Michigan
12-10
Eastern Michigan
12-10
Cantalamessa's Homer in Ninth Boosts U-M Past Eagles
4/2/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Senior Jordan Cantalamessa (Castle Rock, Colo./Cherry Creek HS), the Big Ten Conference RBI leader, stroked a three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the University of Michigan baseball team an 11-9 win over crosstown rival Eastern Michigan on Wednesday afternoon (April 2) at Ray Fisher Stadium. The Wolverines (12-10) had taken the early lead but EMU (7-12) battled back with three runs in the ninth to grab a 9-8 lead.
| | Cantalamessa raised his Big Ten-leading RBI total to 30, a career high for the senior. |
EMU's Anthony Tomey (0-4), the pitcher who hit Koman, was responsible for the winning run and was charged with the loss. Redshirt freshman LHP Ali Husain (Ann Arbor, Mich./Ypsilanti HS), the seventh Michigan pitcher, received credit for the win. Husain (1-0) was in line to suffer the loss before Cantalamessa's homer.
Husain entered the game in the ninth inning with score tied 8-8, replacing freshman RHP Derek Feldkamp (Adrian, Mich./Blissfield HS), who had given up the game-tying homer to EMU senior 1B Luke Beeler. It was Beeler's second homer of the game and the season. EMU grabbed the lead off Husain as sophomore SS Brian Bixler doubled for his third hit of the game and senior Tony Palazzolo singled off the diving Rudden for the potential game-winning hit.
The Wolverines took a 2-0 lead in the third inning when freshman SS Jeremy Goldschmeding (Martin, Mich./Allegan HS) lashed his second homer of the year following a leadoff walk to fifth-year senior 1B Nate Wright (Tinley Park, Ill./Andrew HS).
Michigan scored two runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings and held an 8-5 lead after seven innings. The Wolverines scored in the fifth on back-to-back RBI singles by Rudden and Koman and in the sixth on a two-run homer, the first of his career, by sophomore RF Chris Burhans (Alpharetta, Ga./The Marist School).
EMU scored four in the top of the seventh to cut the Michigan lead to 6-5, but in the bottom of the seventh Rudden (single) and Koman (HBP) foreshadowed the ninth by reaching base to open the frame, and junior catcher Jake Fox (Greenfield, Ind./Indianapolis Cathedral HS) singled to load the bases. The single by Fox extended his career-best and team-leading hitting streak to 18 games. Cantalamessa saved his heroics for the ninth and grounded into a double play which plated Rudden, and Burhans singled to drive in Koman and the score was 8-5.
EMU scored once in the eighth and three times in the ninth setting the stage for the winning rally.
Freshman RHP Craig Murray (Park Ridge, Ill./Maine South HS) started the game for the Wolverines and allowed two hits in three shutout innings before giving way to sophomore LHP Drew Taylor (Toronto, Ontario/Upper Canada College), who allowed one run on three hits while working the next two innings. Taylor was the pitcher of record until EMU tied the game in the ninth inning.
Michigan hosts Minnesota on Friday (April 4, 3 p.m.) to open the Big Ten home-opening series for the Wolverines (3-1), who are tied with Penn State for second place, one game behind the first-place Golden Gophers (4-0). Junior RHP Bobby Garza (Southgate, Mich./Anderson HS) is listed as the probable starter for the opener. Garza is 3-0 with a 7.03 ERA.
N O T E S
The walk-off homer for senior Jordan Cantalamessa was the first game-winning round-tripper for a Wolverine since current fifth-year senior Mike Sokol (Sterling Heights, Mich./DeLaSalle HS) hit a grand slam to beat Purdue 6-3 last May (5/17/02). In fact, Sokol's homer was just six home games ago.
After hitting 19 homers in the first 20 games, the Wolverines have hit seven in the last two games. Michigan has scored 31 runs on 33 hits in the last two games, winning 20-4 at Iowa and 11-9 vs. EMU.
Junior catcher Jake Fox extended his career-best hitting streak to 18 games, tops for the Wolverines this season, when he singled to left during the seventh inning.
Sophomore Nick Rudden, named Big Ten Player of the Week for his play at Iowa, had two hits for the fifth straight game. He extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a run-scoring single in the fifth inning.
Koman moved his career hit total to 234, six shy of Casey Close (240, 1983-86) for fifth on Michigan's career hit list.
Koman was hit by pitches twice in the game, the third time this season a Wolverine has been hit twice, and it extends his Michigan career HBP record to 36. He has been plunked six times this season to lead the team, one more than Rudden.
Michigan's hitting leaders after 22 games include (35 plate appearances minimum): sophomore SS Nick Rudden (.487, 19-for-39), senior 3B Brock Koman (.406, 39-for-96), junior C Jake Fox (.357, 30-for-84), senior OF Gino Lollio (.337, 31-for-92), Chris Burhans (.333, 15-for-45) and senior DH/OF Mike Sokol (.325, 25-for-77).
Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Husain, Ali (1-0)
L: Anthony Tomey (0-4)
Batting:
2B: Brian Bixler 1 ; Derrick Peterson 1 ; Todd Kimling 1
3B: Ryan Arnett 1
HR: Luke Beeler 2
RBI: Tony Palazzolo 1 ; Derrick Peterson 2 ; Tim Clouse 1 ; Todd Kimling 2 ; Luke Beeler 2
SF: Todd Kimling 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Brian Bixler 2 ; Tony Palazzolo 1 ; Derrick Peterson 1 ; Ryan Arnett 2 ; Luke Beeler 2 ; Matt Moffett 1
SB: Tim Clouse 1
CS: Jesse Cogswell 1
HBP: Ryan Arnett 1
PO: Jesse Cogswell 1
Batting:
2B: Goldschmeding, Jeremy 1
HR: Cantalamessa, Jordan 1 ; Burhans, Chris 1 ; Goldschmeding, Jeremy 1
RBI: Rudden, Nick 1 ; Koman, Brock 1 ; Cantalamessa, Jordan 3 ; Burhans, Chris 3 ; Goldschmeding, Jeremy 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Lollio, Gino 1 ; Rudden, Nick 2 ; Koman, Brock 1 ; Fox, Jake 1 ; Cantalamessa, Jordan 2 ; Burhans, Chris 1 ; Wright, Nate 1 ; Goldschmeding, Jeremy 2
CS: Lollio, Gino 1 ; Burhans, Chris 1 ; Goldschmeding, Jeremy 1
HBP: Rudden, Nick 1 ; Koman, Brock 2
PO: Lollio, Gino 1 ; Burhans, Chris 1
