Michigan Comes Up Empty in Doubleheader with Illinois

Saturday, April 12

Ann Arbor, Mich.

1:00 PM

Michigan

13-14, 3-5

Illinois

17-10, 5-5

Illinois

Michigan

Michigan Comes Up Empty in Doubleheader with Illinois

4/12/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Ray Fisher Stadium)
Scores: Illinois 8, Michigan 7; Illinois 13, Michigan 6
Records: U-M (13-15, 3-6 Big Ten), Illinois (18-10, 6-5 Big Ten)
Next U-M Game: Sunday, April 13 -- vs. Illinois (Ray Fisher Stadium), 1 p.m.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Illinois collected 26 hits and scored 21 runs to sweep a Big Ten Conference baseball doubleheader over Michigan, 8-7 and 13-6, on Saturday afternoon (April 12) at Ray Fisher Stadium. Illinois (18-10, 6-5) moved over the .500 mark in the Big Ten race as the Fighting Illini have won the first three games of the series over the host Wolverines (13-15, 3-6 Big Ten).

The opener was a classic Big Ten contest with each team scoring in the first three innings. Illinois took leads of 1-0, 4-1 and 7-3, but Michigan kept battling back and finally tied the game 7-7 on a dramatic two-out rally that featured a double by sophomore 2B Nick Rudden (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) and a long home run by senior 3B Brock Koman (Pueblo, Colo./South HS).

Illinois scored in the seventh to pin the loss on Wolverine sophomore RHP Michael Penn (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Christian  HS). Penn allowed seven runs in the first three innings but had retired nine in a row before giving up a one-out single by LF Drew Davidson in the seventh inning, and with two outs Chad Frk, who had entered the game as a defensive replacement, lined a single to left-center and Davidson scored all the way from first with the winning run.

Penn (1-5) pitched 6.2 innings and allowed 11 hits and eight runs, six earned. Illini closer Dave Mazurek, who earned a save in the series opener, worked the final 1.1 innings and collected his third win of the season. Mazurek entered in the sixth inning after Koman's homer tied the game and singles by junior catcher Jake Fox (Greenfield, Ind./Indianapolis Cathedral HS) and fifth-year senior Mike Sokol (Sterling Heights, Mich./DeLaSalle HS) put the potential winning run on third base.

In the nightcap Illinois used a seven-run fourth inning to break open the game, hitting five doubles in the rally. SS Eric Eymann and RF Joe Parenti each had three hits in the second game for Illinois and senior 1B Andy Schutzenhofer was 2-for-3 with five RBI.

Sokol paced the Wolverines in the second game, going 3-for-4 with his first homer of the season, and he had five hits in the doubleheader. Freshman 3B A.J. Scheidt (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Lahser HS) collected his first career homer with a long blast to right in the sixth inning.

Junior RHP Joe Ziemba moved his record to 4-0 with the win in the second game for Illinois as he held Michigan to 10 hits and six runs, four earned. Sophomore RHP Phil Tognetti (Newhall, Calif./Hart HS), the first of four Wolverine pitchers in the second game, took the loss and evened his record at 2-2. He worked 2.2 innings and allowed six runs, three earned.

Michigan hosts Illinois in the series finale Sunday (April 13) with sophomore LHP Drew Taylor (Toronto, Ontario/Upper Canada College) listed as the probable starter for the Wolverines. Taylor is 2-1 with a 6.15 ERA.

N O T E S

In other Big Ten action Saturday, first-place Minnesota remained unbeaten with a pair of one-run wins over Penn State, 4-3 and 2-1. Purdue took two at Northwestern (8-3 and 6-0), Ohio State swept a doubleheader from Iowa (6-1 and 9-5), and Indiana beat Michigan State 6-5 in the second game to gain a split after MSU's 6-1 win in the opener.

Big Ten Standings (after Saturday's Games)

 1. Minnesota 9-0 1.000 2. Indiana 7-4 .636 3. Ohio State 6-4 .600 4. Illinois 6-5 .545 Purdue 6-5 .545 6. Penn State 5-6 .455 7. Northwestern 4-5 .444 8. MICHIGAN 3-6 .333 9. Michigan State 2-7 .222 10. Iowa 2-9 .182

Fifth-year senior Mike Sokol, who entered the weekend as the leading hitter in the Big Ten in conference action, went 5-for-7 with a double and his first home run of the season in the doubleheader Saturday. Sokol moved his Big Ten-only batting average to .552 (16-for-29).

Senior 3B Brock Koman had three hits in the doubleheader, including his fifth homer of the season. He snapped his tie for fifth place with Casey Close (240 hits, 1983-86) on Michigan's all-time hit list and now he needs 11 hits to tie Jim Paciorek (254, 1979-82) for fourth place.

Koman's homer was the 26th of his career and that pulls him into a tie for eighth place on U-M's career homer list with two-time All-America shortstop Barry Larkin (1983-85).

The Wolverines hit four homer runs in the doubleheader vs. Illinois. Brock Koman collected his fifth of the season but the other three were first homers of the season by Mike Sokol (eighth career HR), by junior OF Brandon Roberts (Arlington, Texas/Martin HS) with his ninth career HR and by freshman 3B A.J. Scheidt with his first career homer.

Michigan's hitting leaders after 28 games include (34 plate appearances minimum): sophomore SS Nick Rudden (.418, 23-for-55), senior 3B Brock Koman (.407, 48-for-118), DH/OF/1B Mike Sokol (.378, 37-for-98), sophomore OF Matt Butler (.355, 11-for-31), junior C Jake Fox (.352, 37-for-105) and senior OF Gino Lollio (.333, 38-for-114).

Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423