Michigan
Minnesota
Michigan Swept at Home by First-Place Golden Gophers
4/6/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Score: Minnesota 9, Michigan 3; Minnesota 8, Michigan 7 (8 innings)
Records: U-M (12-12, 3-3 Big Ten), Minnesota (16-10, 6-0 Big Ten)
Next U-M Game: Wednesday, April 9 -- vs. Detroit (Ray Fisher Stadium), 3 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Minnesota remained unbeaten in the early going of the Big Ten baseball race by sweeping Michigan 9-3 and 8-7 in extra innings in a weather-shortened two-game series on Sunday (April 6) in Ray Fisher Stadium. The losses dropped the Wolverines (12-12, 3-3 Big Ten) from second place into a four-way tie for fourth place after two weeks of play. Minnesota (16-10, 6-0 Big Ten) is in first place, with Indiana and Penn State tied for second with 5-3 records.
After winning the opener 9-3 behind the seven-hit, complete-game pitching of freshman lefty Glen Perkins (3-1), Minnesota came from behind to win the nightcap in eight innings with junior RHP Jeff Moen gaining the win with 2.1 shutout innings of relief. Senior RF Ben Pattee was the offensive star of the doubleheader for Minnesota, going 6-for-9 including a 4-for-5 game in the nightcap. Pattee had two doubles in each game giving him 15 doubles for the season.
Gopher SS Scott Welch paced Minnesota's 10-hit attack in the opener, going 3-for-5. Minnesota used a seven-run fourth inning to snap a 1-1 tie in the opener with the Wolverines. Junior Sam Steidl's pop-fly single to left provided the winning RBI.
Senior 3B Brock Koman (Pueblo, Colo./South HS) was Michigan's highlight in the doubleheader, hitting a two-run homer in the opener and going 3-for-5 in the second game as he drove in four runs on the afternoon.
Sophomore RHP Michael Penn (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Christian HS) took the loss in the opener for the Wolverines, pitching 6.1 innings and allowing all nine runs. Freshman RHP Craig Murray (Park Ridge, Ill./Maine South HS), the fifth Wolverine pitcher of the second game, was tagged with the loss when Minnesota snapped the 7-7 after two outs in the eighth inning when Pattee's fourth double of the game drove in Steidl from first base.
The Wolverines chased Minnesota senior starter C.J. Woodrow with a four-run fourth inning in the second game to grab a 6-4 lead. Sophomore RF Chris Burhans (Alpharetta, Ga./The Marist School), fifth-year senior 1B Nate Wright (Tinley Park, Ill./Andrew HS) and sophomore SS Nick Rudden (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) loaded the bases on singles before senior OF Gino Lollio (Cape Coral, Fla./Mariner HS) drilled his second double of the game down the line in left to tie the game 4-4.
Fifth-year senior DH Mike Sokol (Sterling Heights, Mich./DeLaSalle HS) hit a sharp grounder to deep second base for the third run of the inning, and Koman singled to drive in Lollio. Junior catcher Jake Fox (Greenfield, Ind./Indianapolis Cathedral HS), who had his 18-game hitting streak snapped in the opener, followed with the sixth Michigan hit of the inning and Woodrow was out of the game. Gopher reliever Brian Bull tossed a double play grounder to end the rally.
Trailing 7-6 in the sixth inning the Wolverines had another rally started by a Sokol single and featured a walk to Fox and a pair of HBPs, with junior LF Brandon Roberts (Arlington, Texas/Martin HS) driving in the tying run.
However, Minnesota reliever Moen (1-0) earned the win the hard way, getting a bases-loaded strikeout in the sixth to keep the game tied 7-7, a strikeout of Sokol in the bottom of the seventh with the winning run on third base and a strikeout of Roberts with the tying run on first base to end the game.
Michigan hosts Detroit Mercy on Wednesday (April 9, 3 p.m.) and Illinois for a four-game Big Ten series starting Friday (April 11, 3 p.m.).
N O T E S
Former Wolverine All-America 3B Chris Sabo (1981-83) was at the Michigan-Minnesota doubleheader on Sunday, as were other former Wolverines Chuck Froning (1981-84) and 2002 co-captain Joe Young (1998-99, 2002).
Senior OF Gino Lollio had two hits in each game of the doubleheader vs. Minnesota, and his 11-game hitting streak is the top current streak for the Wolverines.
Lollio had two doubles in the second game and sophomore RF Chris Burhans had two doubles in the opener, marking the sixth and seventh times this season a Wolverine has had two doubles in a game.
Junior catcher Jake Fox had his hitting streak snapped at 18 game and sophomore SS/2B Nick Rudden had his hit streak snapped at 12 games as both were held hitless in the opener vs. Minnesota and both started new streaks in the second game.
Senior 3B Brock Koman had a homer in the opener and three hits in the second game vs. Minnesota. He moved his career hit total to 238, two shy of Casey Close (240 hits, 1983-86) for fifth on Michigan's career hit list.
The homer by Koman was the 25th of his career to tie David Parrish (25, 1998-2000) for ninth on Michigan's all-time homer list, one shy of Barry Larkin (26, 1983-85) in eighth place.
Koman was hit by a pitch in the first game to extend his Wolverine career HBP record to 37. He has been plunked seven times this season to lead the team.
Fifth-year seniors Nate Wright and Mike Sokol each had three hits in the second game of the doubleheader vs. Minnesota. For Sokol it was his 35th career multiple-hit game, and for Wright it was his 30th career multi-hit game.
Michigan's hitting leaders after 24 games include (35 plate appearances minimum): sophomore SS Nick Rudden (.435, 20-for-46), senior 3B Brock Koman (.413, 43-for-104), Chris Burhans (.373, 19-for-51), junior C Jake Fox (.360, 32-for-89), senior OF Gino Lollio (.347, 35-for-101) and senior DH/OF Mike Sokol (.345, 29-for-84).
Big Ten Standings (after Sunday's Games)
1. Minnesota 6-0 1.000 2. Indiana 5-3 .625 Penn State 5-3 .625 4. MICHIGAN 3-3 .500 Northwestern 3-3 .500 Ohio State 4-4 .500 Purdue 4-4 .500 8. Illinois 3-5 .375 9. Iowa 2-6 .250 10. Michigan State 1-5 .167
Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423
