Michigan Tripped Up by Vanderbilt in Regional Opener

Friday, June 2

Atlanta, Ga.

3:00 PM

Michigan

42-20

Vanderbilt

37-25

Michigan

Vanderbilt

6/2/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

ATLANTA, Ga. -- Vanderbilt senior RHP Matt Buschmann pitched a complete-game six-hitter and the Commodores collected three homers to beat the University of Michigan baseball team 5-2 in first-round action in the NCAA Atlanta Regional played Friday afternoon (June 2) in Georgia Tech's Russ Chandler Stadium.

The loss drops the third-seeded Wolverines (42-20) into the first game Saturday (June 4, 3 p.m.) against the loser of the second game between top-seeded host Georgia Tech (45-16) and fourth-seeded Stetson (38-22). The second game was postponed Friday due to rain and rescheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday, pushing the other Saturday games back two hours to 3 and 7 p.m.

Vanderbilt sophomore Ryan Davis hit a two-run homer to snap a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the second against Michigan starter freshman RHP Zach Putnam (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer HS). Putnam (6-2) took the loss, working 1.2 innings and allowing two hits and three runs.

Michigan fifth-year senior LHP Drew Taylor (Toronto, Ontario/Upper Canada College) replaced Putnam in the second inning and worked a season-high 6.1 innings out of the bullpen, allowing two runs on four hits to keep the Wolverines close. Taylor gave up a pair of solo homers in the fifth inning for the final 5-2 margin.

Vanderbilt's Buschmann worked a 1-2-3 first inning, but Michigan freshman Putnam opened the game with a pair of walks to CF David Macias and 3B Pedro Alvarez. That brought SS Ryan Flaherty to the plate, and he moved up the runners with a sacrifice bunt to senior 3B A.J. Scheidt (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Lahser).

The Commodores (37-25) of the Southeastern Conference grabbed a 1-0 lead as catcher Brian Hernandez hit a grounder to Scheidt that drove in Macias. Putnam fanned LF Dominic de la Osa to end the first inning.

Freshman DH Adam Abraham (Grosse Pointe Park, Mich./South) singled to left with one out in the second inning with the first hit of the game, and sophomore 2B Doug Pickens (West Bloomfield, Mich./Brother Rice) singled in the hole at short as Abraham beat the throw to second.

Sophomore RF Derek VanBuskirk (St. Clair, Mich./St. Clair) drew a walk to load the bases, and 3B Scheidt singled up the middle to tie the game at 1-1. Buschmann got out of the jam as he fanned senior LF Mike Schmidt (Saginaw, Mich./Heritage) for the second out and retired junior CF Eric Rose (Blissfield, Mich./Blissfield) on a grounder back to the mound.

The 1-1 tie lasted two batters in the bottom of the second innings as Vanderbilt DH Shea Robin bounced a single over Scheidt at third for the first hit off Putnam and RF Ryan Davis lined his third homer of the year for a 3-1 lead.

Alex Feinberg drew a walk and 1B Brad French grounded to third as the runner advanced to second. Putnam walked leadoff batter Macias for the second time and Alvarez hit a fly to left for the second out. After the count reached a 2-0 count on SS Flaherty, Putnam was removed from the game due to injury and was replaced by fifth-year senior LHP Taylor. He completed Putnam's walk to Flaherty and got out of the bases-loaded situation on a popout to junior SS Leif Mahler (Columbus, Ohio/St. Charles Prep).

Buschmann worked a 1-2-3 top of third and Taylor, who transferred from Georgia Tech after his freshman year in 2002, worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the third with a pair of strikeouts.

The Wolverines cut the Vanderbilt lead to 3-2 in the top fourth as Abraham drew a walk and with two outs scored from first base on a double by Scheidt.

Michigan flashed some leather in the bottom of the fourth inning as 2B Pickens made a fine play on a high chopper to retire VU 2B Alex Feinberg and Taylor tossed out 1B Brad French on a bunt and then snagged a line drive up the middle off the bat of Macias.

Mahler singled with one out in the fifth, but Buschmann got Recknagel on a pop to short and Kunkel on a deep fly to center.

Third baseman Pedro Alvarez hit the first pitch of the bottom of the fifth inning for a home run to right, his 20th of the season to set the Vanderbilt single-season record. Two batters later catcher Hernandez hit a solo homer to make the score 5-2, closing the scoring.

Abraham opened the sixth by getting hit by a pitch to reach base for the third straight time, and with two outs Scheidt hit a bullet that first baseman French knocked down and he made the play to retire Scheidt for the first time in the game.

Buschmann settled down, allowing just the Mahler single in the fifth after Scheidt's RBI double in the fourth. He had retired six in a row heading into the eighth inning.

Sophomore 1B Nate Recknagel (Lake Orion, Mich./Lake Orion) walked to open the eighth and fifth-year senior catcher Jeff Kunkel (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest) singled to left-center. Abraham lined out to right for the first out and Buschmann got out of the inning with a pair of fielder's choice grounders.

Buschmann closed out the win with a 1-2-3 ninth inning to notch his third complete game of the year.

Scheidt was the only player in the game with two hits as each team was limited to six hits.

NCAA Regional action continues Saturday (June 3) with either fifth-year senior co-captain LHP Paul Hammond (Mason, Ohio/Mason) or sophomore/freshman RHP Chris Fetter (Carmel, Ind./Carmel), both first team All-Big Ten starting pitchers, taking the mound for the Wolverines. Hammond is 7-4 with a 2.52 ERA, while Fetter is 5-1 with a Big Ten-leading 1.89 ERA.

N O T E S

Five members of Michigan's Big Ten baseball championship team earned Academic All-Big honors announced Thursday from the conference office. The Wolverines earning the all-league academic honors included fifth-year senior grad student LHP Drew Taylor, fifth-year senior LHP Ali Husain (Ypsilanti, Mich./Ypsilanti), senior RHP Jeff Niemiec (Livonia, Mich./Catholic Central), senior 3B A.J. Scheidt, and junior shortstop Leif Mahler.

Senior 3B A.J. Scheidt was 2-for-4 with his 40th career double as he recorded his 63rd career multi-hit game. Scheidt has 198 career hits.

Michigan's leading hitters after 62 games are: 1B Nate Recknagel (367, 77-for-210), CF Eric Rose (.328, 67-for-204), C Jeff Kunkel (73-for-220, .332), SS Leif Mahler (66-for-202, .327), LF/DH Adam Abraham (50-for-162, .309), 2B/OF Doug Pickens (67-for-224, .299), CF Mike Schmidt (43-for-153, .281), 3B A.J. Scheidt (56-for-200, .280) and RF Derek VanBuskirk (54-for-193, .280).