Brauer, Getz Help Wolverines Salvage Split at Indiana

Saturday, May 15

Bloomington, Ind.

1:00 PM CT

Michigan

25-23, 13-12

Indiana

24-25, 8-17

Michigan

Indiana

Brauer, Getz Help Wolverines Salvage Split at Indiana

5/15/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Site: Bloomington, Ind. (Sembower Field)
Scores: Indiana 4, Michigan 1; Michigan 2, Indiana 1
Records: U-M (26-23, 14-12 Big Ten), Indiana (24-26, 8-18 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, May 16 -- DH at Indiana (Bloomington, Ind.), 1:00 p.m. EST/CDT

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Senior/junior Jim Brauer (Carmel, Ind./Carmel HS) pitched a complete game and sophomore 2B Chris Getz (Grosse Pointe, Mich./South HS) collected the game-winning hit as the University of Michigan baseball team gained a split in Big Ten Conference doubleheader action Saturday afternoon (May 15) at Sembower Field by winning the second game, 2-1.

Indiana (24-26, 8-18 Big Ten) took Saturday's opener 4-1 behind the complete-game pitching of Nick Vitielliss (5-3). The complete game was the first for Vitiellis and third for the Hoosiers.

In game two Indiana jumped ahead with a run in the first inning on a leadoff walk by CF Reggie Watson, his 23rd stolen base of the season and a run-scoring single to right by 2B Jay Brant. However, Brauer (5-3) settled down and allowed just three more hits as he tossed his second complete game of the season and the ninth for Wolverine pitching.

The Wolverines (26-23, 14-12 Big Ten) scored both runs needed to win the second game in the third inning as freshmen shortstop Leif Mahler (Columbus, Ohio/St. Charles Prep) and LF Brad Roblin (Wayland, Mass./Rivers School) started the inning with singles and advanced on a two-strike sacrifice bunt by classmate CF Eric Rose (Blissfield, Mich./Blissfield HS).

Junior 1B Matt Butler (Lombard, Ill./Driscoll Catholic) singled to center to tie the game at 1-1 with his 40th RBI of the season, and Getz singled to left to give Michigan its first lead of the doubleheader. The RBI for Getz was his 36th of the season and his third "gamer."

Brauer allowed just two baserunners after the third inning and retired eight of the last nine batters for the win, including a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh inning. He ended the game with his fourth strikeout and leads the Wolverines with 60 strikeouts in 70.1 innings.

The host Hoosiers took the lead in the opener against Wolverine starter junior/sophomore LHP Paul Hammond (Mason, Ohio/Mason HS) on a walk to RF Joe Kemp, a double by LF Kevin Mahar and an infield grounder by DH Ryan Donley.

Michigan tied the score in the fourth innings as junior 1B Kyle Bohm (Stevens Point, Wis./Area HS) earned his second walk of the game and moved to second on a walk to 3B A.J. Scheidt (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Lahser HS). Junior/sophomore catcher Jeff Kunkel (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest HS) doubled in the gap in left-center to score Bohm, but the outfield grass, heavy from the rains that postponed Friday's series opener, kept the ball from rolling toward the fence and did not allow Scheidt to score from first base.

Indiana regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth when Donley led off the inning with his sixth homer of the year, and his second RBI of the game turned out to be the game-winner. Following a walk and a fielding error by Hammond, IU shortstop Seth Bynum singled in the third run.

The Wolverines collected a pair of singles in the seventh inning. Rose beat out a bunt and stole second base, and Getz dropped a single to center with Rose taking third, but the Indiana defense came up with a gem when Butler's flare toward left was caught by a diving Bynum at short.

Hammond (4-1) allowed five hits but just two earned runs in taking his first loss of the season.

Kunkel with three hits in the opener and Getz with singles in each game were the only Wolverines with more than one hit in the doubleheader, but junior 1B Bohm reached base three times with a two walks in the opener and a single in the second game. Bohm has walked 36 times and has a .477 on-base percentage.

Michigan plays another doubleheader to close out the Big Ten weekend series at Indiana on Sunday (May 16). Junior RHP Michael Penn (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Christian), at 4-5 with a 4.71 ERA, and sophomore RHP Derek Feldkamp (Adrian, Mich./Blissfield HS), at 4-5 with a 3.54 ERA, are listed as the tentative starters for the Wolverines.

N O T E S

In Big Ten action Saturday, the Michigan split with Indiana kept the Wolverines alone in fifth place with six games to play in the regular season. Michigan State gained a split at Penn State, taking the nightcap 11-5 after the host Nittany Lions took the opener 3-2. The MSU-PSU split keeps the two teams tied (16-11) but now in third place as Ohio State's 4-2, 9-1 sweep over Northwestern gives the Buckeyes (17-10) second place behind Minnesota. The league-leading Golden Gophers swept a twinbill at Illinois, 12-5 and 7-2, to go to 18-8 on the season. Iowa and Purdue split two games with the host Hawkeyes, winning the second game 8-3 after Purdue won the opener 6-4 in 10 innings. Purdue, having dropped two of three games so far at Iowa, is in sixth place, a half-game behind the Wolverines.

Big Ten Standings (includes games of May 15)

 1. Minnesota 18-8 .692 2. Ohio State 17-10 .630 3. Penn State 16-11 .593 Michigan State 16-11 .593 5. MICHIGAN 14-12 .538 6. Purdue 14-13 .519 7. Northwestern 12-15 .444 8. Iowa 10-17 .370 9. Illinois 8-18 .308 Indiana 8-18 .308

Michigan's Saturday starting pitchers, Paul Hammond and Jim Brauer, are now both 4-1 in Big Ten-only action. Hammond has a 1.87 Big Ten ERA and Brauer has a 3.38 Big Ten ERA. In overall action Hammond is 4-1 with a 4.07 ERA in 15 appearances, while Brauer is 5-3 with a 4.92 ERA in 13 appearances.

Brauer has taken the team lead with his five wins and he is the active career leader for the Wolverines with 12 wins. His career wins have been against: Illinois (2), Michigan State (2), Ohio State (2), Bowling Green (2), Indiana, Purdue, Detroit and Siena Heights.

Sophomore 2B Chris Getz has a seven-game hitting streak and has hits in 26 of his last 28 games. Getz collected his third game-winning RBI of the season, and all have been on the road in Big Ten play at Iowa, Purdue and Indiana. Getz continues to leads the Wolverine in hitting in conference action with a .382 (42-for-110) average.

Michigan's top five hitters in Big Ten-only play are: Chris Getz at .382, Brad Roblin at .351 (26-for-74), Kyle Bohm at .341 (29-for-71), Brandon Roberts (Arlington, Texas/Martin HS) at .333 (27-for-81), and Eric Rose at .308 (24-for-78).

Michigan's leading hitters after 49 games of overall action include: 1B Kyle Bohm at .360 (63-for-175), Eric Rose at .344 (43-for-125), Brandon Roberts at .342 (52-for-152), Chris Getz at .340 (67-for-197), Jeremy Goldschmeding (Allegan, Mich./Allegan HS) at .327 (36-for-110), 3B A.J. Scheidt at .309 (60-for-194), and Matt Butler at .309 (56-for-181).

Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423