Seven-Run Second Aids Iowa Win; Koman Streak Ended

Saturday, March 29

Iowa City, Iowa

2:00 PM CT

Michigan

8-10, 0-1

Iowa

7-6, 1-0

Michigan

Iowa

3/29/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Host Iowa took advantage of the elements to score seven times in the second inning and coasted to a 9-6 win over Michigan in the Big Ten Conference baseball opener for both teams Saturday afternoon (March 29) at Duane Banks Field.

Iowa senior RHP Reed Pawelk (1-2) worked the first seven innings to gain the win for Iowa (7-6, 1-0 Big Ten) and junior RHP Nathan Johnson retired all six batters he faced to record his first save of the season. Wolverine sophomore LHP Drew Taylor (Toronto, Ontario/Upper Canada College) struck out the side in the bottom of the first, but Iowa scored seven runs on six hits to chase him in the second inning.

Iowa loaded the bases in the second on a wind-blown line drive, a poorly executed sacrifice bunt that turned into a single and a grounder through the left side of the infield. The first run scored on an error and the Hawkeyes pushed the lead to 5-0 on two first-pitch looping singles, a walk and a sacrifice fly. Junior DH Chris Steele, who opened the inning with a flare single to center, had the best hit of the inning: a two-run double to the gap in right-center that scored the final two runs of the inning for a 7-0 lead.

Freshman RHP Derek Feldkamp (Adrian, Mich./Blissfield HS) entered the game in  the second inning and worked a career-best 6.1 innings. He allowed just four hits and fanned a career-best six. Feldkamp allowed two runs but only one earned, and that was the result of a routine two-out fly ball that was lost in the sun and turned into a run-scoring triple.

The Wolverines (8-10, 0-1 Big Ten) battled back, scoring six runs from the third inning to the seventh inning, but could never overcome the early seven-run deficit.

Senior CF Gino Lollio (Cape Coral, Fla./Mariner HS) singled in the first Michigan run in the third inning, and his double to right in the seventh set up two more runs. Lollio's double was the only extra-base hit in the game for the Wolverines.

The Iowa defense combined for five errors, but the Wolverines could only score three runs in those situations. In fact Iowa turned double plays that allowed runs in the fourth and sixth innings to keep Michigan from getting a big inning.

Junior catcher Jake Fox (Greenfield, Ind./Indianapolis Cathedral HS) was 2-for-4 in the game, setting up a run and scoring one as he extended his career-best hitting streak to 14 games. However, senior 3B Brock Koman (Pueblo, Colo./South HS) had his hitting streak snapped at 17 games as he went 0-for-4. He reached on one of the three errors by Iowa SS Jeff Gremley and scored in the fourth inning, and he drove in Lollio with the sixth and final Wolverine run of the game in the seventh.

Senior DH Mike Sokol (Sterling Heights, Mich./DeLaSalle HS) drove in a pair of runs with a single in the fifth and sacrifice fly in the seventh, a line drive on which Iowa RF Nate Yoho made an outstanding catch. In fact Sokol's blast might have been the best ball hit all game.

The Michigan series at Iowa continues with a doubleheader Sunday afternoon (March 30) with sophomore RHP Michael Penn (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Christian HS) and junior RHP Bobby Garza (Southgate, Mich./Anderson HS) listed as the probable starters. Penn is 0-3 with a 4.62 ERA and Garza is 2-0 with a 7.20 ERA.

N O T E S

Freshman RHP Derek Feldkamp lowered his team-leading ERA to 3.80. He has pitched 23.2 innings while appearing in 10 of the 18 games for the Wolverines this season, and he ranks third on the team with 16 strikeouts.

In his 100th career start at third base, senior Brock Koman had his career-best 17-game hitting streak snapped in the Big Ten opener. He was 0-for-4, scored a run and knocked in a run. Koman has hits in 38 of his last 44 games the past two years and 102 of his last 123 games over the past three years.

Junior catcher Jake Fox was 2-for-4, extending his career-best hitting streak to 14 games.

Michigan's hitting leaders after 18 games include (30 plate appearances minimum): sophomore SS Nick Rudden (.440, 11-for-25), senior 3B Brock Koman (.418, 33-for-79), junior C Jake Fox (.362, 25-for-69), senior OF Gino Lollio (.321, 25-for-78), senior DH Mike Sokol (.308, 20-for-65) and junior RF Brandon Roberts (.303, 20-for-66).

Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423