Gates, Pitching Help Chippewas to Shutout of Wolverines

Tuesday, May 14

Mt. Pleasant, Mich.

2:00 PM

Michigan

17-31

Central Michigan

24-22

Michigan

Central Michigan

Gates, Pitching Help Chippewas to Shutout of Wolverines

5/14/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

MT. PLEASANT, Mich. -- Senior 1B Mike Gates hit two doubles and drove in six runs as Central Michigan coasted to a 14-0 win over Michigan in non-conference baseball action Tuesday (May 14) at Theunissen Stadium. Gates singled in two runs in the first inning for the game-winning hit, doubled in a run in the fifth and doubled in two runs in the sixth. Gates added his fourth hit with a run-scoring single in the seventh inning. He scored three times.

CMU righthanders Lee Naplin (5-2) and Jeff Garner (first save) combined on the three-hit shutout. The Wolverines (17-31) were limited to three singles in the game, with junior catcher Jason Wuerfel (Cedar, Mich./Glen Lake HS) collecting two of the hits.

The host Chippewas (24-22) touched Wolverine starter senior LHP Kirk Taylor (Farmington Hills, Mich./North Farmington HS) for three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Taylor (0-1), making his first start of the season, walked the first two batters and after a double steal they both scored on a single by Gates, who later scored on an infield grounder.

CMU starter Lee Naplin allowed just one hit in his stint, a two-out, third-inning single by freshman 2B Nick Rudden (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS). Rudden stole second base but was still there when the inning ended.

Michigan's best chance to score in the game came off Naplin in the second inning when senior/junior 1B Mike Sokol's (Sterling Heights, Mich./DeLaSalle HS) long fly to left was caught in the wind and it carried to the fence for a long out.

The Wolverines put two runners on against reliever Garner in the fifth inning on a walk to junior RF Gino Lollio (Cape Coral, Fla./Mariner HS) and a single by Wuerfel. However, for the second day in a row a bunt attempt failed and turned into a force play at third and squelched the potential rally.

Wolverine sophomore RHP Bobby Garza (Southgate, Mich./Anderson HS) came on in the second inning and pitched three scoreless innings until CMU LF Ryan Kreuger opened the fifth inning with his fifth homer of the year. RF Danny Gibbons followed with a single and after stealing second base he scored on a double by Gates. Gates scored on a sacrifice fly to make the score 6-0. CMU added five more runs off Garza in the sixth.

Junior RHP Tim Leveque (Northridge, Calif./Crespi HS) fanned four and allowed three runs in 2.2 innings of work.

Michigan (17-31) hosts Hillsdale in a single non-conference makeup game in Ray Fisher Stadium on Wednesday (May 15, 2 p.m.). The game was added for Monday (May 13) and rescheduled for Wednesday when the Wolverines stayed at Northwestern.

N O T E S

Michigan's Baseball Banquet hosted by the DugOut Club will be in the Schembechler Hall Commons on Monday, May 21.

Autograph Day will be held following the Michigan-Purdue doubleheader on Saturday, May 18. The twinbill starts at 1 p.m. with the autograph session after the second game.

Michigan's hitting leaders after 48 games (36 at-bat minimum) include: junior 3B/SS Brock Koman (.379, 66-for-174), senior/junior DH Mike Sokol (.317, 45-for-142), sophomore C Jake Fox at .311 (38-for-122), sophomore LF Brandon Roberts (.297, 47-for-158) and junior OF Gino Lollio (.290, 42-for-145).

Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423