U-M Drops Middle Game of Weekend Series at Oklahoma

Saturday, March 8

Norman, Okla.

11:00 AM CT

Michigan

4-5

Oklahoma

7-3

Michigan

Oklahoma

3/8/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

NORMAN, Okla. -- Oklahoma junior LHP Buddy Blair pitched his first complete game and 3B Jay Yaconetti led the Sooners to 5-2 win over Michigan in college baseball action Saturday (March 8) at L. Dale Mitchell Park.

Blair (2-1) pitched an eight-hitter and struck out a career-best nine in the win. He allowed just one hit after the fourth inning. Yaconetti's two-out, two-run single in the third proved to be the game-winner and he added his team-leading fifth home run leading off the fifth inning for the final scoring of the day. Yaconetti has two homers, two doubles and six RBI in the first two games of the series.

The Wolverines (4-5) grabbed the lead in the top of the third as sophomore CF Matt Butler (Lombard, Ill./Driscoll Catholic HS) doubled down the line in left and moved to third on a flyout. He scored as senior 2B Jordan Cantalamessa (Castle Rock, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) knocked in his eighth run of the series, with an infield groundout.

Oklahoma (7-3) scored four times after two outs in the bottom of the third inning as the Sooners loaded the bases on a single and two walks followed by a two-run single by Yaconetti and a two-run triple by 1B Luke Alexander.

Michigan fifth-year 1B Nate Wright (Tinley Park, Ill./Andrew HS) opened the fourth inning with a single to center and senior RF Gino Lollio (Cape Coral, Fla./Mariner HS) scored Wright from third with a two-out single to cut the OU lead to 4-2.

Lollio's fourth inning single, his second of the game, was the last Wolverine hit until junior LF Brandon Roberts (Arlington, Texas/Martin HS) collected his second single of the game with two outs in the eighth inning.

The Wolverines conclude the series at Oklahoma on Sunday (March 9, 1 p.m.) with junior RHP Bobby Garza (Southgate, Mich./Anderson HS) slated to start on the mound. Garza is 1-0 (5.73 ERA).

N O T E S

Senior 3B Brock Koman (Pueblo, Colo./South HS) extended his team-leading hitting streak to nine games with a first-inning single, but his streak of multiple-hit games was stopped at six games.

Koman, who leads the team with 17 hits on the season, pushed his career hit total to 212 as he chases Phil Price (215, 1987-90) for eighth place on Michigan's all-time hit list.

Koman was hit by a pitch in the third inning as he reached bases seven straight times in the series. Koman is the career HBP leader for the Wolverines with 33 HBPs in 166 games.

Senior 2B Jordan Cantalamessa's eight RBI in the series give him a team-leading 18 for the year.

Michigan's hitting leaders after nine games include: senior 3B Brock Koman at .447 (17-for-38), junior RF Brandon Roberts (.400, 12-for-30), senior OF Gino Lollio (.375, 15-for-40), junior C Jake Fox (.361, 13-for-36), senior LF-DH Mike Sokol (.343, 12-for-35) and senior 2B Jordan Cantalamessa (.341, 14-for-41).

Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423