Michigan
South Alabama
Wolverines Fall to Jaguars in Wiregrass Classic Action
2/26/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
DOTHAN, Ala. -- Centerfielder Tyler Jones collected three hits including a triple to lead South Alabama to a 9-4 win over the University of Michigan baseball team in Wiregrass Classic action Sunday morning (Feb. 26) at Northcutt Field at Westgate Park. Fifth-year senior LHP Paul Hammond (Mason, Ohio/Mason) pitched four innings and took the loss.
The Wolverines (0-2) grabbed a 2-0 lead in the second inning as sophomore rightfielder Doug Pickens (West Bloomfield, Mich./Brother Rice) lined a two-run homer to left-center following a walk to sophomore DH Nate Recknagel (Lake Orion, Mich./Lake Orion).
The lead lasted half an inning as the Jaguars used a hit batter, an error, two walks and a run-scoring single by Jones -- the first hit allowed by Hammond -- to score a pair of unearned runs for a 2-2 tie.
USA snapped the tie in the fifth inning on a leadoff triple by Jones, a walk and an infield squibber by 3B David Freese that hit the third base bag. The hit by Freese extended his hitting streak to 16 games and gave USA a 3-2 lead.
Run-scoring singles by 1B Aaron George and Michael Cart pushed the lead to 5-2 and knocked Hammond (0-1) out of the game. Redshirt freshman RHP Chris Fetter (Carmel, Ind./Carmel HS) made his debut and retired the side.
The Wolverines scored once in the sixth inning on doubles by catcher Jeff Kunkel (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest) and 1B Derek VanBuskirk (St. Clair, Mich./St. Clair), but U-M missed on a chance for more as junior OF Brad Roblin (Wayland, Mass./Rivers School) lined into a 6-4 double play to end the inning.
USA added two runs in the seventh off junior/sophomore RHP Dan Lentz (Farmington Hills, Mich./Brother Rice) and two in the eighth off senior RHP Alex Martin (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer HS).
Pickens doubled to open the ninth and scored on a two-out infield single by junior CF Eric Rose (Blissfield, Mich./Blissfield).
N O T E S
Freshman 3B Adam Abraham singled in the first inning to record his first career hit as a Wolverine. He walked three times in the opener and reached base five times in his first six plate appearances as a Wolverine.
Fifth-year senior Hammond recorded three strikeouts against USA to push his overall career strikeout total to 91.
Junior OF Rose, playing in his first spring trip game of his U-M career, moved closer to the century mark in career hits (99) with his ninth-inning infield single. Rose, who missed playing in his first two spring trips due to injuries, has his 99 hits in 94 games.
Wolverines that continued mini hit streaks held over from last season include Kunkel at five games and Rose and Pickens at three games each.
Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423
