Wolverine Bats Come Alive in Road Win at Michigan State

Sunday, April 19

East Lansing, Mich.

1:05 PM

Michigan

21-16, 0

Michigan State

14-22, 0

Michigan

Michigan State

Wolverine Bats Come Alive in Road Win at Michigan State

4/19/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

Site: East Lansing, Mich. (McLane Stadium)
Score: Michigan 9, Michigan State 2
Records: U-M (21-16, 5-7 Big Ten), MSU (14-22, 5-7 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Tuesday, April 21 -- vs. Notre Dame (Wilpon Baseball Complex), 6:35 p.m.

Boxscore

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- The University of Michigan baseball team pounded out 12 hits, including a 3-for-5 day from senior leftfielder Kenny Fellows(Holt, Mich./Holt), and freshman third baseman John Lorenz(Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) and junior first baseman Mike Dufek(Scottsdale, Ariz./Desert Mountain) drove in three runs apiece in a 9-2 victory at Michigan State Sunday afternoon (April 19) at McLane Stadium.

After stranding runners with the bases loaded in the first inning, the Wolverines capitalized on the same situation in the third, loading the sacks with nobody out and taking a 2-0 lead on a double-play ball off the bat of Dufek for the first run as senior second basemanKevin Cislo(Novi, Mich./Novi) crossed the plate and adding the second run when Fellows scored on a wild pitch.

Meanwhile, junior starting pitcher Eric Katzman(Harrington Park, N.J./Old Tappan) was solid through the first four innings, allowing just four hits and striking out five Spartans as the Wolverines held onto their 2-0 lead heading to the fifth.

In the fifth inning, the Wolverines again loaded the bases with nobody out on three straight singles byCislo, Fellows and sophomore centerfielder Ryan LaMarre(Jackson, Mich./Lumen Christi). All three players scored when Dufek delivered a bases-clearing double to left that squirted all the way to the wall, giving U-M a 5-0 lead. A walk to junior catcher Chris Berset(Vienna, Va./Heights School) prompted a pitching change, and after a sac bunt by sophomore shortstop Anthony Toth(Lorain, Ohio/St. Ignatius) moved both runners into scoring position, junior rightfielder Nick Urban(Whitehall, Mich./Whitehall) delivered a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Dufek and giving U-M a 6-0 advantage.

Katzman ran into trouble in the sixth, allowing a leadoff double, three walks and a hit batter sandwiched around a pair of outs, leaving a bases-loaded jam for sophomore reliever Matt Miller(Zionsville, Ind./Zionsville) to work out of on the mound. Miller did the job, getting a big strikeout to end the MSU rally with the Wolverines still up by four, 6-2.

Lorenz added three insurance runs for the Wolverines with an RBI double in the eighth and a two-run single in the ninth, increasing the lead to 9-2.

Katzman picked up the win, his sixth of the season, while Miller added his third save of the season, working the final three and one-third innings and recording seven strikeouts.

The Wolverines are back in action at the Wilpon Baseball Complex on Tuesday (April 21) for a non-conference night contest against Notre Dame with first pitch slated for 6:35 p.m.

N O T E S

Michigan's win Sunday pushed its Big Ten record to 5-7, tying U-M with Michigan State and Penn State for sixth place in the latest conference standings,a move up of two positions from yesterday.

Senior LF Kenny Fellows posted a 3-for-5 day for his 12th multi-hit game of the season and his third game of at least three hits on the year. Fellows has now hit safely in 19 of the last 20 contests.

Freshman 3B John Lorenz posted a career day Sunday, going 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI. The two hits were Lorenz's fith multi-hit contest of the season, and the three RBI are a new personal single-game high.

Senior 2B Kevin Cislo registered his 12th multi-hit game of the season and drew his team-leading 27th walk and scored his team-best 42nd run of the season.

Junior 1B Mike Dufek launched his team-leading 17th double of the season which pushed across his 44th RBI of the year, good for second on the team (LaMarre-45). His 2-for-5 day was his 14th multi-hit game of the season and his sixth game with three RBI, the 13th time this season he has posted two or more.

Junior C Chris Berset saw his three-game hit streak come to a close Sunday but has hit saftely in three of his last four games since returning from injury Wednesday vs. Eastern Michigan. Berset went 4-for-11 in the MSU series.

Junior starting pitcher Eric Katzman picked up his team-leading sixth win of the season Sunday, his 11th career victory.

Sophomore reliever Matt Miller threw the final three and one-third innings, his third-longest stint this season, and matched his career high with seven strikeouts. His third save of the season ties him with Tyler Burgoon and Mike Dufek for the team lead.

Sophomore SS Anthony Toth was 1-for-4 Sunday and now has hits in 20 of his last 23 games.

Contact: Matt Fancett (734) 763-4423