Michigan
Wagner
VanBuskirk's Four Hits Help Michigan Pound Wagner
3/19/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
ROCK HILL, S.C. -- The University of Michigan baseball team scored early and often in beating Wagner 15-8 as sophomore OF Derek VanBuskirk (St. Clair, Mich./St. Clair) had four hits and four runs batted in on Sunday morning (March 19) in final-day action of the Coca Cola Classic hosted by Winthrop in the Winthrop Ballpark.
Freshman infielder Jason Christian (Loveland, Ohio/Loveland) and senior 3B A.J. Scheidt (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Lahser HS) also had four RBI each as the Wolverines (6-7) scored a season-high 15 runs and earned its second win in three games on the weekend. Wagner fell to 0-11.
The Wolverines jumped on the scoreboard early in the morning as they loaded the bases as fifth-year senior DH Jeff Kunkel (Oak Park, Ill./Oak Park) drew a walk with one out, junior SS Leif Mahler (Columbus, Ohio/St. Charles Prep) beat out a bunt for a single, and sophomore DH Nate Recknagel (Lake Orion, Mich./Lake Orion) singled through the left side.
Sophomore Doug Pickens (West Bloomfield, Mich./Brother Rice), making his first career start as a catcher, drew a bases-loaded walk to drive in the first run. VanBuskirk cleared the bases with a triple to the gap in left-center and the score was 4-0 for the biggest first inning of the season for the Wolverines.
Junior RHP Andrew Hess (Kalamazoo, Mich./Central HS) walked the first batter and Wagner used four hits to tie the game at 4-4, marking the first time that the Seahawks had scored a run in the weekend tournament. LF Edward Sudol's RBI double was the first extra-base hit for Wagner in more than 64 innings.
The Wolverines loaded the bases in the second inning on two walks and a HBP, but Pickens hit a deep fly to center to end the inning.
Scheidt walked and stole second base, and freshman Adam Abraham (Grosse Pointe Park, Mich./South HS) reached on a throwing error by 3B Pat Rogers with Scheidt staying at second. Christian doubled inside the first-base bag, scoring both runners to make the score 6-4.
Wagner scored three in the third inning to chase Hess with RF Brian Scrocca hitting a double to tie the game at 6-6 and 1B Michael Maffucci a sacrifice fly to give the Seahawks the lead, 7-6.
The Wolverines loaded the bases for the fourth time in four innings on walks to Pickens, VanBuskirk and Abraham, and Christian drove in the tying run with a grounder to first base. Junior CF Brad Roblin (Wayland, Mass./Rivers School) drove in the go-ahead run with a bunt single and the score was 8-7 in the fourth.
Wolverine sophomore/freshman Michael Powers (St. Clair Shores, Mich./South Lake HS), who replaced Hess in the third inning, had the first 1-2-3 inning in the fourth and collected his first career win.
Michigan added two more runs in the fifth as Recknagel walked and stole second base and VanBuskirk reached on an infield single and advanced on a throwing error, putting runners on second and third. Scheidt singled in both runs.
Michael Maffucci hit his first career homer for Wagner in the fifth to make the score 10-8.
Sophomore/freshman Ben Jenzen (Grosse Pointe, Mich./South) replaced Powers in the sixth inning. The first batter, Joseph Malfettano, put a bunt to third and Scheidt's throw was up the line and the 1B Recknagel and the runner collided. Both came out of the game with 2B Christian moving to first and freshman Kevin Cislo (Novi, Mich./Novi ) entering the game at second base.
The Wolverines added two runs in the eighth as VanBuskirk singled to left for his third hit of the game. He moved to third as Scheidt singled to right, with Scheidt advancing on the throw to the infield. Christian knocked in VanBuskirk with a one-out sacrifice fly to left, and Scheidt later scored on a throwing error by the catcher on Roblin's steal of second.
With the score 12-8 Jenzen walked the leadoff batter in the eighth and the wheels started churning as LF Abraham came in to pitch, DH Kunkel came in to catch, the catcher Pickens moved to right, and RF VanBuskirk moved to left.
Abraham pitched 1.2 inning of shutout ball to close out the win in a non-save situation.
U-M added three more runs in the ninth inning with VanBuskirk collecting his fourth hit to knock in the first run and Scheidt singling in two more runs for the final 15-8 margin.
VanBuskirk had four hits and Scheidt had three to pace the 12-hit U-M attack.
Michigan's next game is the home opener vs. Oakland on Friday (March 24, 3 p.m.) with freshman Zach Putnam (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer HS) listed as the tentative starter with his 1-0 record and 5.54 ERA. He will be going head to head with his brother Dylan Putnam, the first-year head coach at OU.
N O T E S
The game time for Sunday's Coca-Cola Classic morning getaway game for the Wolverines vs. Wagner was moved up from 11 a.m. to 10 a.m. to accommodate travel plans.
Heading into Sunday's game with Wagner the best hit streaks on the team were two games by freshman 2B Kevin Cislo and bullpen pitcher Alex Martin (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer HS), a former infielder who had hits in his last two games in 2005. Cislo, a defensive replacement, went 0-for-1 in the game to snap his streak. Leif Mahler and Brad Roblin now have two-game streaks.
Michigan's leading hitters after 13 games are: SS Leif Mahler (19-for-49, 388), 1B/C/DH Nate Recknagel (12-for-36, .333), CF Eric Rose (15-for-47, .319), OF Derek VanBuskirk (13-for-43, 302) and 3B A.J. Scheidt (12-for-41, 293).
Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423
