Butler Does It Again: Wolverines Top No. 10 Tar Heels

Sunday, March 6

Greenville, N.C.

1:00 PM

Michigan

5-2

North Carolina

9-3

Michigan

North Carolina

Butler Does It Again: Wolverines Top No. 10 Tar Heels

3/6/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score Photo Gallery

GREENVILLE, N.C. -- Senior co-captain Matt Butler (Lombard, Ill./Driscoll Catholic) did it again as he lined a run-scoring double in the ninth inning to give the University of Michigan baseball team a 1-0 win over 10th-ranked North Carolina in Keith LeClair Classic action Sunday afternoon (March 6).

Rounding third and heading for home it's Leif Mahler, who started the winning rally for the second straight day.

Sophomore SS Leif Mahler (Columbus, Ohio/St. Charles Prep) opened the ninth with a single and moved up on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore LF Brad Roblin (Wayland, Mass./Rivers School) setting the stage for Butler, who came through again a day after beating Georgia with a walkoff homer on Saturday.

North Carolina (9-3) put the leadoff batter on base four times in five innings against junior RHP Derek Feldkamp (Adrian, Mich./Blissfield HS) but he stranded seven runners through the five innings he worked, allowing six hits. Senior/junior LHP Paul Hammond (Mason, Ohio/Mason HS) replaced Feldkamp in the sixth and fanned five in four innings of work to earn his first win of the year.

On the other hand UNC starter Robert Woodard faced the minimum three batters in his seven innings of work. He allowed singles by junior DH A.J. Scheidt (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Lahser HS) and junior 2B Chris Getz (Grosse Pointe, Mich./South HS) and hit senior/junior catcher Jeff Kunkel (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest HS). Getz and Kunkel were caught stealing and Scheidt was retired in a double play.

Defense was in order early in the game that was 0-0 through five innings as Michigan turned more double plays in three innings (two) than in the first six games (one) and North Carolina turned a double play and tossed out a pair of Wolverines trying to steal.

The Wolverines will play in the Lamar Classic next weekend in Beaumont, Texas, facing New York Tech in first-round action on Friday (March 11, 1 p.m. CST). Senior RHP Michael Penn (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Christian), 1-1 with a 2.84 ERA, is slated to start for the Wolverines.

N O T E S

Matt Butler's double in the ninth extended his team-leading hitting streak to seven games.

Michigan's leading hitters after seven games include 2B Chris Getz (12-for-26, .462), 1B Kyle Bohm (12-for-29, .414), Mike Schmidt (4-for-11, .364), OF Matt Butler (11-for-31, .355) and catcher Jeff Kunkel (4-for-14, .286).

Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423