Iowa's 10-Run Outburst in Eighth Inning Sinks Michigan

Friday, April 8

Ann Arbor, Mich.

3:00 PM

Michigan

17-8, 0-5

Iowa

7-14, 3-2

Iowa

Michigan

Iowa's 10-Run Outburst in Eighth Inning Sinks Michigan

4/8/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Iowa scored 10 runs on 10 hits in the eighth inning for a 13-12 comeback win over the University of Michigan in the Big Ten Conference baseball home opener for the Wolverines Friday afternoon (April 8) at Ray Fisher Stadium. The Hawkeyes (7-14, 3-2 Big Ten) banged out 20 hits in the victory as Michigan (17-8) drops to 0-5 in the Big Ten with the slowest start since the 1993 team started conference play with nine consecutive losses.

Michigan senior RHP Jim Brauer (Carmel, Ind./Carmel HS) pitched the first seven innings for the Wolverines and left the game after allowing three runs on 10 hits. However, the first eight Iowa batters in the eighth inning reached base and the only out recorded by the Wolverines among the first 13 Hawkeyes was a sacrifice fly. The first two Wolverines out of the bullpen, junior RHP Jeff Niemiec (Livonia, Mich./Catholic Central) and senior RHP Phil Tognetti (Newhall, Calif./William S. Hart HS), combined to allow the first seven runs without getting an out.

Senior/junior LHP Paul Hammond (Mason, Ohio/Mason HS), the then tentative game-three starter, allowed three runs to close out the 10-run eighth and worked a 1-2-3 ninth. Hammond (1-2) was tagged with his second loss of the season. Iowa 3B Andy Cox had a double and a single and drove in three runs in the winning rally, and OF Jesse Brownell, who had a pair of doubles in the game, tied the game at 11-11. Hawkeye 1B Dusty Napoleon singled to right to snap the tie and Cox, who was 3-for-5 with two doubles, added the insurance tally that proved vital.

The Wolverines scored once in the ninth on a two-out single by freshman 2B Doug Pickens (West Bloomfield, Mich./Brother Rice), but Iowa lefty Tim Gudex retired sophomore CF Eric Rose (Blissfield, Mich./Blissfield HS) on a bouncer back to the mound to notch his first save of the season. Rose had a single and a double to drive in two runs in the game.

Michigan used a pair of five-run innings to take a 6-3 lead in the fifth inning and extend the lead to 11-3 after seven innings. Michigan is 14-1 when leading after seven innings this season.

Junior Chris Getz (Grosse Pointe, Mich./South HS), who was the designated hitter for the first time as a Wolverine, and senior 1B Kyle Bohm (Stevens Point, Wis./Area HS) each had three hits pace the 15-hit U-M attack. Bohm, who launched a two-run homer in the seventh inning, was 3-for-5 with five RBI, while Getz added a double and his team-leading 14th stolen base to the stat total.

Junior 3B A.J. Scheidt (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Lahser HS), who made the 100th start of his Wolverine career, collected a double and a long two-run homer. Scheidt and Bohm pulled into a four-way tie for the team homer lead at three with senior OF Matt Butler (Lombard, Ill./Driscoll Catholic) and junior LF Mike Schmidt (Saginaw, Mich./Heritage HS).

Iowa's Ryan Dupic (1-1), the fourth of five Hawkeye pitchers, was credited with the win despite allowing three hits and a run in the four batters he faced in the seventh inning. Gudex worked the final two innings for the save.

The Wolverines continue the Big Ten weekend series with Iowa on Saturday (April 9) with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. Senior RHP Michael Penn (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Christian) and senior/junior LHP Drew Taylor (Toronto, Ontario/Upper Canada College) are the tentative starters for the Wolverines. Penn is 2-1 with a 3.18 ERA, while Taylor is 2-1 with a 2.65 ERA.

N O T E S

Iowa's 10-run eighth inning was the first 10-run inning allowed by the Wolverines since Penn State scored 10 in the eighth inning in an 18-9 win over the Wolverines on April 30, 2000. The 10-run Iowa rally was the most runs scored in an inning against U-M since San Diego scored 13 runs in the bottom of the first inning on March 3, 2002.

The weekend series between Michigan and Iowa features two of the four Big Ten candidates for the Johnny Bench Award given to the national catcher of the year. Iowa Kris Welker and Michigan's Jeff Kunkel (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest HS) are two of the catchers on the list that also include Minnesota's Jake Elder and Chris Robinson of Illinois. Welker was 3-for-4 and walked to open the 10-run eighth inning. Kunkel was 1-for-4 with his third stolen base of the season and had a pair of assists.

Fifth-year senior RHP Jim Brauer moved his career strikeout total to 195 with four K's vs. Iowa, and he is one shy of Steve Howe (196, 1977-79) for eighth on the all-time Michigan strikeout list. Brauer is five shy of reaching the 200-strikeout plateau. Brauer moved into ninth place in career innings pitched at U-M with his seven innings vs. Iowa. Brauer has pitched 239.2 innings and moved ahead of Jim Abbott (234.1, 1986-88) and Russell Brock (235, 1989-91) on Friday.

Senior RHP Phil Tognetti made his eighth appearance of the season in the game vs. Iowa. It was Tognetti's 60th career outing, moving him into a tie for eighth place on the all-time Wolverine pitching appearance list with Tim Leveque (60, 2000-03) and Mark Temple (60, 1993-96).

In other Big Ten action Friday, Illinois beat Michigan State 12-3, Minnesota beat Indiana 5-0, Northwesteren topped Penn State 3-2 in 11 innings and Purdue beat Ohio State 7-1.

Big Ten Standings (Through 4/8/05)

 1. Minnesota 5-0 1.000 Illinois 5-0 1.000 3. Northwestern 4-1 .800 4. Iowa 3-2 .600 Purdue 3-2 .600 6. Michigan State 2-3 .400 Penn State 2-3 .400 8. Indiana 1-4 .200 9. MICHIGAN 0-5 .000 Ohio State 0-5 .000

Michigan's leading hitters after 25 games are 2B Chris Getz (39-for-95, .411), OF Matt Butler (42-for-107, .393), C Jeff Kunkel (23-for-61, .377), 1B Kyle Bohm (35-for-96, .365), 3B A.J. Scheidt (26-for-80, .325), OF Mike Schmidt (20-for-63, 317) and IF Derek VanBuskirk (St. Clair, Mich./St. Clair HS) at .306 (11-for-36).

Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423