Powers, Early Offense Boost Wolverines Past Broncos

Wednesday, May 3

Ann Arbor, Mich.

6:35 PM

Michigan

27-15

Western Michigan

20-18

Western Michigan

Michigan

5/3/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Jim Schneider

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Ray Fisher Stadium)
Score: Michigan 10, Western Michigan 5
Records: U-M (27-15), WMU (20-18)
Next U-M Game: Friday, May 5 -- at Illinois (Champaign, Ill.), 6:05 p.m. CDT

• Boxscore

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan use early offense and five solid innings from starting pitcher Michael Powers (St. Clair Shores, Mich./South Lake HS) to beat Western Michigan 10-5 in non-conference baseball action Wednesday night (May 3) at Ray Fisher Stadium.

The Wolverines (27-15) scored two runs in the second inning and added five more runs in the third inning to build a 7-0 lead. Sophomore DH Nate Recknagel (Lake Orion, Mich./Lake Orion) went 2-for-3 with three RBI, while fifth-year senior 1B Jeff Kunkel (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest) had two hits including a double and freshman LF Adam Abraham (Grosse Pointe Park, Mich./South HS) had two hits including his fourth homer of the season.

WMU (20-18) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning on a single by 1B Travis May, a double by DH Nathan Marquardt and a run-scoring ground out by RF Neal Miller.

Michigan had a strange second inning but scored twice to take the lead as Recknagel singled, Abraham walked, and senior 3B A.J. Scheidt (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Lahser HS) lined the ball to the fence in right, but when the smoke cleared there were runners on second and third and Scheidt and Abraham were both a second base. Scheidt was credited with a single but was the first out of the inning as he attempted to get back to first.

Freshman SS Jason Christian (Loveland, Ohio/Loveland), who later pitched 1.2 innings, hit a rocket that was ruled an error on 1B May. Recknagel scored to tie the game at 1-1 for a Christian RBI and Abraham scored from second as the result of the error.

The Wolverines sent 10 batters to the plate in the seven-run third inning with Kunkel driving in one run with his 10th double of the season, Recknagel driving in two with a single, and the other two runs scoring on a bunt single by Christian and a single to left by junior RF Brad Roblin (Wayland, Mass./Rivers School).

Sophomore/freshman RHP Powers (2-0) allowed four hits in his five innings, allowing one run and collecting one strikeout. He had two 1-2-3 innings and faced four batters in two of the other three innings.

Abraham hit his homer leading off the fifth inning, Recknagel had a sacrifice fly in the sixth, and Abraham singled in the final run in the eighth inning. Senior Alex Martin (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer), listed as a pitcher most of the year, singled as a pinch hitter in his first at-bat of the year in the eighth and scored the final run.

The Broncos scored a run in the seventh and added three runs in the ninth for the final 10-5 margin. Fifth-year senior Ali Husain (Ypsilanti, Mich./Ypsilanti) made his 10th appearance of the season and 71st of his career to record the final out with a strikeout in a non-save situation. Husain ranks fifth on U-M's all-time pitching appearance list.

Junior CF Eric Rose (Blissfield, Mich./Blissfield), Kunkel, Recknagel, Abraham, Scheidt and Roblin each had two of Michigan's 16 hits in the win over the Broncos.

The Wolverines play at Illinois Friday (May 5, 6:05 p.m. CDT) in the first of four games against the defending Big Ten champs with freshman Zach Putnam (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer HS) on the mound. Putnam is 4-0 with a 2.15 ERA in overall action.

N O T E S

• Former Wolverine Ted Mahan (1974-77), co-captain and co-MVP in 1977 and later an assistant coach at U-M, was on hand at the game Wednesday night to see his son RHP Drew Mahan pitch for WMU.

• Sophomore 1B/C/DH Nate Recknagel extended his hitting streak to eight games in the game vs. Western Michigan on Wednesday, and SS Leif Mahler (Columbus, Ohio/St. Charles Prep) extended his hit streak to five games the hard way with a single in his only at-bat after entering the game in the eighth inning when freshman Jason Christian, who made the start at shortstop, went to the mound to pitch.

• Michigan's leading hitters after 42 games are: SS Leif Mahler (50-for-135, 370), C Jeff Kunkel (54-for-147, .367), CF Eric Rose (47-for-130, .362), 1B/C/DH Nate Recknagel (49-for-138, .355), 2B/ OF Doug Pickens (47-for-153, .307) and OF/DH Adam Abraham (32-for-105, .305).