Michigan
Stetson
Hatters Brimming with Confidence After Putting Lid on U-M
2/26/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
DeLAND, Fla. -- Stetson, a preseason Top 20 pick, used a three-run eighth inning for insurance and held off another late-inning Michigan rally to beat the Wolverines 7-5 in college baseball action Wednesday night (Feb. 26) in Melching Field at Conrad Park. The host Hatters (4-6) snapped a five-game losing streak, while Michigan (1-4) took its third straight loss.
Lefty pitcher/DH John DeStefano (1-0) allowed six hits and no earned runs in his six innings to earn the win, and from his leadoff position on offense he was 2-for-2 with a triple, walk, a HBP, a sacrifice bunt and two runs scored.
Sophomore RHP Michael Penn (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Christian HS) worked into the fifth inning in his first start as a Wolverine, allowing three runs on three hits while recording five strikeouts. Penn left the game with a 3-2 lead after walking the first batter in the bottom of the fifth.
Penn had an interesting first inning as he trailed 1-0 after two batters as DeStefano hit a triple to start the first inning and scored as catcher Chris Westervelt followed with a double. Penn actually struck out the side in the first inning but he also surrendered a run-scoring single to 1B Bryan Zenchyk for the 2-0 Stetson lead. Zenchyk had three run-scoring singles in the game.
The Wolverines grabbed a 3-2 lead by scoring three unearned runs in the second inning off DeStefano as junior catcher Jake Fox (Greenfield, Ind./Indianapolis Cathedral HS) led off the frame with a single and moved to third as freshman SS Jeremy Goldschmeding (Martin, Mich./Allegan HS) drew a two-out walk and sophomore CF Matt Butler (Lombard, Ill./Driscoll Catholic HS) dumped a single to left-center.
Senior RF Gino Lollio (Cape Coral, Fla./Mariner HS) hit a grounder to third that was booted for an error, allowing Fox to cut Stetson's lead to 2-1, and senior 2B Jordan Cantalamessa (Castle Rock, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) followed with a two-run double to left and U-M took a 3-2 lead. Cantalamessa leads the Wolverines with eight RBI.
Stetson regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning off sophomore RHP Matt Collins (Bloomfield, Mich./Country Day). Collins replaced Penn and gave up a run-scoring double to Westervelt and Zenchyk's second RBI single. Collins (0-1) took the loss.
The Wolverines stayed close as the double play defense came through for the third straight game. Michigan turned three DPs vs. Stetson and has had 10 twin-killings in the past three games. U-M kept a 3-2 lead behind Penn using double plays to end the third and fourth innings and kept the score close at 4-3 as it escaped bases loaded jams in the sixth and in the seventh.
Junior RHP Bobby Garza (Southgate, Mich./Anderson HS) ended the seventh with a strikeout, but Stetson touched up Garza for three runs in the eighth to make the score 7-3 heading to the ninth.
The Wolverines kicked up their heels to make the game exciting as they have in each of their four losses, and it started when Stetson's 2B Andy Wilson took the mound in a non-save situation and hit Goldschmeding with his second pitch. Butler's second single of the game put runners of first and third and Lollio's sacrifice fly made the score 7-4.
With two outs and two on junior DH Brandon Roberts (Arlington, Texas/Martin HS) delivered a run-scoring single for the final margin, and the tying runs were on base when the final out was recorded.
Sophomore LHP Drew Taylor (Toronto, Ontario/Upper Canada College) or junior RHP Garza are the possible starters in Friday's game vs. Bethune-Cookman. Taylor (0-0, 2.45 ERA) worked 3.2 innings in his first start as a Wolverine vs. Georgia Tech (Feb. 23), while Garza (1-0, 4.50) recorded the lone Wolverine win in a start vs. Rider (Feb. 23) and worked 1.1 inning at Stetson on Wednesday (Feb. 26).
N O T E S
Former Wolverine 1B Hal Morris (1984-86), a member of a pair of Big Ten championship teams and a member of Cincinnati's 1990 World Series championship team, was on hand at the game at Stetson.
Senior 3B Brock Koman (Pueblo, Colo./South HS) collected his team-leading third double of the season at Stetson and moved into a tie for third place on Michigan's all-time doubles list at 54 with Jason Alcaraz (54, 1996-99). Koman entered the game tied for fourth with Phil Price (53 doubles, 1987-90). Next is Bryan Besco (55, 1995-99) in second place.
With two hits in Wednesday's game at Stetson, Koman is the lone Wolverine with hits in all five games and he has a streak of three straight games with two hits. His two hits vs. Stetson pushed Koman's career hit total to 203 to tie former Wolverine All-American and current Cincinnati Reds SS Barry Larkin (203, 1983-85) for 10th place on the all-time U-M hit list.
Sernior 1B Nate Wright (Tinley Park, Ill./Andrew HS) had his hitting streak snapped at nine games over the past two years.
Michigan's hitting leaders after five games include: sophomore OF Chris Burhans (Alpharetta, Ga./Marist School) at .500 (3-for-6), sophomore OF Matt Butler (.444, 4-for-9), junior RF Brandon Roberts (.385, 5-for-13), senior 3B Brock Koman (.364, 8-for-22) and junior C Jake Fox (.333, 7-for-21).
Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423
