Butler Homer Secures Doubleheader Split With Purdue

Sunday, May 8

Ann Arbor, Mich.

4:00 PM

Michigan

29-14, 9-11

Purdue

18-23, 11-8

Purdue

Michigan

5/8/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Photo Gallery

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Ray Fisher Stadium)
Scores: Purdue 2, Michigan 1; Michigan 6, Purdue 2
Records: U-M (29-14, 9-11 Big Ten), Purdue (18-23, 11-8 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Monday, May 9 -- vs. Purdue (Ray Fisher Stadium), 3:00 p.m.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Senior co-captain Matt Butler (Lombard, Ill./Driscoll Catholic) had three hits including a three-run homer in the sixth inning to ice the University Michigan baseball team's 6-2 win over Purdue the gave the Wolverines a split in Sunday's (May 8) Big Ten doubleheader with the Boilermakers at Ray Fisher Stadium.

Purdue (18-23, 11-8 Big Ten) took the opener 2-1, and the visitors hold a 2-1 edge in the series against Michigan (29-14, 9-11 Big Ten) that concludes on Monday (May 9, 3 p.m.). The Wolverines are sixth alone in the Big Ten standings with Ohio State (fifth) and Penn State (seventh) switching positions in the standings after OSU's doubleheader sweep at PSU on Sunday.

Senior/junior LHP Paul Hammond (Mason, Ohio/Mason HS) allowed eight hits and two runs in the nightcap to even his record at 3-3, while junior RHP Derek Feldkamp (Adrian, Mich./Blissfield HS) worked the final 1.2 innings for his second save of the year.

Feldkamp entered the game with two runners on and one out in the sixth inning as U-M held a 3-2 lead, and he retired the first two batters he faced. He allowed one hit in four batters in the seventh for his sixth career save. He has had two wins and two saves since returning to the bullpen in the third week of Big Ten action.

The Wolverines scored twice in the first inning of Sunday's second game as back-to-back singles by Butler and junior 2B Chris Getz (Grosse Pointe, Mich./South HS) were followed by a two-out walk to senior/junior catcher Jeff Kunkel (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest HS) that loaded the bases. Freshman DH Derek VanBuskirk (St. Clair, Mich./St Clair HS), making his first start of the series, singled up the middle against Purdue starter Brent Coudron (3-4) and the Wolverines led 2-0. VanBuskirk is hitting .333 (11-for-33) in Big Ten play.

Purdue scored single runs in the second and fourth innings off Hammond with LF Andy Dahl driving in both runs. Dahl knocked in the first run on a grounder to short that U-M sophomore Leif Mahler (Columbus, Ohio/St. Charles Prep) made a play up the middle for the out and he doubled to left for the second run.

Kunkel saved a run in the fourth inning as he tossed out RF Neal Gorka trying to steal third just before Dahl's run-scoring double.

Michigan came back in the bottom of the fourth to collect the game-winning run as junior 3B A.J. Scheidt (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Lahser HS) opened the inning with a single and reached second despite a great diving effort by shortstop Mitch Hilligoss, who just missed catching a pop by Mahler. Scheidt made a slide to reach second and then Hilligoss tossed out Mahler. With two outs sophomore CF Eric Rose (Blissfield, Mich./Blissfield HS) singled up the middle for his first career "gamer" as a Wolverine.

The Wolverine added the final three runs in the sixth against Purdue RHP Jay Buente as Scheidt singled, Rose was hit by a pitch and Butler nailed his team-leading sixth homer over the fence in right. It was Butler's 10th career homer, and he ranks second on the team with 40 RBI. All six of Michigan's runs were scored with two outs.

Senior RHP Michael Penn (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Christian) pitched his second straight complete game for the Wolverines in the opener on Sunday, holding Purdue to nine hits and one earned run, but it was not good enough because the unearned run he allowed was the difference in the 2-1 loss. Penn (5-2) lowered his ERA to 2.52 in the loss.

Purdue's Mitch Pruemer (5-5) earned his fifth win of the season as he pitched a complete game and held the Wolverines to one run on eight hits.

Purdue scored twice off Penn in the second. That inning had a strange pattern as Penn allowed three singles and all three were followed by strikeouts as he struck out the side but allowed two runs. The Purdue singles were collected by catcher Spencer Ingaldson, 2B Eric Osborn and DH Tyler Heck. Heck droved in Ingladson with the first run, with Osborn scoring from first on an error in the outfield for the 2-0 lead.

Michigan scored in the bottom of the second, picking up one run despite getting two singles and two walks as Purdue's Pruemer made the big play of the inning with a pickoff at second base for the second out. Freshman RF Doug Pickens (West Bloomfield, Mich./Brother Rice) singled with two outs to drive in Scheidt with the lone Michigan run of the first game.

The Wolverines had their chances in the opener, leaving runners on third base in the second, fourth, fifth and seventh innings, with the best play coming from Purdue 3B John Hunter with the bases loaded in the fourth inning. Hunter took a slow roller down the line from Pickens and stepped on the bag for a force and tossed across to first for the inning-ending double play.

Meanwhile, Penn took advantage of a pair of 5-4-3 double plays from Scheidt to Getz to senior 1B Kyle Bohm (Stevens Point, Wis./Area HS) before getting the last eight batters in the game. The loss was Penn's first in Big Ten play this season as he is 3-1 with a 1.71 ERA in conference action.

Michigan's "Illinois connection" of catcher Kunkel and OF Butler each had four of the 19 Wolverine hits in Sunday's doubleheader, with Kunkel collecting two in each game while Butler, who has six hits in the series, had three in the second game. Shortstop Mahler had two hits in the opener and Scheidt had two hits in the second game, while Rose and Getz had a hit in each game.

Michigan hosts Purdue Monday (May 9, 3 p.m.) in the finale of the four-game Big Ten series with senior/junior LHP Drew Taylor (Toronto, Ontario/Upper Canada College) expected to start for the Wolverines. Taylor is 2-2 with a 4.41 ERA.

N O T E S

In other Big Ten action Sunday, in the two single games first-place Illinois completed its four-game weekend sweep of Northwestern 17-3, scoring 59 runs in the series, while second-place Iowa collected its third straight win over Minnesota, 7-3. In doubleheader action Ohio State pounded Penn State twice by scores of 13-10 and 29-10 as the Buckeyes have scored 53 runs while winning the first three games of the series. Michigan State took the opener at Indiana 13-8 with IU gaining a Sunday split by winning the second game 5-3. The Purdue at Michigan, Ohio State at Penn State and Michigan State at Indiana series conclude Monday.

Big Ten Standings (Through 5/8/05)

 1. Illinois 18-6 .750 2. Iowa 15-9 .625 3. Purdue 11-8 .579 4. Minnesota 13-11 .542 5. Ohio State 10-10 .500 6. MICHIGAN 9-11 .450 7. Penn State 10-13 .435 8. Northwestern 10-14 .416 9. Michigan State 7-12 .368 10. Indiana 7-16 .304

Michigan's leading hitters after 43 games are: 2B Chris Getz (62-for-156, .397), catcher Jeff Kunkel (48-for-122, .393), OF Matt Butler (62-for-181, .385), Kyle Bohm (61-for-161, .379), 3B/DH Derek VanBuskirk (21-for-64, .328), 3B A.J. Scheidt (39-for-127, .307) and OF Eric Rose (28-for-93, 302).

Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423