Kunkel's Ninth-Inning Single Nets Maloney 350th Victory

Monday, May 9

Ann Arbor, Mich.

3:00 PM

Michigan

30-14, 10-11

Purdue

18-24, 11-9

Purdue

Michigan

Kunkel's Ninth-Inning Single Nets Maloney 350th Victory

5/9/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Senior/junior catcher Jeff Kunkel's (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest HS) looping liner to left in the bottom of the ninth fell in for a single and veteran OF Mike Schmidt (Saginaw, Mich./Heritage HS) scored the winning run as the University of Michigan topped Purdue 5-4 Monday (May 9) afternoon to close out the Big Ten Conference baseball series at Ray Fisher Stadium.

The win gave the Wolverines (30-14, 10-11 Big Ten) a split in the series with the third-place Boilermakers (18-24, 11-9 Big Ten). Michigan remains in sixth place having moved up another notch in the standings after starting the conference season in last place at 1-7 after the first two weeks.

The win was the 350th career victory for third-year Wolverine head coach Rich Maloney. In 10 seasons, including seven at Ball State, Maloney is 350-211-1. He is 94-67 at U-M.

The Wolverines held a 4-3 lead with two outs in the ninth, but Purdue 1B Eric Wolfe singled up the middle against U-M closer Derek Feldkamp (Adrian, Mich./Blissfield HS) and 3B John Hunter hit a popup behind second base that fell for a run-scoring double as the play resulted in a collision between sophomore CF Eric Rose (Blissfield, Mich./Blissfield HS) and junior 2B Chris Getz (Grosse Pointe, Mich./South HS). Sophomore shortstop Leif Mahler (Columbus, Ohio/St. Charles Prep) collected the ball and fired toward home plate, but Purdue pinch runner John Phegley scored to tie the game.

Getz, who flipped over Rose, remained in the game, but Rose was removed from the game and taken to the hospital for tests and at this time he is considered to be "day to day" while waiting for results. When play resumed Feldkamp retired the side, getting Purdue catcher Spencer Ingaldson out on a 3-2 liner to a diving Mahler with the go-ahead run on second.

Getz opened the bottom of the ninth with his third hit of the game, but was forced on an attempted sacrifice bunt by Schmidt. Schmidt, who had replaced Rose in centerfield, reached second on an infield single by senior 1B Kyle Bohm (Stevens Point, Wis./Area HS) and scored the winning run with two outs as Kunkel dumped his 10th career game-winning hit into left.

Michigan had taken the early lead as Kunkel walked to open the second inning and the Wolverines loaded the bases on singles by junior 3B A.J. Scheidt (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Lahser HS) and Mahler. Getz drew a walk to drive in the first run of the game.

Purdue tied the game against U-M starter senior/junior LHP Drew Taylor (Toronto, Ontario/Upper Canada College) in the third as shortstop Mitch Hilligoss doubled and scored on Hunter's run-scoring single. U-M scored once in the fifth inning as Bohm was hit by a pitch, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore LF Brad Roblin (Wayland, Mass./River School) and scored on a two-out single by Scheidt.

The score went to 4-1 in the sixth inning as Mahler reached on an error, moved to second on a sac bunt by freshman RF Doug Pickens (West Bloomfield, Mich./Brother Rice) and to third on a single to right by Getz. The veteran Getz grabbed second base with his team-leading 21st stolen base of the season and both runners scored on a single by Rose.

Taylor allowed seven hits in 6.2 innings pitched and was charged with three runs. He left with a 4-3 lead in the seventh inning after Wolfe's drive to the gap in left-center just eluded a diving Rose and fell for a two-run double. Sophomore/freshman LHP Clayton Richard (Lafayette, Ind./McCutcheon HS) entered the game against his hometown team and retired Hunter on a grounder to the mound to end the seventh inning.

Richard allowed a double and hit a batter in the eighth, and Feldkamp (7-3) retired the two batters he faced to keep Michigan on top 4-3, setting the stage for the dramatic ninth inning.

