Big Innings Carry Michigan Past North Florida

Wednesday, February 25

Jacksonville, Fla.

7:00 PM

Michigan

5-0

North Florida

2-3

Michigan

North Florida

2/25/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

Sites: Jacksonville, Fla. (Harmon Stadium)
Score: Michigan 9, North Florida 8
Records: U-M (5-0), UNF (2-3)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Feb. 27 -- vs. Wisconsin-Milwaukee in Jacksonville University Invitational (Jacksonville, Fla.), 1 p.m.

Boxscore

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The University of Michigan baseball team used a six-run fourth inning and a three-run fifth, keyed by a three-run single by senior Kevin Cislo(Novi, Mich./Novi) and home runs from junior/sophomore Jake McLouth(Whitehall, Mich./Whitehall) and Chris Berset(Vienna, Va./Heights School), to come from behind against North Florida and held on down the stretch for a 9-8 victory Wednesday night (Feb. 25) at Harmon Stadium.

The Wolverines fell behind early as the host Ospreys scored a pair of runs in the opening inning off freshman starter Brandon Sinnery(Worcester, Mass./Worcester Academy) to take a 2-0 lead. UNF added another run in the third inning off sophomore reliever Matt Gerbe(Shelby Twp., Mich./Eisenhower) to push its lead to 3-0.

The Wolverine offense matriculated runs in the fourth, scoring six times with two outs, including a back-to-back bases-loaded walks to freshman pinch-hitter Coley Crank(Pinole Valley, Calif./Pinole Valley) and senior leftfielder Kenny Fellows(Holt, Mich./Holt) to start the scoring. After a UNF pitching change, and with the bases still full of Wolverines, Cislo delivered sharp single up the middle, clearing the bases and putting U-M up 5-3. Michigan capped the scoring with an RBI single from sophomore shortstop Anthony Toth(Lorain, Ohio/St. Ignatius) to go up 6-3.

Senior reliever Mike Wilson(Pickering, Ontario/Pine Ridge) came on and shut down the Ospreys over the next two innings and watched as the Michigan offense produced three more runs in the fifth. McLouth started the scoring with a leadoff homer, his second of the season, and Berset added a two-run blast two hitters later to give Michigan a 9-3 advantage.

UNF got a run back in the sixth and then scored four more times in a frantic seventh inning that saw three U-M pitchers toe the rubber. Junior Tyler Burgoon(Defiance, Ohio/Defiance) was the last of the three, coming on to pitch the Wolverines out of a jam and preserve a 9-8 lead. Burgoon stayed in for the final two innings, putting down the home team in order in the ninth to record his first save of the season as U-M held on for the win.

Wilson picked up the win, his first of the season, going 3.1 innings while striking out five and allowing three earned runs.

Cislo proved to be the offensive star, going 2-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored. McLouth had a pair of hits, including his towering home run, and scored two runs, while Berset was 1-for-2 with two RBI, a pair of walks and two runs scored.

The Wolverines will take Thursday (Feb. 26) off before competing in the Jacksonville University Invitational against Wisconsin-Milwaukee at 1 p.m. Friday (Feb. 27) at John Sessions Stadium.

N O T E S

With their 9-8 win at North Florida, the Wolverines moved to 5-0, the best start for the team since a 6-0 start in 1991 under Bill Freehan.

U-M's Rich Maloney recorded career win 498 on Wednesday at North Florida as his countdown to 500 career wins is down to two in his 14th season as a head coach. Maloney has 242 wins in seven seasons at Michigan.

Michigan's six-run fourth inning marked the biggest offensive inning for the Wolverines this season, and U-M has outscored opponents 7-0 in the fourth inning so far this season. The nine-run total marked the most U-M runs in a game since the Wolverines scored 11 runs vs. Northwestern in the final regular-season game in 2008.

Sophomore/freshman DH Jake McLouth was 2-for-4 with his second homer of the season in the win over the UNF Ospreys. McLouth is hitting .409 (9-for-22) and leads the team with his two homers while sharing the team RBI lead with five. McLouth has three multi-hit games in the first five games of his U-M career.

Junior RF Nick Urban extended his team-leading hitting streak to five games with his fifth-inning single at North Florida. Urban leads the team with a .435 (10-for-23) batting average.

Senior co-captain 2B Kevin Cislo used a three-run single in the season-high six-run fourth inning to give the Wolverines a 5-3 lead. The hit proved to be Cislo's first game-winning RBI of the season and the seventh of his career -- tops on the squad.

Junior catcher Chris Berset reached base four times in the win at North Florida. Officially Berset was 1-for-2 with a two-run homer in the fifth inning to give U-M a 9-3 lead and he also walked twice and reached on a catcher's interference.

Sophomore RHP Tyler Burgoon worked the final 2.1 innings to record his first save of the season. In three appearances this season Burgoon is 2-0 with a save and a 0.00 earned run average with five strikeouts in 7.1 innings. For his career Burgoon is 4-0 with six saves.

Senior LF Kenny Fellows, who drew a bases-loaded walk in the six-run fourth-inning rally, had his hitting streak snapped at four games. Fellows is second on the team with a .412 average (7-for-17).

Contact: Matt Fancett (734) 763-4423