U-M Tops Buckeyes, Stays Alive in Big Ten Tournament

Saturday, May 27

Ann Arbor, Mich.

3:35 PM

Michigan

40-19

Ohio State

37-21

Ohio State

Michigan

5/27/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The top-seeded University of Michigan baseball team defeated Ohio State 3-2 Saturday (May 27) to advance to the Big Ten Tournament championship game at Ray Fisher Stadium. Sophomore Derek VanBuskirk (St. Clair, Mich./St. Clair) went 1-for-3 with a double and a run batted as the Maize and Blue eliminated the Buckeyes from the six-team, double-elimination event.

Freshman Zach Putnam (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer) struck out two batters and earned his sixth win on 6.2 innings of work, while fellow true freshman Adam Abraham (Grosse Pointe Park, Mich./South) came into the game in the ninth inning for his third save of the season.

In the first inning, both teams threatened to break open the scoring early, but neither team could push a run over home plate.

In the top of the first inning, Ohio State had the bases loaded, but Michigan's strong defense shut down the Buckeye bats. Matt Angle drew a one-out walk, and an Eric Fryer single through the middle of the infield advanced Angle to third base. A wild pitch brought Fryer into scoring position for the Buckeyes. With two on and two out, Putnam issued his second walk of the inning to Jedidiah Stephen, loading the bases. Designated hitter Jonathan Zizzo lined a shot to junior Leif Mahler (Columbus, Ohio/St. Charles Prep) to get the Wolverines out of the jam.

The Maize and Blue loaded the bases in their turn at bat but came up empty-handed as well. Junior Eric Rose (Blissfield, Mich./Blissfield) led off with a single to rightfield. Mahler followed it up with a line drive to Jason Zoeller, who mishandled the ball, allowing the U-M shortstop to reach base. Sophomore Nate Recknagel (Lake Orion, Mich./Lake Orion) flied out to centerfield and Rose tagged up and moved to third. Fifth-year senior Jeff Kunkel (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest) drew a free pass to put a runner on each base with one out, but Abraham hit into a double play to end the Michigan threat.

Ohio State broke the stalemate in the top of the third inning on a defensive miscue by the U-M shortstop. Angle drew his second walk of the game and was stationed on second base when Ronnie Bourquin stepped up to the plate. The Big Ten Player of the Year lined a shot to Mahler, who misplayed the backhand attempt, sending the ball into the outfield. Angle raced around the bases and crossed the plate to give the Buckeyes a 1-0 lead.

Michigan answered with a run of its own on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fourth inning. VanBuskirk took a Jake Hale pitch and dropped it deep into right-center. Wes Schirtzinger bobbled the ball at the wall, allowing VanBuskirk to slide into third base. With one out, senior A.J. Scheidt (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Lahser) hit a sacrifice fly to leftfield that scored VanBuskirk to tie the game 1-1 after four.

A wild pitch allowed the Wolverines to take the 2-1 lead in the sixth inning. Abraham trickled a single to the left side of the infield and advanced to second when sophomore Doug Pickens (West Bloomfield, Mich./Brother Rice) laid down a sacrifice bunt. An errant pickoff attempt by Hale sailed into the outfield, advancing Abraham to third base, and he scored on a wild pitch later in Scheidt's at-bat.

After allowing Ohio State to take the initial lead, Putnam buckled down, setting down 12 of the next 16 Buckeyes he faced. However, in the top of the seventh Putnam issued back-to-back walks to OSU batters and was replaced by sophomore/freshman Ben Jenzen (Grosse Pointe, Mich./South). Jenzen closed out the inning, and Michigan continued to blank the visiting Buckeyes, allowing just four hits through eight innings.

In the bottom of the eighth, Michigan tacked on an insurance run on a suicide squeeze bunt from VanBuskirk. Kunkel started off the inning with a double down the rightfield line, forcing Ohio State to replace Hale with Rory Meister. Following the pitching change, Abraham laid down a bunt that was fielded by Meister. The OSU pitcher chose to try and get the lead runner at third, but the tag on Kunkel was too late and Abraham reached on the fielder's choice. With runners on the corners VanBuskirk put down a squeeze bunt that scored Kunkel to give the Wolverines a 3-1 advantage.

Ohio State scored a run in the top of the ninth inning, but Michigan pitching saved the day. After Jenzen walked the leadoff hitter, Abraham came to preserve the lead. Jacob Howell reached on a fielder's choice that retired Schritzinger at second base. J.B. Shuck got on base in the same manner when freshman second baseman Kevin Cislo (Novi, Mich./Novi), a defensive replacement, chose to go to second for the out. With two out, Angle drove a pitch to right-centerfield to score Shuck and bring the Buckeyes within a run of U-M. Abraham promptly struck out Fryer to end the contest and give Michigan the 3-2 victory.

With the win, Michigan advances to the tournament championship game and will face the Minnesota. First pitch is slated for 7:10 p.m. Should the Wolverines defeat the Golden Gophers in today's matchup and hand Minnesota its first loss of the tournament, a second and final game will take place on Sunday (May 28) at 12:05 p.m. at Ray Fisher Stadium.

Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423