Butler, Penn Spark Wolverine Sweep of Michigan State

Saturday, April 30

Ann Arbor, Mich.

7:05 PM

Michigan

25-12, 7-9

Michigan State

17-21, 6-9

Michigan State

Michigan

4/30/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Ray Fisher Stadium)
Scores: Michigan 8, Michigan State 1; Michigan 7, Michigan State 6
Records: U-M (25-12, 7-9 Big Ten), MSU (17-21, 6-9 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, May 1 -- at Michigan State (Lansing, Mich.), 2 p.m.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Senior RHP Michael Penn (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Christian) allowed one run while pitching his first complete game of the season in the opener and senior RF Matt Butler (Lombard, Ill./Driscoll Catholic) was at it again, scoring the winning run in the opener and collecting a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh of the second game, as the University of Michigan swept Michigan State 8-1 and 7-6 in Big Ten Conference baseball doubleheader action Saturday evening (April 30) at Ray Fisher Stadium.

For Penn (5-1) it was his third straight Big Ten win, and the Wolverines (25-12, 7-9 Big Ten) used the twin wins to move into seventh place in the conference standings ahead of Michigan State (17-21, 6-9 Big Ten).

The Wolverines fell behind in both games, but the dramatics were saved for game two as Michigan scored five runs in the second inning to tie the game at 5-5 and then scored twice after two outs in the bottom of the seventh for the sweep.

Three sophomores set the stage for the senior Butler in the nightcap in the first twi-night doubleheader in Ray Fisher Stadium history as the Wolverines trailed 6-5 heading to the bottom of the seventh inning. With two outs and nobody on after a pair of strikeouts, shortstop Leif Mahler (Columbus, Ohio/St. Charles Prep) drew a walk on a 3-2 pitch and advanced to second on a wild pitch by MSU's Drew Mahan (0-2). DH Brad Roblin (Wayland, Mass./River School) sliced a double down the line in right to tie the game at 6-6 and CF Eric Rose (Blissfield, Mich./Blissfield HS) drew a walk.

Lefty Matt Trausch, the fourth MSU pitcher of the game, was brought in to face Butler, who delivered a single to center, and Roblin, running on a 3-2 pitch, scored easily from second base with the winning run. The "gamer" was the fifth of the season for Butler and the 15th of his career.

The Spartans spoiled the first Big Ten start of sophomore/freshman LHP Clayton Richard (Lafayette, Ind./McCutcheon HS) by scoring three runs in the first and adding a pair in the second for a 5-0 lead. Richard's ERA jumped from 0.46 to 2.53 in 1.2 innings of work. Senior/junior LHP Paul Hammond (Mason, Ohio/Mason HS) fanned the first batter he saw to get out of the second inning and worked a total of 5.1 innings in the game to earn his second win of the year.

The Wolverines chased MSU second-game starter Craig Brookes with a five-run second inning that featured a run-scoring double by junior 3B A.J. Scheidt (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Lahser HS), a run-scoring single by Rose, a sacrifice fly by Butler and the game-tying single by junior second baseman Chris Getz (Grosse Pointe, Mich./South HS).

MSU scored an unearned run off Hammond in the top of the seventh to grab a 6-5 lead, but Scheidt started a 5-4-3 inning-ending double play to keep the deficit at one run, allowing the Wolverines to battle back for the win.

The Spartans took a 1-0 lead in the first inning of the opener on a double by Ryan Sontag and run-scoring single by LF Ryan Basham, but the veteran Penn settled down and fired his sixth career complete game, allowing eight hits and recording four strikeouts.

Michigan scored four times in the bottom of the first inning of the opener off Spartan starter Chris Malec (4-4) as Rose opened the frame with a single and Butler was hit by a pitch. Getz followed with a sac bunt and a throwing error allowed Rose to score the tying run. Senior 1B Kyle Bohm (Stevens Point, Wis./Area HS) singled in Butler with what proved to be the "game-winning" RBI. Catcher Jeff Kunkel (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest HS) followed with a single, and the final two runs of the inning scored on a groundout by junior LF Mike Schmidt (Saginaw, Mich./Heritage HS) and a sac fly by Scheidt.

The Wolverines added a run in the second on consecutive singles by Butler, Getz and Bohm and closed out the scoring in the first game with a pair of runs in the sixth inning.

Getz had two hits in each game of the doubleheader, giving him a pair of hits in each of the three games in the series, while the Saturday game-winning hits were collected by seniors Bohm and Butler, the fifth of the season for each.

The series moves back to Oldsmobile Park in Lansing for the fourth game of the series on Sunday (May 1, 2 p.m.) with senior/junior LHP Drew Taylor (Toronto, Ontario/Upper Canada College) on the mound for the Wolverines with a 2-2 record and 4.23 ERA.

N O T E S

In Big Ten action Saturday sweeps were in order with only Big Ten leader Illinois winning on the road, beating Penn State 6-3 in eight innings and 6-4. The home sweeps were recorded by Michigan over MSU, 8-1 and 7-6; Ohio State over Indiana, 3-0 and 7-3; Northwestern over Iowa, 8-4 and 7-6; and Purdue knocking Minnesota out of first place, 6-2 and 3-0.

Big Ten Standings (through 4/30/05): 1. Illinois (14-5, .737), 2. Minnesota (12-7, .632); 3. Iowa (11-8, .574); 4. Purdue (8-7, 533); 5. Northwestern (10-9, .526); 6. Penn State (9-10, .474); 7. MICHIGAN (7-9, .438); 8. Michigan State (6-9, .400); 9. Ohio State (6-10, .375) and 10. Indiana (5-14, .263).

Michigan has won six straight and seven of eight games after dropping eight of 10 games in a two-week span at the start of the Big Ten season.

Catcher Jeff Kunkel collected singles in each game of the doubleheader Saturday against Michigan State to extend his career personal-best hitting streak to 10 games.

Michigan's leading hitters after 37 games are: 2B Chris Getz (57-for-135, .422), Kyle Bohm (52-for-138, .377), OF Matt Butler (54-for-149, .362), Catcher Jeff Kunkel (37-for-103, .359), 3B/DH Derek VanBuskirk (St. Clair, Mich./St. Clair HS) at .317 (19-for-60, 317), OF Eric Rose (23-for-74, 311); and OF Brad Roblin (25-for-85, .294).

Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423