Notre Dame Tops Wolverines in Annual Baseball Bash

Wednesday, May 12

Comstock Park, Mich.

7:00 PM

Michigan

25-22

Notre Dame

39-9

Notre Dame

Michigan

5/12/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

COMSTOCK PARK, Mich. -- Notre Dame jumped to a 6-0 lead in the first three innings and defeated Michigan 7-3 in front 3,838 fans at the annual "Baseball Bash" Wednesday (May 12) night in Fifth Third Ballpark, home of the West Michigan Whitecaps, Midwest League affiliate of the Detroit Tigers.

The 11th-ranked Fighting Irish (39-9) scored early collecting three in the top of the first inning against junior RHP Michael Penn (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Christian) with LF Steve Andres knocking in the first two with a bases loaded single and the third run scored on a throwing error.

The Irish touched freshman RHP Andrew Hess (Kalamazoo, Mich./Central HS) for a run in the top of the second and two unearned runs in the third inning for a 6-0 lead.
 
The Wolverines (25-22) reached the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth as sophomore 2B Chris Getz (Grosse Pointe, Mich./South HS) doubled to left for the first Michigan hit and Irish starter Jeff Samardzija (4-2) walked junior 1B Kyle Bohm (Stevens Point, Wis./Area HS), sophomore 3B A.J. Scheidt (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Lahser HS) and senior DH Brandon Roberts (Arlington, Texas/Martin HS) in consecutive order with Roberts collecting the RBI.

Junior RF Matt Butler (Lombard, Ill./Driscoll Catholic) singled with one out in the fifth off ND reliever Dan Kapala and with two outs Getz drew a walk and Bohm singled to right cutting the Irish lead to 6-2.

After working a scoreless sixth inning, freshman RHP Dan Lentz (Farmington Hills, Mich./Brother Rice), the fifth Michigan pitcher, hit two batters and gave up two hits for another run in the seventh inning. A heads up play by defensive replacement catcher  junior/sophomore Jeff Kunkel (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest HS) saved another run as he threw a runner out at third who was trying to advance from first to third on a wild pitch.

Rain hit the stadium and the tarp was put on the field with the delay starting at 9:11 p.m. The game restarted after a 50-minute delay.

Michigan scored the final run of the game in the ninth inning as junior Nick Rudden (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) reached with a pinch single and was forced by Butler. Butler advanced to third on a passed ball and a wild pitch and scored on the second double of the game by Getz.

Sophomore righthanders Craig Murray (Park Ridge, Ill./Maine South) and Jeff Niemiec (Livonia, Mich./Catholic Central), the sixth and seventh pitchers for the Wovlerines, each pitched a scoreless inning after the rain delay.

Michigan plays opens a Big Ten weekend series at Indiana on Friday (May 14, 3 p.m. EST) with senior/junior RHP Jim Brauer (Carmel, Ind./Carmel HS) at 4-3 with a 5.32 ERA listed as the tentative starter for the Wolverines.

N O T E S

Legendary Wolverine football star Ron Kramer was on hand to participate in the first pitch ceremony for the annual "Baseball Bash" between Michigan and Notre Dame.

Sophomore 2B Chris Getz, who collected Michigan's first hit against Notre Dame on Wednesday (May 12) was 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles. He has five doubles in his last five games. Getz leads the Wolverine in hitting in conference action with a .388 (40-for-103) average.

Sophomore/freshman catcher  Matt Rademacher (Bay City, Mich./Central HS)  caught two Irish base runners attempting to steal third base.In fact, N.D. was just 1-for-5 in stolen base attempts vs. Rademacher and Jeff Kunkel.

Michigan's leading hitters after 47 games include: 1B Kyle Bohm  at .365 (62-for-170); Eric Rose (Blissfield, Mich./Blissfield HS);  at .350 (42-for-120); Brandon Roberts at .347 (51-for-147); Chris Getz at .342 (65-for-190);  Jeremy Goldschmeding (Allegam, Mich./Allegan HS) at .333 (36-for-108); 3B A.J. Scheidt at .319 (60-for-188) and Matt Butler at .318 (55-for-173).