U-M Outslugs Minnesota, Sets Up Winner-Take-All Final

Saturday, May 27

Ann Arbor, Mich.

7:05 PM

Michigan

41-19

Minnesota

34-25

Michigan

Minnesota

U-M Outslugs Minnesota, Sets Up Winner-Take-All Final

5/27/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Facing elimination for the third game a row, the University of Michigan baseball team beat the previously undefeated Minnesota Golden Gophers 11-9 in Big Ten Tournament action Saturday night (May 27) at Ray Fisher Stadium, setting up Sunday's 12:05 p.m. championship game between the same two teams.

Freshman Adam Abraham (Grosse Pointe Park, Mich./South) threw for 5.1 innings to earn the victory and improve his record to 5-3. He used his bat effectively as well, going 2-for-4 with two RBI. Sophomore Nate Recknagel (Lake Orion, Mich./Lake Orion) helped the Wolverine cause with a 3-for-5 performance in the win with three runs and a solo home run.

After allowing eight runs on 12 hits through four innings, the Michigan pitching staff settled in and silenced the Minnesota bats, allowing five more hits in the game. As a unit, U-M pitchers struck out three Gopher batters, relying on their defense to shut down the Minnesota offense.

Michigan used its offensive chances wisely, going 12-for-18 with runners in scoring position.

U-M broke onto the scoreboard in the top of the second inning, pushing three across the plate with the help of a timely single by senior Mike Schmidt (Saginaw, Mich./Heritage). Fifth-year senior Jeff Kunkel (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest) drew a walk to start off the inning and advanced to third base on a single by Abraham. Sophomore Derek VanBuskirk (St. Clair, Mich./St. Clair) hit a sacrifice fly that scored Kunkel, and senior A.J. Scheidt (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Lahser) followed with a double down the leftfield line. With a pair of runners in scoring position, Schmidt lined a single through the left side of the infield to drive in two more runs for the Maize and Blue.

Juniors Eric Rose (Blissfield, Mich./Blissfield) and Leif Mahler (Columbus, Ohio/St. Charles Prep) each singled to load the bases with two out. Michigan threatened to blow the game wide open, but Recknagel grounded to Dan Lyons at shortstop and Lyons flipped to Luke MacLean to end the inning.

Minnesota answered with four runs of its own in the bottom of the inning thanks in part to a Lyons solo home run with one out. After the homer, Kyle Baran, Tony Leseman and Chris Herbert hit consecutive singles to put a runner on each bag. A sacrifice fly by Matt Nohelty pushed Baran across the plate. MacLean lined a single of his own toward Mahler to reload the bases for the Golden Gophers.

After giving up five hits, fifth-year senior Drew Taylor (Toronto, Ontario/Upper Canada) was replaced by junior Andrew Hess (Kalamazoo, Mich./Central) with two outs. Mike Mee welcomed the new pitcher with the fifth single of the inning, driving in two more runs for Minnesota. Andy Hunter was plunked by a pitch to push Mee into scoring position, but a fielder's choice by Mahler ended the inning. After two, Minnesota led Michigan by a score of 4-3.

The offensive output continued for the Maize and Blue in the top of the fourth inning, when Michigan retook the lead 9-4. VanBuskirk led off the drive, reaching base on a throwing error by Lyons. Scheidt and Schmidt each knocked singles through the middle of the infield and VanBuskirk crossed the plate to tie up the game. A passed ball advanced both runners into scoring position, and Rose delivered with a sacrifice fly to rightfield that scored Scheidt.

Minnesota switched pitchers in the middle of the inning, bringing in Josh Oslin to replace Bill Johnson. The offensive explosion continued when Mahler singled and drove in Schmidt. Recknagel lined a shot up the middle for the fourth single of the inning and was moved up by a Kunkel double that pushed Mahler across home plate. Recknagel subsequently scored on a sacrifice fly by Abraham, and Pickens added an RBI of his own on a base hit to round out Michigan's scoring in the inning.

The Golden Gophers kept up the offensive tempo in the bottom half of the fourth. With the bases juiced and two out, Lyons doubled to right-center to clear the bases. Abraham came in to pitch for the Wolverines, but Baran and Leseman sustained the hitting frenzy with a duo of one-baggers, driving in another run to bring Minnesota within a run at 9-8.

Michigan added another run to its total in the sixth thanks to an Abraham double. Recknagel eked out a single and advanced into scoring position before being driven in by Abraham's shot down the leftfield line. Recknagel rolled in to score to extend the U-M lead to 10-8.

The trend of scoring every other inning continued for Michigan in the eighth when Recknagel drove a solo home run over the fence in left-center for the 11-8 Wolverine lead.

Down to their last out in the ninth, the Gophers challenged the Michigan lead with three straight two-out singles. MacLean was issued a free pass to bring pinch hitter Brian Jost across the plate, but Abraham retired Mee on a grounder to second to end the game.

Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423