Michigan's Illinois connection of catcher Kunkel and OF Matt Butler (Lombard, Ill./Driscoll Catholic) were joined by junior 3B Scheidt as the top hitters for the weekend series vs. Purdue. Butler led the team with seven hits vs. Purdue and hit .636 (7-for-11), while Scheidt (6-for-12, .500) and Kunkel (6-for-13, .462) each had six hits in the series.

Michigan meets Notre Dame Wednesday night (May 11, 7:05 p.m.) in the annual "Baseball Bash" in a game that benefits the scholarship funds of the alumni clubs of both schools in the Grand Rapids, Mich., area.

The "Bash" game will be aired on television by Comcast Local with former Wolverine player and coach Geoff Zahn proving the color. WTKA Radio (1050 AM) is also airing the game with Jeff DeFrans and Mike Wickett providing the talent.

Sophomore/freshman LHP Brad Seddon (St. Clair, Mich./St. Clair) is expected to start for the Wolverines on the mound in the game played in Fifth Third Ballpark in Comstock Park, Mich. Seddon is 1-0 with a 1.54 ERA.

N O T E S

In Big Ten action Monday (May 9) there were three single games to close out the action for the weekend with Michigan gaining the series split with Purdue with a 5-4 win, while Ohio State completed a four-game weekend sweep at Penn State, winning 11-6, and Indiana beat Michigan State 11-3 to take three of four from the Spartans. OSU scored 64 runs in the series at Penn State for an average of 16 runs a game, while first-place Illinois scored 59 runs (14.8 average) while sweeping Northwestern. Meanwhile, Michigan and Purdue each scored 15 runs (3.75 average) in splitting four games.

Big Ten Standings (Through 5/9/05): 1. Illinois 18-6 (.750); 2. Iowa 15-9 (.625); 3. Purdue 11-9 (.550); 4. Minnesota 13-11 (.542); 5. Ohio State 11-10 (.524); 6. MICHIGAN 10-11 (.476); 7. Penn State 10-14 (.416) and Northwestern 10-14 (.416); 9. Michigan State 7-13 (.350); 10. Indiana 8-16 (.333).

Big Ten Schedule May 13-15: Indiana at Michigan, Illinois at Minnesota, Iowa at Purdue, Penn State at Michigan State, and Ohio State at Northwestern.

With the Wolverines winning four of six games during the week and reaching the "30-win' plateau for the season, it marks the 10th straight season that U-M head coach Rich Maloney has captured at least 30 wins. He won at least 30 in his seven seasons at Ball State and all three with the Wolverines.

Junior RHP Derek Feldkamp collected two wins and a save during the six games played last week with the wins over Eastern Michigan and Purdue and the save in the 6-2 win in the second game of Sunday's (May 8) doubleheader against the Boilermakers. Feldkamp allowed five hits and a run in 6.1 innings for a 1.42 ERA for the week. In overall action Feldkamp has a 3.83 ERA in 49.1 innings and with seven wins and two saves he has accounted for nine of Michigan's 30 wins.

Junior 2B Chris Getz with 21 stolen bases has the fifth-best single season total in U-M history as he snapped his tie for fifth with All-America outfielder Mike Watters (20 steals, 1985). Getz has 36 steals in two seasons as a Wolverine and needs one more to jump into the career top 10 at U-M as he trails Scott Timmerman (37 steals, 1990-93) and Greg McMurtry (37 steals, 1987-89), who are tied for ninth place.

Michigan's leading hitters after 44 games are: 2B Chris Getz (65-for-160, .406), catcher Jeff Kunkel (49-for-126, .389), OF Matt Butler (63-for-182, .387), Kyle Bohm (63-for-165, .382), 3B A.J. Scheidt (41-for-131, .307), 3B/DH Derek VanBuskirk (St. Clair, Mich./St. Clair HS) at .309 (21-for-68) and OF Eric Rose (29-for-97, 299).

Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423