Michigan
7-14, 3-2
Minnesota
11-14, 3-2
Molldrem Blanks Wolverines in Metrodome Opener
4/5/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Scores: Minnesota 10, Michigan 0
Records: Michigan (7-14, 3-2 Big Ten); Minnesota (11-14, 3-2 Big Ten)
Next U-M Game: Saturday, April 6 -- DH at Minnesota (Minneapolis, Minn.), 4:05 p.m. CST
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- Minnesota scored seven unearned runs in the first five innings and coasted to 10-0 win over the University of Michigan behind the three-hit pitching of sophomore Craig Molldrem in Big Ten baseball action Friday night (April 5) in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome.
Michigan sophomore LF Brandon Roberts (Arlington, Texas/Martin HS) doubled to lead off the second inning for the first Wolverine hit of the game and it was the lone Wolverine hit until the ninth, when DH Mike Sokol (Sterling Heights, Mich./DeLaSalle HS) doubled and junior SS Brock Koman (Pueblo, Colo./South HS) followed with an infield single. Michigan's bid to beat the shutout was foiled by a double play to end the game.
The complete-game shutout by Molldrem was the first against the Wolverines on the road since Steve Soderholm of Fresno State blanked Michigan 6-0 on March 14, 1992.
Minnesota jumped to a 3-0 lead with three unearned runs off senior RHP Bobby Korecky (Saline, Mich./Saline HS) in the third inning, starting with a leadoff double by 3B David Roach for the only hit of the inning. DH Gary Dick drew a walk and Korecky made an error on the sacrifice bunt attempt by catcher Jeremy Beaulieu to load the bases.
CF Sam Steidl hit a grounder to short and Koman went for the double play and got the force at second but the relay to first from 2B Jordan Cantalamessa (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) was wide for an error that allowed the second runner to score and Steidl to advance to second. Steidl moved up to third on a groundout and scored on the third error of the inning when Cantalamessa, who made a great play catching a pop fly that nearly hit the top of the dome, dropped the ball when he fell and slammed to the turf.
The Golden Gophers (11-14, 3-2 Big Ten) added four more unearned runs in the fifth inning, with LF Scott Howard's two-run double the big blow.
Korecky (2-3) worked the first seven innings, allowing no earned runs, and was replaced by sophomore LHP Chad Garson (Calabasas, Calif./Harvard-Westlake HS) in the eighth. The Gophers pounded Garson for three runs as RF Jason Kennedy hit his sixth homer of the year to lead off the frame and they added two doubles and a single for the 10-0 margin.
The Wolverines continue the weekend series at Minnesota with a doubleheader Saturday (April 6) in the Metrodome with junior LHP Rich Hill (Milton, Mass./Milton HS) pitching the opener and either sophomore RHP Jim Brauer (Carmel, Ind./Carmel HS) or junior RHP Tim Leveque (Northridge, Calif./Crespi HS) on the mound in the second game. Hill is 1-2 with a 4.03 ERA coming off a four-hit shutout over Iowa last weekend, while Brauer is 1-3 (7.71 ERA) and Leveque is 1-0 (5.94 ERA).
N O T E S
Michigan's hitting leaders after 21 games (19 at-bat minimum) include: 3B/SS Brock Koman (.354, 29-for-82), sophomore LF Brandon Roberts (.344, 22-for-64), senior/junior 1B/DH Mike Sokol (.329, 25-for-76), senior/junior 1B Nate Wright (.294, 15-for-51), and junior catcher Jason Wuerfel (Cedar, Mich./Glen Lake HS) at .286 (6-for-21).
Big Ten Standings (after Friday's Games)
1. Indiana 4-1 .800 Purdue 4-1 .800 3. MICHIGAN 3-2 .600 Minnesota 3-2 .600 Ohio State 3-2 .600 6. Michigan State 2-3 .400 Northwestern 2-3 .400 Penn State 2-3 .400 9. Illinois 1-4 .200 Iowa 1-4 .200Friday Scores
Minnesota 10, Michigan 0
Penn State 14, Ohio State 2
Purdue 6, Illinois 2
Indiana 10, Iowa 7
Northwestern 6, Michigan State 3
Saturday Schedule
Michigan at Minnesota (DH), 4 p.m. CST
Purdue at Illinois (DH), 4 p.m. CST
Penn State at Ohio State (DH), 4 p.m. EST
MSU at Northwestern (DH)
Iowa at Indiana (DH)
Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Craig Molldrem (3-1)
L: Korecky, Bobby (2-3)
Batting:
2B: Sokol, Mike 1 ; Roberts, Brandon 1
Base Running:
SB: Coleman, Alex 1
HBP: Roberts, Brandon 1
Batting:
2B: Scott Howard 2 ; Ben Pattee 1 ; David Roach 1
HR: Jason Kennedy 1
RBI: Sam Steidl 1 ; Scott Welch 1 ; Jason Kennedy 1 ; Scott Howard 2 ; Ben Pattee 1 ; Jeremy Beaulieu 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Sam Steidl 2 ; Scott Welch 1 ; Luke Appert 1 ; Jason Kennedy 1 ; Scott Howard 1 ; Ben Pattee 1 ; David Roach 1 ; Gary Dick 1 ; Jeremy Beaulieu 1
CS: Luke Appert 1
HBP: Jeremy Beaulieu 1
