Purdue Gains Momentum Swing, Ekes Past Wolverines

Saturday, May 8

West Lafayette, Ind.

3:00 PM CT

Michigan

24-19, 12-9

Purdue

22-21, 11-10

Michigan

Purdue

5/8/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Purdue scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, the last two on Michigan's only errors of the day, to beat the Wolverines 7-6 Saturday (May 8) afternoon in the opener of the Big Ten Conference baseball series at Lambert Field.

The host Boilermakers (22-21, 11-10 Big Ten) scored twice in the sixth inning to take a 4-2 lead only to see Michigan (24-19, 12-9 Big Ten) score four runs after two outs in the seventh to regain momentum with a 6-4 lead. However, it was Purdue with the last rally against Wolverine starter senior/junior RHP Jim Brauer (Carmel, Ind./Carmel HS).

Purdue senior 3B Simon Klink opened the eighth inning with his third hit and second double to start the strange winning rally. Next was 2B Eric Osborn, who dropped a single into short centerfield for his third hit of the game, moving Klink to third base. RF Andy Dahl, who had popped up a bunt in the sixth inning, dropped a safety squeeze bunt down to score Klink and advance Osborn, the tying run, to second base.

The next play started with a line drive to left-center by the ninth batter, SS Mitch Koester. Wolverine freshman Brad Roblin (Wayland, Mass./Rivers School), a defensive replacement who had already made one outstanding play, dove for the ball and almost made the catch. Osborn, who had retreated to second, then steamed toward third. Freshman CF Eric Rose (Blissfield, Mich./Blissfield HS), noticed Osborn on the move again, picked up the ball and fired toward third. Osborn made third safely and the ball sailed off the dugout. As Osborn headed home and Koester, the hitter, rounded second, Brauer grabbed the ball near the Purdue dugout and heaved it over the head of catcher Jeff Kunkel (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest HS) as the tying run scored. The bad news was the ball also sailed over the head of 1B Kyle Bohm (Stevens Point, Wis./Area HS) and Koester came all the way around to score the winning run.

Koester played a major role in the win for Purdue as he had knocked in the tying run at 2-2 with a fourth-inning, two-strike squeeze bunt, had lofted a two-run homer to left in the sixth to snap the 2-2 tie, and then circled the bases on his double and two Wolverine errors to score the winning run.

Purdue's Jason Driscoll (3-1) worked the final 2.1 innings, including a 1-2-3 ninth, to collect the win, while Brauer (4-3) saw his three-game winning streak in Big Ten series openers snapped on an amazing play.

The Wolverines had snagged the momentum in the top of the seventh against Purdue's Scott Byrnes after two outs when junior RF Matt Butler (Lombard, Ill./Driscoll Catholic) singled between the legs of Byrnes. The next batter, Bohm, hit a shot right at the base umpire, who was blocking the view of SS Koester. Koester made a nice recovery to field the ball, but a hustling Butler beat the throw on the attempted forceout at second and Bohm had an infield single.

Sophomore 3B A.J, Scheidt (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Lahser HS) worked the count to 2-1 and blasted his fifth homer of the season into the wind in right and Michigan had a 5-4 lead. In his previous at-bat Scheidt had blasted the ball to right and Purdue's Dahl actually came in a step to make the catch.

Scheidt's homer knocked Byrnes out of the game, and Driscoll's third pitch to senior DH Brandon Roberts (Arlington, Texas/Martin HS) was lofted over the fence in left for his third homer of the year. Thus the Wolverines had used back-to-back singles, followed by back-to-back homers and had taken the lead, 6-4, but Purdue bounced back to win.

Michigan had taken a 2-0 lead with sophomore 2B Chris Getz (Grosse Pointe, Mich./South HS) leading the way. Getz led off the game with a double to left-center and scored on a sacrifice fly by Scheidt in the first inning, and in the third he doubled to right-center and scored on a sac fly by Bohm.

Getz, Butler, Roberts and Bohm each had two hits for the Wolverines to lead the 11-hit attack as Michigan has had at least 10 hits in nine of the last 10 Big Ten games. Meanwhile, Bohm moved his team-leading RBI total to 42, while Scheidt with four RBI in the game is tied for second with Butler at 37 RBI. Butler collected his team-leading 15th stolen base.

Michigan meets Purdue in a doubleheader on Sunday (May 9) at Lambert Field. Junior/sophomore LHP Paul Hammond (Mason, Ohio/Mason HS), with a 3-0 record and a 4.50 ERA, will pitch in the first game and junior RHP Michael Penn (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Christian), with a 4-3 record and a 4.35 ERA, will go in the nightcap.

N O T E S

In other Saturday action in the Big Ten, Minnesota stayed in front of the pack by sweeping Iowa 3-2 and 7-6, and Northwestern swept Illinois 5-3 and 4-2. Minnesota has taken the first three from the Hawkeyes, while NU has taken two of three from Illinois. In the other two series that started Saturday (May 8) Michigan State edged Indiana 15-13 and Ohio State topped Penn State 3-2. The two games on Friday (May 7) included a 3-2 Minnesota win over Iowa and Illinois beating Northwestern 11-8.

Big Ten Standings (includes games of May 8)

 1. Minnesota 16-7 .696 2. Ohio State 13-7 .667 3. Penn State 13-8 .619 4. MICHIGAN 12-9 .571 5. Michigan State 11-10 .524 Purdue 11-10 .524 7. Northwestern 10-13 .435 8. Illinois 8-15 .348 9. Indiana 7-14 .333 10. Iowa 7-16 .304

The back-to-back homers by A.J. Scheidt and Brandon Roberts marked the second time this season that the Wolverines have performed that feat on the road and the second time for Scheidt. The first time Scheidt teamed up with 1b Kyle Bohm at Central Michigan (April14). The last time Michigan went back-to-back in Big Ten play was last season against Penn State when Jake Fox and Brock Koman hit the homers (April 26, 2003).

Senior DH Brandon Roberts went 2-for-4 to extend his team-leading hitting streak to eight games. Roberts is 15-for-28 (.536) in his streak with three doubles and two homers.

Sophomore 2B Chris Getz had his second two-double game in a week. He has lifted his average to .329 for the overall season and his 10 doubles are tied for second on the team with DH Brandon Roberts and RF Matt Butler. Getz leads the Wolverine in hitting in conference action with a .378 (34-for-90) average.

Sophomore Jeremy Goldschmeding (Allegan, Mich./Allegan HS) made his career debut starting in leftfield after making his first 54 starts as a Wolverine at shortstop.

Michigan's leading hitters after 43 games include: 1B Kyle Bohm at .380 (60-for-158), Brandon Roberts at .360 (49-for-136), Jeremy Goldschmeding at .347 (35-for-101), Eric Rose at .339 (37-for-109), Chris Getz at .329 (57-for-173), Matt Butler at .325 (51-for-157) and 3B A.J. Scheidt at .324 (56-for-173).