Hill, Brauer Pitch Wolverines to Sweep of Buckeyes

Saturday, May 4

Ann Arbor, Mich.

1:00 PM

Michigan

15-27, 9-13

Ohio State

27-14-1, 14-7

Ohio State

Michigan

5/4/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Ray Fisher Stadium)
Scores: Michigan 5, Ohio State 4; Michigan 1, Ohio State 0
Records: U-M (16-27, 10-13 Big Ten), OSU (27-15-1, 14-8 Big Ten)
Next U-M Game: Sunday, May 5 -- vs. Ohio State (Ray Fisher Stadium), 1 p.m.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Junior LHP Rich Hill (Milton, Mass./Milton HS) and sophomore RHP Jim Brauer (Carmel, Ind./Carmel HS) combined for 19 strikeouts and each pitched a three-hitter as the University of Michigan baseball team swept a Big Ten doubleheader from Ohio State by scores of 5-4 and 1-0 Saturday afternoon (May 4) at Ray Fisher Stadium.

Hill

Hill retired the first 10 batters in the game and did not give up a hit until the fifth inning of the opener as he fanned 11 in recording the victory, his sixth straight complete game in Big Ten play. Hill (3-5) moved his team-leading ERA to 3.57 with the win. Brauer (3-5) pitched his first career complete game as well as his first career shutout and he also did not allow a hit until the fifth inning. Both Hill and Brauer kept the strikeouts coming as Hill struck out the side in the seventh while allowing two runs and Brauer had two strikeouts to close out the win.

The Wolverines (16-27, 10-13 Big Ten) scored five unearned runs in the fourth inning of the opener, collecting five hits and taking advantage to two OSU errors. Michigan loaded the bases on singles by sophomore catcher Jake Fox (Greenfield, Ind./Indianapolis Cathedral HS) and junior DH Gino Lollio (Cape Coral, Fla./Mariner HS) and an error that put sophomore 3B Brandon Jominy (Coral Springs, Fla./Westminster Academy) on base.

Senior/junior 1B Nate Wright (Tinley Park, Ill./Andrew HS) plated the first run when his infield grounder was misplayed and freshman 2B Nick Rudden (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) and junior CF Blake Rutkowski (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South HS) followed with two-run singles.

OSU 3B Drew Anderson doubled in a run with the first hit of the game for the Buckeyes in the fifth inning and he hit his first career homer in the seventh. Anderson was 2-for-3 in the game with the double and homer and he scored twice and drove in three.

The second game featured a pitching duel between Brauer and OSU's Josh Newman. The lone run of the game came in the fourth inning when junior SS Brock Koman (Pueblo, Colo./South HS) beat out a single to short and advanced on a throwing error. With two outs and two on (Fox reached on a HBP), Lollio singled to the right side and OSU's Christian Snavely made a great play to keep the ball from reaching the outfield. With no play on Lollio at first Koman kept steaming around third and he beat the high throw for the score.

Brauer pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth and fanned two in the ninth to close out the win. Rutkowski and Lollio each had three hits to pace the Michigan offense in the doubleheader.

Michigan (16-27, 10-13 Big Ten) and Ohio State conclude the Big Ten weekend series on Sunday (May 5, 1 p.m.) with senior LHP Jeff Trzos (Farmington Hills, Mich./North Farmington HS) on the mound. Trzos is 1-4 with a 4.04 ERA.

N O T E S

Junior LHP Rich Hill pitched twice during the week with six strikeouts in two innings vs. Notre Dame on Tuesday (April 30) in Grand Rapids, Mich., and 11 strikeouts in seven innings vs. OSU today giving him 17 in nine innings for the week. Hill with 215 career strikeouts vaulted into a tie for fourth on Michigan's career strikeout list with Pete Helt (215, 1970-73). On the single season list Hill jumped from out of the top 10 to sixth with 90 strikeouts in 63 innings. Steve Howe (92, 1978) is next on the list.

Junior SS Brock Koman has hits in 37 of the 43 games played this season and in 79 of the 95 Wolverine games the last two seasons.

Members of the 1997 Michigan Big Ten championship baseball team, of which current U-M assistant coach Brian Kalczynski was MVP, were on hand at the doubleheader on Saturday, including captain Kirk Beermann.

Michigan has added a game with Hillsdale at Ray Fisher Stadium on Monday, May 13, at 3 p.m. The nine-inning single game makes up for an earlier rainout.

Michigan's hitting leaders after 43 games (33 at-bat minimum) include: junior 3B/SS Brock Koman (.374, 58-for-155), senior/junior DH Mike Sokol (Sterling Heights, Mich./DeLaSalle HS) at .320 (40-for-125), sophomore C Jake Fox (.308, 33-for-107), sophomore LF Brandon Roberts (.298, 42-for-141) and junior OF Gino Lollio (.298, 42-for-141).

Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423