Michigan Collects Upset Victory Over No. 16 Notre Dame

Tuesday, April 29

Comstock Park, Mich.

7:30 PM

Michigan

22-18

Notre Dame

34-10

Michigan

Notre Dame

Michigan Collects Upset Victory Over No. 16 Notre Dame

4/29/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

COMSTOCK PARK, Mich. -- The University of Michigan baseball team jumped to a 7-0 lead and added an insurance run in the ninth to capture an 8-4 win over 16th-ranked Notre Dame Tuesday night (April 29) at Fifth Third Ballpark. Sophomore LHP Drew Taylor (Toronto, Ontario/Upper Canada College) moved his record to 5-1, going 5.2 inning and allowing three runs, and senior RHP Tim Leveque (Northridge, Calif./Crespi HS) worked the final 3.1 innings and fanned four to record his second save of the year.

Taylor blanked Notre Dame during the first five innings as Michigan took a 7-0 lead.

The Wolverines (22-18) opened the scoring in the third inning, taking advantage of the wildness of Irish starter Peter Ogilvie and loading the bases on walks to sophomore OF Matt Butler (Lombard, Ill./Driscoll Catholic HS) and senior OF Gino Lollio (Cape Coral, Fla./Mariner HS) and an infield single by sophomore SS Nick Rudden (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS).

Senior 3B Brock Koman (Pueblo, Colo./South HS) drove in the game-winning run when he was hit by a pitch, tying the U-M single-season record of 15 set by Scott Tousa in 2001. Junior catcher Jake Fox (Greenfield, Ind./Indianapolis Cathedral HS), the lone Indiana native to play in the game, made it 2-0 with a sacrifice fly to center.

Michigan added two more in the fourth as Butler doubled to right-center, scoring Jordan Cantalamessa (Castle Rock, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) and junior RF Brandon Roberts (Arlington, Texas/Martin HS), who had opened the inning with walks.

Rudden opened the fifth inning with a bunt single and reached second on a stolen base. Koman followed with a run-scoring single and moved to third on a flyball double by Fox. Cantalamessa singled to drive in Koman and Fox scored on a sacrifice fly by Roberts to make the score 7-0.

ND chased starter Taylor in the sixth inning with five consecutive singles after two outs and senior Leveque collected a strikeout to end the frame. Leveque retired the final four batters to close out the game.

Michigan heads to Ohio State this weekend (May 2-4) for a four-game series with the Buckeyes that starts Friday night (May 2, 6:35 p.m.) in Bill Davis Stadium.

N O T E S

Jamie Morris, Assistant Director of Marketing and Sales for the U-M Athletic Department and former star running back (1984-87) for the Wolverines football team, was on hand to throw out the first pitch representing Michigan at the Baseball Bash. Morris tossed a strike to senior catcher Alex Coleman (Dallas, Texas/Lake Highlands HS).

Michigan's hitting leaders after 40 games include (70 plate appearances minimum): senior 3B Brock Koman at .391 (61-for-156), sophomore SS Nick Rudden (.389, 35-for-90), junior C Jake Fox (.373, 53-for-142), senior DH/OF/1B Mike Sokol (.350, 49-for-140) and senior OF Gino Lollio (.342, 53-for-155).

Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423