First-Inning Wildcats Strike Again to Win Series Finale

Sunday, April 2

Ann Arbor, Mich.

1:05 PM

Michigan

12-10, 1-3

Northwestern

6-16, 3-1

Northwestern

Michigan

First-Inning Wildcats Strike Again to Win Series Finale

4/2/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Northwestern scored five runs in the top of the first inning and held on to beat the University of Michigan baseball team 5-4 in the Big Ten Conference series finale Sunday afternoon (April 2) at Ray Fisher Stadium.

The win gives Northwestern (6-16) a three-game winning streak and a share of first place after the opening week of Big Ten play with a 3-1 mark, while the Wolverines (12-10, 1-3 Big Ten) have lost a season-high three straight and are tied for eighth in conference play.

Northwestern had an amazing weekend scoring in the first inning in all four games and NU scored 13 of its 16 runs in the first innings. The Wildcats outscored Michigan 13-1 in the first inning on the weekend and actually had more runs in the first inning (13) than U-M scored all weekend (12).

In Sunday's contest Northwestern started the first inning with a tapper to starting pitcher freshman RHP Adam Abraham (Grosse Pointe Park, Mich./South HS). Abraham (2-2) was charged with an error on the play, and a walk and four singles later it was 5-0 with the first five Wildcats in the lineup scoring runs. CF Dan Brauer, NU's shutout pitcher from Saturday, had a two-run, bases-loaded single for the game-winning hit.

Stanley Finch singled to make the score 3-0 to chase Abraham, with junior RHP Andrew Hess (Kalamazoo, Mich./Central HS) entering the game. Hess got the first batter out on a strikeout, walked a batter to make the score 4-0, and got SS Tommy Finn on a foulout to first baseman Derek VanBuskirk (St. Clair, Mich./St. Clair). However, VanBuskirk crashed into the fence and the play turned into a sacrifice foul fly and the score was 5-0.

Hess pitched 6.1 shutout innings, allowing just one hit while striking out six batters. Hess had 13 strikeouts in 11 innings in two outings during the week and he leads the team with 24 K's.

With Hess holding down the Wildcats, the Wolverines battled back with three runs in the third inning and one in the sixth to cut the margin to 5-4.

Michigan sophomore DH Nate Recknagel (Lake Orion, Mich./Lake Orion) opened the second inning with a double but was stranded at third base.

Junior CF Eric Rose (Blissfield, Mich./.Blissfield) was hit by a pitch with one out in the third inning and moved to second on a single by sophomore RF Doug Pickens (West Bloomfield, Mich./Brother Rice). Fifth-year senior catcher Jeff Kunkel (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest) drilled a double to right-center to drive in both runners and make the score 5-2.

Senior 3B A.J. Scheidt (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Lahser HS) collected a two-out RBI single to drive in Kunkel to make the score 5-3, and he reached third on a two-base error in the outfield. NU starter Julio Siberio (1-0), who earned his first win of the year, retired VanBuskirk on a long fly to center to end the U-M rally.

Scheidt reached on an infield error to open the sixth inning and advanced to third on a single by VanBuskirk to chase starter Siberio. NU LHP Dan Schwartz took over, and the first batter he faced was junior LF Brad Roblin (Wayland, Mass./Rivers School), whose hard grounder was turned into a 5-4-3 double play as Scheidt crossed the plate to make the score 5-4.

Schwartz allowed a single to Rose in the seventh inning and a two-out pinch single in the ninth to junior Leif Mahler (Columbus, Ohio/St. Charles Prep), but the Wolverines fell one run short.

Senior LHP Ali Husain (Ypsilanti, Mich./.Ypsilanti) worked a third of an inning after replacing Hess in the seventh, and sophomore/freshman RHP Ben Jenzen (Grosse Pointe, Mich./South HS) closed out the seventh and worked 2.1 shutout innings to finish the game for the Wolverines.

Catcher Jeff Kunkel had two hits to pace the eight-hit Wolverine attack on Sunday, and Rose (6) and Kunkel (5) paced the 29-hit attack for the weekend.

The Wolverines travel to Central Michigan for a mid-week non-conference game on Wednesday (April 5, 3 p.m.) with sophomore/freshman RHP Michael Powers (St. Clair Shores, Mich./South Lake) slated as the starter. Powers is 1-0 with a 1.35 ERA and would be making his first start as a Wolverine in a game that will feature many pitchers.

N O T E S

Northwestern grabbed a share of first place in the Big Ten with the 5-4 win Sunday to give the Wildcats a 3-1 start to conference action, and they are tied with Michigan State, a 9-8 winner over Indiana in 10 innings on Sunday, and Ohio State, a 15-1 winner at Iowa. Purdue defeated Illinois 9-4 to gain a weekend split, and Minnesota beat Penn State 5-0 for a weekend split.

Big Ten Standings (through 4/2/06)

 1. Northwestern 3-1 .750 Michigan State 3-1 .750 Ohio State 3-1 .750 4. Illinois 2-2 .500 Minnesota 2-2 .500 Penn State 2-2 .500 Purdue 2-2 .500 8. MICHIGAN 1-3 .250 Indiana 1-3 .250 Iowa 1-3 .250

Big Ten Next Week (April 7-9): Michigan at Minnesota, Illinois at Ohio State, Indiana at Northwestern, Iowa at Penn State, Michigan State at Purdue.

Junior CF Eric Rose singled in the seventh inning Sunday to extend his hitting streak to four games.

Fifth-year senior LHP Ali Husain made his 65th career appearances to snap the tie for seventh place on U-M's all-time pitching appearance list with Bobby Korecky (64, 1999-2002). Tyler Steketee (66, 1995-98) is sixth on the list, one ahead of Husain.

Michigan's leading hitters after 22 games are: SS Leif Mahler (27-for-73, 370), CF Eric Rose (23-for-64, .359), C Jeff Kunkel (24-for-74, 324), OF Doug Pickens (24-for-74, .324), 1B/C/DH Nate Recknagel (23-for-71, .324) and 1B/OF Derek VanBuskirk (22-for-73, 301).

Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423