Feldkamp Tops Illinois; Michigan Shares First After Split

Saturday, April 17

Ann Arbor, Mich.

1:00 PM

Michigan

18-12, 7-3

Illinois

10-19, 3-7

Illinois

Michigan

Feldkamp Tops Illinois; Michigan Shares First After Split

4/17/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Photo Gallery

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Ray Fisher Stadium)
Scores: Michigan 5, Illinois 2; Illinois 5, Michigan 4
Records: U-M (18-13, 7-4 Big Ten), Illinois (11-19, 4-7 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, Apr. 18 -- vs. Illinois (Ray Fisher Stadium), 1:00 p.m.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Sophomore RHP Derek Feldkamp (Adrian, Mich./Blissfield HS) pitched his second straight complete game in a 5-2 win over Illinois in Saturday's (April 17) opening game, but the Fighting Illini (11-19, 4-7 Big Ten) bounced back to take the nightcap 5-4 at Ray Fisher Stadium despite two homers by junior 1B Kyle Bohm (Stevens Point, Wis./Area HS).

With the split the Wolverines (18-13, 7-4 Big Ten) moved into a four-way tie for first place with Michigan State, Minnesota and Ohio State as the Buckeyes swept a pair from the Spartans, while Minnesota split two games with Penn State.

Feldkamp allowed single runs in the first and second innings but settled down to retire 14 of the final 16 batters to notch his second straight Big Ten complete game. He recorded his team-leading fourth win of the season while lowering his ERA to 1.93.

The Wolverines scored all the runs that Feldkamp would need in the bottom of the first off Illinois starter Ted Rowe (1-5). Junior/sophomore catcher Jeff Kunkel's (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest HS) bases-loaded, two-run double gave the Wolverines the lead, and back-to-back singles by senior DH Brandon Roberts (Arlington, Texas/Martin HS) and sophomore shortstop Jeremy Goldschmeding (Allegan, Mich./Allegan HS) made the score 4-1.

Michigan closed the first-game scoring in the sixth as Roberts doubled, his third hit of the game, and pinch runner Mike Schmidt (Saginaw, Mich./Heritage HS) scored on a single by Goldschmeding.

In the second game Illinois starter Tim Gorski (3-0), who shared Pitcher of the Week honors with Feldkamp last week, pitched five innings for the win, while Michigan junior RHP Michael Penn (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Christian) took the loss.

Illinois scored three times in the first inning and added solo homers by LF Drew Davidson and SS Eric Eymann. Penn (3-2) allowed six hits and all five runs (three earned) in the loss.

Bohm kept the Wolverines in the game with his two homers, his second two-homer game of the week. He blasted a two-run homer in the fifth to cut the Illinois lead to 5-3 and smoked a solo shot with two outs in the bottom of the seventh for the final 5-4 margin. Bohm leads the team with six homers.

Michigan's other run in the second game came in the first inning as junior RF Matt Butler (Lombard, Ill./Driscoll Catholic) doubled and scored on a two-out triple by sophomore 3B A.J. Scheidt (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Lahser HS).

Junior/sophomore LHP Paul Hammond (Mason, Mich./Mason HS) kept Michigan in the game as he worked 3.2 scoreless innings in the second game to lower his Big Ten ERA to 0.60. He has allowed one earned run in 15 innings of conference play.

The Wolverines are scheduled to host Illinois in a nine-inning single game Sunday (April 18, 1 p.m.) to close out the weekend series. Senior RHP Bobby Garza (Southgate, Mich./Anderson HS), with a 2-1 record and a 5.01 ERA, will start for the Wolverines.

N O T E S

In Big Ten action Saturday, the split by Michigan and Illinois allows the Wolverines to join a four-way tie for first place as Ohio State swept Michigan State 8-7 and 19-2 and Minnesota split with Penn State. Minnesota topped Penn State 6-3 in the opener, but PSU took the second game 8-4. Thus Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota and Ohio State are all 7-4 with one game remaining in weekend three of Big Ten play. Either MSU or OSU will be in first after Sunday's finale in East Lansing.

Meanwhile splits were in order as Northwestern beat Purdue 3-1 in the opener, but Purdue took the second game 9-3. Indiana beat Iowa 5-4 in the opener, but Iowa took the second game 12-7.

Big Ten Standings (after Saturday's Games)

 1. MICHIGAN 7-4 .636 Michigan State 7-4 .636 Minnesota 7-4 .636 Ohio State 7-4 .636 5. Penn State 6-5 .545 6. Northwestern 5-6 .455 Purdue 5-6 .455 8. Illinois 4-7 .364 Indiana 4-7 .364 10. Iowa 3-8 .273

Former Wolverine head baseball coach Don Lund has been at Fisher Stadium the past two days. Other former Wolverines in attendance during weekend action include former Major League pitcher Lary Sorensen (1974-76), former Wolverine outfielder Kourtney Thompson (1986-89) and reliever Tim Leveque (2000-03).

The Michigan win over Illinois in the opener gave the Wolverines a six-game winning streak, the longest winning streak at Michigan for second-year head coach Rich Maloney. However, the streak was snapped with the second-game loss.

Sophomore 2B Chris Getz (Grosse Point, Mich./South HS) extended his overall hitting streak to 10 games with hits is both games of Saturday's doubleheader. He has an eight-game streak in Big Ten games.

Jeremy Goldschmeding extended his current hitting streak to seven games with hits in each game of the doubleheader.

Freshman OF Brad Roblin (Wayland, Mass./Rivers School) had his seven-game hitting streak in Big Ten games snapped in Saturday's opener.

Michigan's hitting leaders after 31 games are: 1B Kyle Bohm at .405 (47-for-116), Jeremy Goldschmeding at .359 (33-for-92), OF Eric Rose (Blissfield, Mich./Blissfield HS) at .338 (24-for-71), Jeff Kunkel at .337 (28-for-83), 3B A.J. Scheidt at .336 (41-for-122), Matt Butler at .333 (37-for-111), Chris Getz at .317 (38-for-120) and Brandon Roberts at .309 (30-for-97).