Michigan State Pitcher Shuts Down U-M in Series Opener

Friday, April 18

Lansing, Mich.

6:00 PM

Michigan

16-16, 4-7

Michigan State

11-21, 4-7

Michigan

Michigan State

Michigan State Pitcher Shuts Down U-M in Series Opener

4/18/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

LANSING, Mich. -- Junior RHP Bryan Gale tossed a seven-hitter as Michigan State topped Michigan 12-3 Friday night (April 18) in Big Ten Conference baseball action at Oldsmobile Park. The Spartans (11-21, 4-7 Big Ten) scored two in the second inning and moved the lead to 8-0 before the Wolverines (16-16, 4-7 Big Ten) collected the first hit off Gale, a single to right by 2B Jordan Cantalamessa (Castle Rock, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) with one out in the fifth inning.

The Spartans got on the scoreboard in the second inning off sophomore RHP Michael Penn (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Christian HS), scoring twice on three hits as DH David Miller knocked in the first run and CF Brett Wattles drew a bases loaded walk for the second run.

MSU added three runs in the third inning as RF Travis Gulick opened with a single, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on a single by 1B Scott Koerber. The inning was extended when pitcher Penn (1-6) fielded a grounder to the mound and threw the potential double play-starting relay into centerfield. With runners on second and third LF Erik Morris singled to left to drive in the fourth and fifth runs before he was retired on the bases on a 7-5-4 play from LF Matt Butler (Lombard, Ill./Driscoll Catholic HS) to 3B Brock Koman (Pueblo, Colo./South HS) to Cantalamessa at second base.

MSU scored three more runs in the fourth to chase Penn, with catcher Brady Burrill scoring one with a double and the other runs scoring on a throwing error and a wild pitch by reliever Derek Feldkamp (Adrian, Mich./Blissfield HS).

The Wolverines scored off Gale in the fifth inning when Cantalamessa, after collecting the first Wolverine hit of the game, moved to second on a walk to senior CF Gino Lollio (Cape Coral, Fla./Mariner HS) and scored on a single to right by Butler.

Junior catcher Jake Fox (Greenfield, Ind./Indianapolis Cathedral HS) closed out the scoring for the Wolverines in the eighth inning with a long two-run homer that sailed out of the stadium. The homer was the team-leading ninth of the season for Fox and it followed a single by freshman shortstop Jeremy Goldschmeding (Martin, Mich./Allegan HS) and a force play.

MSU's Koerber went 3-for-4 to pace the Spartans 13-hit attack, and Gulick scored three runs.

Michigan hosts Michigan State on Saturday (April 19, 1 p.m.) as the series continues with sophomore LHP Drew Taylor (Toronto, Ontario/Upper Canada College) and junior RHP Bobby Garza (Southgate, Mich./Anderson HS) scheduled to pitch for the Wolverines. Taylor is 3-1 with a 5.48 ERA and Garza is 3-1 with a 6.23 ERA.

N O T E S

In other Big Ten play Friday, Minnesota remained unbeaten with a 7-0 win at Illinois, Ohio State stayed in second place with a 9-3 win over Indiana, Penn State topped Northwestern 6-4, and Purdue beat Iowa 9-5.

Big Ten Standings (after Friday's Games)

 1. Minnesota 11-0 1.000 2. Ohio State 8-4 .667 3. Indiana 7-6 .538 Purdue 7-6 .538 5. Illinois 6-7 .462 Penn State 6-7 .462 7. Northwestern 5-6 .455 8. MICHIGAN 4-7 .364 Michigan State 4-7 .364 10. Iowa 2-11 .154

Junior catcher Jake Fox is 6-for-11 so far this week with two doubles, two triples, one homer and seven RBI. Fox has jumped his batting average to .372 and he leads the team with 22 extra-base hits, including 14 doubles, two triples and nine homers. He leads the team with his 40 RBI and his .719 slugging percentage.

The homer for Fox was the 22nd of his career to snap his tie for 13th with Jeff Jacobson (21 homers, 1980-83), and it pushed him into a tie for 11th on Michigan's all-time homer list with Derek Besco (22, 1995-98) and Steve Finken (22, 1986-88).

Fifth-year senior 1B Mike Sokol (Sterling Heights, Mich./DeLaSalle HS) extended his Big Ten-only hitting streak to 11 games with his sixth-inning single.

Senior 2B Jordan Cantalamessa, the only Wolverine with two hits vs. MSU on Friday, collected his 39th career multiple-hit game as a Wolverine.

Senior 3B Brock Koman (Pueblo, Colo./South HS) was 0-for-4, snapping at 12 games his second hitting streak this season of 10 games or better.

Michigan's hitting leaders after 32 games include (37 plate appearances minimum): sophomore SS Nick Rudden (.403, 27-for-67), senior 3B Brock Koman (.386, 51-for-132), DH/OF/1B Mike Sokol (.378, 42-for-111), junior C Jake Fox (.372, 45-for-121) and senior OF Gino Lollio (.328, 41-for-125).

Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423