Koman (.364, 36-for-99), junior catcher Jason Wuerfel (Cedar, Mich./Glen Lake HS) at .308 (8-for-26); senior/junior 1B Nate Wright (.297, 22-for-74), senior/junior DH Mike Sokol (Sterling Heights, Mich./DeLaSalle HS) at .290 (27-for-93), freshman CF Matt Butler (.290, 9-for-31) and junior RF Gino Lollio (.290, 29-for-100).