Pickens Caps Michigan's Comeback Win Over Oakland

Saturday, March 25

Ann Arbor, Mich.

3:05 PM

Michigan

8-7

Oakland

1-15

Oakland University

Michigan

3/25/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Sophomore RF Doug Pickens (West Bloomfield, Mich./Brother Rice) snapped a 7-7 tie with a two-out, run-scoring single in the seventh inning to lead the University of Michigan to an 8-7 comeback victory over Oakland University in college baseball action Saturday afternoon (March 25) in Ray Fisher Stadium.

The win was the third straight for Michigan and put the Wolverines (8-7) over the .500 mark for the first time this season. U-M has won five of its last six games.

Senior OF Mike Schmidt (Saginaw, Mich./Heritage HS) helped with the U-M comeback by going 3-for-4, including a long flyball homer over the fence in left to tie the game 5-5 in the fourth inning. The homer was the eighth of Schmidt's career.

Oakland (1-15) scored twice in the top of the first inning for the second straight day, and the Golden Grizzlies held leads of 3-1, 5-3 and 7-5, but Michigan scored in each inning that Oakland did and added the "gamer" in the seventh inning.

Freshman RHP Adam Abraham (Grosse Pointe Park, Mich./South HS) allowed five hits and two runs in 5.2 innings out of the bullpen to record his second win of the season while dropping his ERA to 2.95, and fifth-year senior Ali Husain (Ypsilanti, Mich./Ypsilanti HS) closed out the win for his first save of the year.

Senior Craig Murray (Park Ridge, Ill./Maine South) started the game and allowed five hits and five runs while working three innings and the first three batters in the fourth.

Michigan tied the game for the first time in the second inning as Pickens drew a walk, collected a stolen base, and scored on a triple by senior 3B A.J. Scheidt (West Bloomfield, Mich./Lahser HS) to make the score 3-2. Scheidt scored the tying run on a sacrifice fly by freshman 2B Jason Christian (Loveland, Ohio/Loveland HS).

The Wolverines trailed 7-5 heading to the bottom of the sixth inning and chased Oakland starter Bryan Bishop as Schmidt singled and Pickens was hit by a pitch. Brad Noel (0-1) came in for Bishop and fired a wild pitch to put the runners on second and third, which allowed Scheidt and Christian to drive in runs with infield grounders to tie the game at 7-7. Christian, hitting .200 (2-for-20) on the season, is sixth on the team with eight RBI.

U-M's winning rally against Noel came in the seventh inning after two outs as fifth-year senior catcher Jeff Kunkel (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest) singled to center and Schmidt collected his third hit of the game with a bunt down the third base line. Noel advanced the runners with a wild pitch and Pickens singled up the middle to score Kunkel with the winning run, but CF Justin Wilson tossed out Schmidt for the final out of the inning.

Michigan's bid for insurance in the eighth came up short as Scheidt singled, stole second base, and advanced to third on a single by junior OF Brad Roblin (Wayland, Mass./Rivers School). With one out Scheidt broke for the plate on a squeeze attempt, but junior SS Leif Mahler (Columbus, Ohio/St. Charles Prep) popped up the bunt and OU pitcher Noel grabbed the ball and got the double play to end the inning.

Abraham (2-1) hit the leadoff batter in Oakland's ninth inning and retired the next two batters. CF Wilson, who had a single and three walks and three runs scored in the game, worked the count to 2-0, which brought the veteran Husain into the game. Husain threw two strikes to even the count and on the third pitch the speedy outfielder grounded out to first baseman Derek VanBuskirk (St. Clair, Mich./St. Clair HS) to end the game.

Schmidt had three hits, his 10th career multi-hit game, and sophomore DH Nate Recknagel (Lake Orion, Mich./Lake Orion), Kunkel and Scheidt had two hits each to pace the 12-hit U-M attack. Michigan has had 10 hits or more seven times in 15 games this season.

The Wolverines host Oakland in a doubleheader Sunday (March 26, 1:05 p.m.) with fifth-year senior co-captain LHP Drew Taylor (Toronto, Ontario/Upper Canada College) and sophomore Chris Fetter (Carmel, Ind./Carmel HS) listed as the starters. Taylor is 0-2 with a 9.45 ERA, while Fetter is 0-0 with a 4.09 ERA.

N O T E S

The weekend schedule was switched due to the weather as Saturday's (March 25) scheduled doubleheader became a single game, while Sunday's (March 26) date is now a doubleheader.

For the second straight day game the Ray Fisher Stadium lights were on at the start of the game.

Shortstop Leif Mahler extended his hit streak to four games with his third-inning single, and DH Nate Recknagel has hits in three consecutive games.

Fifth-year senior LHP Ali Husain made his 64th career appearances to tie Bobby Korecky (64, 1999-2002) for seventh place on U-M's all-time pitching appearance list. Tyler Steketee (66, 1995-98) is sixth on the list, two ahead of Husain.

Michigan's leading hitters after 15 games are: OF Mike Schmidt (9-for-23, .391), SS Leif Mahler (22-for-57, 386), 1B/C/DH Nate Recknagel (16-for-46, .348), CF Eric Rose (17-for-52, .327) and 1B/OF Derek VanBuskirk (16-for-51, 314).

Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423