Michigan Sent to Big Ten Losers Bracket by Ohio State

Thursday, May 22

Minneapolis, Minn.

3:35 PM CT

Michigan

30-26

Ohio State

38-18

Michigan

Ohio State

Michigan Sent to Big Ten Losers Bracket by Ohio State

5/22/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- Sophomore RHP Phil Tognetti (Newhall, Calif./Hart HS) limited Ohio State to hits in just two innings, but it was not enough for the Buckeyes to defeat Michigan 4-2 in Big Ten Baseball Tournament second-round action Thursday night (May 22) at Minnesota's Siebert Field. Rain delayed the start of the day's action, and U-M's contest, originally scheduled for 3:35 p.m. CDT, did not start until 7:15 p.m. CDT.

Butler's first career homer came in his 192nd at-bat.

The second seeded Buckeyes (38-18) used the win to advance in the winners bracket and will face either top-seeded host Minnesota (37-18) or fourth seed Penn State (27-26) in their next game. Michigan's (30-26) next opponent will be determined on Friday (May 23).

Tognetti (6-5) retired the first 12 Ohio State batters and had six 1-2-3 innings in his eight-inning complete game, but OSU's Josh Newman (6-5) held most of the Wolverines off the basepaths until the eighth inning. Wolverine senior 3B Brock Koman (Pueblo, Colo./South HS) was the one player that Newman had trouble with as he was 3-for-3 with doubles in the first and third innings and a line-drive single in the sixth.

OSU DH Steve Caravati legged out an infield single to open the fifth inning with the first Buckeye baserunner and he moved to second on a groundout and to third on a single by LF Cody Caughenbaugh. OSU catcher Derek Kinnear hit a double to right and Caughenbaugh, running on the pitch, scored all the way from first for a 2-0 lead.

In the sixth OSU doubled the score on a two-run homer by All-Big Ten outfielder Christian Snavely, his 13th of the season. It was his fourth consecutive game with a homer, all hit at Siebert Field.

Sophomore RF Matt Butler (Lombard, Ill./Driscoll Catholic HS) put the Wolverines on the scoreboard when he lined his first career home run over the fence in right to open the eighth inning. Senior CF Gino Lollio (Cape Coral, Fla./Mariner HS) followed with a double and sophomore shortstop Nick Rudden (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) drew a walk to bring up Koman as the tying run, but he was hit by the first pitch to load the bases and it knocked Newman out of the game.

OSU's single-season save leader Matt Davis entered the game to face U-M RBI leader Jake Fox (Greenfield, Ind./Indianapolis Cathedral HS), and when Fox sent the ball up the middle it deflected off the pitcher into a 1-4-6-3 double play that scored Lollio to cut the lead to 4-2. Fifth-year senior 1B Mike Sokol (Sterling Heights, Mich./DeLaSalle HS) was the next hitter and his bid for a single up the middle was stopped by OSU 2B Drew Anderson for a 4-3 putout.

Davis recorded his 11th save of the season with a 1-2-3 ninth and actually faced just five batters to record six outs. Koman and Butler combined for five of Michigan's six hits, while OSU's total of five hits was shared by five players.

Michigan is scheduled to continue Big Ten Tournament action on Friday (May 23) with an opponent to be determined earlier in the day.

N O T E S

In the other Big Ten Tournament first-round game on Thursday Indiana beat Northwestern in the first elimination game of the tournament and the third game of the day featuring Penn State and Minnesota was postponed until Friday (May 23). Indiana will play in Friday's second game against either Penn State (if Minnesota beats PSU) or Michigan (if Penn State beat Minnesota).

Brock Koman's 3-for-3 game with two doubles vs. Ohio State was the 77th multiple-hit game of his career and his 22nd three-hit game. Koman extended his Wolverine career records for doubles to 72.

Koman has hits in 70 of his last 82 games and he moved his career total to 275 hits, snapping his tie with Jason Alcaraz (272, 1996-99) for second place on Michigan's all-time hit list. He is 18 hits shy of Mike Cervenak's (1996-99) career hit mark of 293.

Matt Butler is 4-for-6 in the Big Ten Tournament and his 2-for-3 game vs. Ohio State that included his first career home run was his 15th career multiple-hit game.

Michigan's hitting leaders after 56 games include (100 plate appearances minimum): senior 3B Brock Koman at .370 (80-for-216), junior C Jake Fox (.360, 73-for-203), fifth-year senior 1B Mike Sokol (.348, 69-for-198), senior OF Gino Lollio (.335, 72-for-216) and sophomore SS Nick Rudden (.329, 49-for-149).

Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423