Rose, Kunkel Help Michigan 'Penn' Victory Over WMU

Wednesday, May 19

Ann Arbor, Mich.

3:00 PM

Michigan

29-23

Western Michigan

20-31

Western Michigan

Michigan

5/19/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score Photo Gallery

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Freshman CF Eric Rose (Blissfield, Mich./Blissfield HS) had three hits and three stolen bases and junior/sophomore catcher Jeff Kunkel (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest HS) delivered the game-winning RBI with a seventh-inning pinch double as the University of Michigan defeated Western Michigan 7-5 in a non-conference baseball game Wednesday afternoon (May 19) at Ray Fisher Stadium.

Junior RHP Michael Penn (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Christian), the fifth of seven Wolverine pitchers, recorded his team-leading sixth win by closing the door on Western Michigan (20-31) in the top of the seventh inning. Penn (6-5), who shares the team lead with 12 starts, has recorded back-to-back wins out of the bullpen.

Michigan (29-23) had held leads of 4-0 and 5-2 before the visiting Broncos rallied for two runs in the sixth and three runs in the seventh to tie the score at 5-5. Penn used a strikeout and a tapper back to the mound to get out of the inning.

Junior 1B Kyle Bohm (Stevens Point, Wis./Area HS) singled to open the bottom of the seventh inning and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by senior DH Brandon Roberts (Arlington, Texas/Martin HS). With two runners on and two outs Kunkel scored Bohm as he drilled a double into left-centerfield for his fourth game-winning RBI of the season.

The Wolverines added insurance in the eighth inning as Rose opened the frame with a double, his 49th hit of the season, and with two outs Bohm singled to collect his team-leading 49th RBI.

The Wolverines grabbed a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning as Rose singled, stole second base and moved to third on a single by junior RF Matt Butler (Lombard, Ill./Driscoll Catholic). Rose scored on a throwing error by WMU pitcher Bryan Rumple on a pickoff attempt to first base and Butler raced around to third on the play. Sophomore 2B Chris Getz (Grosse Pointe, Mich./South HS) walked and took second on a short wild pitch as Butler remained at third. Bohm and Roberts hit back-to-back sacrifice flies to make the score 3-0.

Rose, who has 13 multiple-hit games, reached on an error in the third and collected his second stolen base of the game. He moved to third on Butler's second hit of the game and scored on a sacrifice fly by Getz.

Freshman RHP Andrew Hess (Kalamazoo, Mich./Central HS) allowed three hits and pitched five shutout innings in his first career start for the Wolverines, but WMU took advantage of the bullpen, scoring twice in the sixth and three times in the seventh with five walks and a HBP setting the table for two-run singles by 2B Mark Abro in the sixth and 3B Justin Carter in the seventh following a run-scoring wild pitch for the 5-5 tie.

With his three stolen bases Rose matched team leader Butler (15) for the best stolen base game of the season and he pulled even with Getz (13 steals) for second on the team.

Rose led the Michigan's 11-hit attack with two singles and a double, while Butler, Bohm and sophomore LF Jeremy Goldschmeding (Allegan, Mich./Allegan HS) each had two hits.

Michigan hosts Penn State in a Big Ten series Friday through Sunday (May 21-23). Junior/sophomore LHP Paul Hammond (Mason, Ohio/Mason HS), with a 4-1 record and a 4.07 ERA, is expected to start the opener on Friday (May 21, 3 p.m.) for the Wolverines.

N O T E S

• The Michigan-Western Michigan game marked an end to an era as WMU coach Fred Decker, who coached Wolverine head coach Rich Maloney, made his final visit to Ray Fisher Stadium. Maloney, who served under Decker as a player and as an assistant coach, presented Decker with a Michigan blanket prior to the start of the contest. Decker, who announced his retirement before the start of the 2004 season, has been the head coach of the Broncos for the past 29 seasons. He became the first Mid-American Conference coach to win 400 league games when he beat Kent State last weekend.

• Former Wolverines Jake Fox, the All-Big Ten catcher and team MVP for the Wolverines last season and a member of the Lansing Lugnuts in the Chicago Cubs farm system, and Chad Garson were on hand at Ray Fisher Stadium on Wednesday.

• Terry Hunter, a former volunteer pitching coach for the Wolverines, was on hand to see Fred Decker's final visit to Ray Fisher Stadium.

• Sophomore 2B Chris Getz had his hitting streak snapped at nine games as he was 0-for-2 with two walks and a sacrifice fly against Western Michigan. He has hits in 28 of his last 31 games and is hitting .344.

• Getz collected his first save as a Wolverine, recording the final out of the game after moving from second base to the pitcher's mound with two outs in the ninth inning. Getz (0-1) has made four pitching appearances and has the save and a 4.50 ERA.

• Michigan's leading hitters after 52 games of overall action include: 1B Kyle Bohm at .369 (69-for-187), Eric Rose at .355 (49-for-138), Chris Getz at .344 (72-for-209), Brandon Roberts at .335 (54-for-158), Jeremy Goldschmeding at .328 (38-for-116), Matt Butler at .320 (62-for-194), 3B A.J. Scheidt (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Lahser HS) at .312 (64-for-205) and catcher Jeff Kunkel at .304 (45-for-108).