Penn Stops PSU in Opener; Wolverines Third in Big Ten

Sunday, May 23

Ann Arbor, Mich.

1:00 PM

Michigan

32-23, 19-12

Penn State

27-27, 16-15

Penn State

Michigan

Penn Stops PSU in Opener; Wolverines Third in Big Ten

5/23/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Ray Fisher Stadium)
Scores: Michigan 5, Penn State 1; Penn State 5, Michigan 2 (8 innings)
Records: U-M (32-24, 19-13 Big Ten), PSU (28-27, 17-15 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Wednesday, May 26 -- vs. Penn State at Big Ten Tournament (Minneapolis, Minn.), 3:35 p.m. CDT

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan junior RHP Michael Penn (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Christian) earned his team-leading seventh win of the season in beating Penn State 5-1 in the opener of Sunday's (May 23) Big Ten Conference baseball doubleheader at Ray Fisher Stadium. Penn State took the second game 5-2 in a game that was in the eighth inning when heavy rains and lightning caused the game to be terminated.

The Wolverines (31-24, 19-13 Big Ten) finish the season tied for third place with Michigan State and earned the third seed in the Big Ten Tournament which starts Wednesday (May 26) in Minneapolis, Minn. Ironically, Michigan's first-round opponent will be sixth-seed Penn State (28-27, 17-15 Big Ten).

The win in the opener was Michigan's seventh straight, the best winning streak under head coach Rich Maloney in his two seasons at the helm.

Penn (7-5) gave up a solo homer to Penn State 1B Scott Gummo in the first inning of the opener and settled down to notch his third complete game of the season, allowing a total of seven hits in seven innings. He battled out of a bases-loaded situation with one out in the seventh to close out the win.

The Wolverines scored three times in the second inning of the opener. Sophomore 3B A.J. Scheidt (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Lahser HS) reached on a single, moved to second with his seventh stolen base of the season, and scored when junior/sophomore catcher Jeff Kunkel (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest HS) singled to tie the score at 1-1.

Later in the inning junior RF Matt Butler (Lombard, Ill./Driscoll Catholic) hit a two-out, bases-loaded single to drive in two runs and make the score 3-1. It was Butler's team-leading eighth game-winning RBI of the season.

The Wolverines closed out the scoring in the opener in the fifth inning with junior 1B Kyle Bohm (Stevens Point, Wis./Area HS) and senior DH Brandon Roberts (Arlington, Texas/Martin HS) collecting RBI singles. Roberts was 2-for-3 in the opener, the only Wolverine with more than one hit, and then 3-for-3 with a walk in his final game in Fisher Stadium.

The second game was tied 1-1 after three innings with PSU scoring in the first on a triple by shortstop Mike Milliron and a run-scoring groundout by Gummo, while Michigan scored on a double by sophomore 2B Chris Getz (Grosse Pointe, Mich./South HS) and a run-scoring single by Roberts.

Penn State scored twice in the fourth to grab the lead and pin the first loss of the season on junior RHP Phil Tognetti (Newhall, Calif./William S. Hart HS). The visiting Nittany Lions scored single runs in the fifth and sixth innings for a 5-1 lead.

Michigan scored the final run in Fisher Stadium in the seventh inning as Getz, Bohm and Roberts had singles to load the bases and Scheidt delivered the run with sacrifice fly.

Michigan's next action will be in the Big Ten Tournament at Siebert Field in Minneapolis, Minn. Junior/sophomore Paul Hammond (Mason, Ohio/Mason HS), with a 5-1 record and a 4.03 ERA, is expected to pitch U-M's tournament opener against Penn State on Wednesday (May 26, 3:35 p.m. CDT).

N O T E S

In other Big Ten play Sunday, Indiana at Purdue and Ohio State at Minnesota were rained out, while Iowa topped Illinois 7-3 and Michigan State beat Northwestern 8-7.

Final Big Ten Standings

 1. Minnesota 21-10 .677 2. Ohio State 19-12 .613 3. MICHIGAN 19-13 .594 Michigan State 19-13 .594 5. Purdue 17-14 .548 6. Penn State 17-15 .531 7. Northwestern 14-18 .438 8. Iowa 12-20 .375 9. Illinois 11-21 .344 10. Indiana 9-22 .290

Michigan's three seniors -- RHP Jim Brauer (Carmel, Ind./Carmel HS), RHP Bobby Garza (Southgate, Mich./Anderson HS) and DH Brandon Roberts -- were honored in pregame ceremonies.

Senior DH Brandon Roberts was 5-for-5 with a walk in his final six at-bats at Ray Fisher Stadium and was 9-for-13 (.692) for the final series of the year, moving his average to a career-best .362 (63-for-174).

Michigan's leading hitters after 56 games of overall action include: 1B Kyle Bohm at .368 (74-for-207), Brandon Roberts at .362 (63-for-174), Chris Getz at .348 (78-for-224), Eric Rose at .322 (50-for-150), Jeremy Goldschmeding (Allegan, Mich./Allegan HS) at .322 (38-for-118), Matt Butler at .319 (65-for-204), catcher Jeff Kunkel at .306 (49-for-160) and 3B A.J. Scheidt at .304 (66-for-217).