Schmidt, Scheidt Power Weekend Sweep Over Bobcats

Sunday, March 20

Athens, Ohio

Noon

Michigan

10-3

Ohio

3-8

Michigan

Ohio University

3/20/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Site: Athens, Ohio (Bob Wren Stadium)
Scores: Michigan 10, Ohio 4 (conclusion of suspended game); Michigan 8, Ohio 2
Records: U-M (11-3), Ohio (3-9)
Next U-M Event: Friday, March 25 -- vs. Oakland (Ray Fisher Stadium), 3 p.m.

ATHENS, Ohio -- Junior LF Mike Schmidt (Saginaw, Mich./Heritage HS) and junior DH A.J. Scheidt (West Bloomfield, Mich./Lahser HS) helped power the University of Michigan baseball team to a pair of wins over host Ohio University on Sunday afternoon (March 20) at Bob Wren Stadium. The Wolverines (11-3) collected a 10-4 win over the Bobcats (3-9) in the conclusion of Saturday's suspended game and took the third game of the weekend 8-2.

Schmidt, who entered the weekend series with one career double, tied a school record with three doubles in the final game of the series and had four for the weekend against Ohio University, the collegiate home of Baseball Hall of Fame standout Mike Schmidt (no relation) of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Senior 1B Kyle Bohm (Stevens Point, Wis./Area HS) singled to snap a 2-2 tie in the top of the seventh inning for his team-leading third "gamer" of the season and Schmidt followed with a three-run double to ice the win.

Scheidt, who launched a long homer in the sixth inning to tie the game at 2-2, had two doubles, a triple and the homer during the weekend series.

Junior RHP Derek Feldkamp (Adrian, Mich./Blissfield HS) pitched the first six innings in the nightcap to record his third win of the season. Senior/junior Drew Taylor (Toronto, Ontario/Upper Canada College) struck out the side in the seventh inning and retired six of the seven batters he faced, while sophomore/freshman Clayton Richard (Lafayette, Ind./McCutcheon HS) worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning to close out the win.

The Wolverines held a 6-3 lead in the second game of Saturday's (March 19) doubleheader when it was suspended by rain in the sixth inning. Michigan scored once in the seventh inning in early action on Sunday on a walk by Scheidt and Schmidt's first of four doubles on the day to make the score 7-3. Senior CF Matt Butler (Lombard, Ill./Driscoll Catholic) put the game away with a three-run homer in the eighth inning.

Senior RHP Michael Penn (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Christian) worked five innings in the game on Saturday to collect the win. Penn (2-1) allowed three hits and the three unearned runs while recording four strikeouts.

The only earned runs recorded by the Bobcats came against Feldkamp in the regular game on Sunday. In fact, Ohio grabbed its only lead of the weekend on a two-out single by RF Phil Sabatini in the fourth inning of the third game.

The Wolverines grabbed a 6-0 lead on Saturday before the rain, scoring two runs in the second, third and fourth innings and chasing Bobcat starter Rob Harmon (2-1) in the third inning. Michigan jumped on Harmon in the second inning on back-to-back singles by junior LF Schmidt and junior/sophomore catcher Matt Rademacher (Bay City, Mich./Central HS) followed by a hit-and-run double off the fence in left by sophomore SS Leif Mahler (Columbus, Ohio/St. Charles Prep).

The lead jumped to 4-0 in the third inning as junior 2B Chris Getz (Grosse Pointe, Mich./South HS) walked on four pitches to start the inning and scrambled to second on one of the four Harmon wild pitches. Senior 1B Bohm singled in Getz and later scored on the fourth and final Harmon wild pitch.

The final two Wolverine runs came in the fourth inning as senior CF Butler reached on a walk and advanced to second on a single by Getz. Junior DH Scheidt launched a double in the gap in left-center to score both runners.

Penn gave up three unearned runs in the fifth inning as the storm front hit the stadium with the Bobcats at the plate. CF Willie Walker singled to right for this second hit of the game and then reached third when a double-play grounder eluded SS Mahler for an error. After getting Hammond on a pop up, Penn induced RF Sabatini to hit a slow roller to Getz at second that ended in a fielder's choice as Walker scored the first Bobcat run in the 14th inning of the day.

OU 3B Brian Colopy hit a fly to left that became a wind-aided homer just three batters before the game was stopped due to the weather. Penn recorded his fourth strikeout to end the inning with Michigan leading 6-3.

The Wolverines open the home season with four games against Oakland next weekend (March 25-27) with the opener set for Friday (March 25, 3 p.m.).

N O T E S

The Michigan wins Sunday over Ohio University give the Wolverines a 10-2 edge in the all-time series with the Bobcats.

Michigan extended its winning streak to a season-high five games, matching the third longest streak in Rich Maloney's three seasons as head coach. UM had win streaks of five, six and seven games in 2004 after winning four straight in 2003.

Michigan's 11-3 start to the season this season is the best since the 1987 Wolverine squad started the season 14-3.

The Michigan pitching staff allowed just two earned runs in 27 innings (0.67 ERA) in the three-game sweep at Ohio University to lower the team ERA to 2.76 after 14 games.

The Wolverine pitching staff has allowed just three earned runs in the last five games covering 45 innings for a 0.60 ERA in that span.

Junior LF Mike Schmidt tied the school record for doubles in a game. The last Wolverine with three doubles in a game was 1B Kyle Bohm at Duke (3/6/04).

Michigan's leading hitters after 14 games are: 2B Chris Getz (25-for-56, .446), 1B Kyle Bohm (23-for-55, .418), DH A.J. Scheidt (17-for-45, .378), OF Matt Butler (23-for-62, .371), Mike Schmidt (11-for-30, .367), OF Brad Roblin (14-for-43, .326) and catcher Jeff Kunkel (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest HS) at .310 (9-for-29).

Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423