Michigan Drops Rubber Game to Indiana in Pitchers' Duel

Sunday, April 26

Ann Arbor, Mich.

1:05 PM

Michigan

23-19, 0

Indiana

20-21, 0

Indiana

Michigan

Michigan Drops Rubber Game to Indiana in Pitchers' Duel

4/26/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Wilpon Baseball Complex)
Score:Indiana 3, Michigan 1
Records: U-M (23-19, 6-9 Big Ten), Indiana (20-21, 10-4 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Friday, May 1 -- at Ohio State (Columbus, Ohio), 7 p.m.

Boxscore | Postgame Notes | Photo Gallery | Video Report

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Junior starting pitcher Eric Katzman (Harrington Park, N.J./Old Tappan) threw seven-and-one-third strong innings, but it was not enough as the University of Michigan baseball team fell, 3-1, to Indiana on Sunday (April 26) in the rubber game of a three-game set at the Wilpon Baseball Complex, home of Ray Fisher Stadium.

Junior/sophomore shortstop Anthony Toth(Lorain, Ohio/St. Ignatius) went 3-for-5 for the Wolverines, while senior/junior rightfielder Nick Urban (Whitehall, Mich./Whitehall) and fifth-year senior leftfielder Kenny Fellows(Holt, Mich./Holt) each added a pair of hits for the Maize and Blue.

Indiana opened the scoring in the top of the second as a leadoff walk helped the Hoosiers scratch across the first run of the contest. Indiana used another leadoff walk to push across a second run in the third inning.

Neither team plated a run in the middle three innings as Katzman and Indiana starting pitcher Matt Bashore kept the offenses at bay, helping the Hoosiers carry their 2-0 lead into seventh.

Michigan finally broke through in the seventh, loading the bases with a pair of singles and a walk before senior second baseman Kevin Cislo(Novi, Mich./Novi) grounded out, driving in Urban to get U-M on the scoreboard and cutting the IU lead to 2-1.

Indiana answered right back with a leadoff home run to left in the eighth to regain the two-run advantage, 3-1. After retiring the next batter, Katzman, who had scattered seven hits and struck out four, was lifted for sophomore Matt Miller(Zionsville, Ind./Zionsville), who worked a perfect final inning and two-thirds.

Michigan threatened in each of the final two innings, loading the bases in the eighth and bringing the potential tying run to the plate in the ninth but was unable to convert in either inning.

The Wolverines will return to the diamond next Friday (May 1) when they face Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio. Friday is first game of the three-game set is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Bill Davis Stadium. The entire series with the Buckeyes will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network.

N O T E S

Michigan (23-19, 6-9 Big Ten) remains in sixth place in the Big Ten standings with Sunday's (April 26) 3-1 loss to Indiana (20-21, 10-4 Big Ten). Illinois (11-4) pulled into a tie for first place with a 9-2 win for a sweep over Penn State, while Ohio State (11-4) dropped a 10-6 decision to Northwestern. Minnesota (10-4) completed its weekend sweep of Purdue by a 5-2 margin to remain tied for third place with Indiana (10-4). Michigan State (8-7) pounded Iowa, 14-5, to complete a weekend sweep and stay in fifth place. Meanwhile, Purdue (5-9), with a six-game Big Ten losing streak, is seventh; Penn State (5-10) is eighth, while Northwestern (3-10) moved into ninth place ahead of 10th-place Iowa (3-11).

Senior OF Kenny Fellows was 2-for-4 with two stolen bases on Sunday vs. Indiana as he grabbed the team hitting lead with a .349 (53-for-152) batting average that includes a team-high 53 hits. Fellows leads the Wolverines with 14 stolen bases and his pair of swipes on Sunday pushed his career stolen base total to 21. Fellows, who has hits in 21 of his last 25 games, has 14 multi-hit games and shares the team batting lead in Big Ten play (.345, 20-for-58) with SS Anthony Toth.

Junior OF Nick Urban was 2-for-3 with a walk and scored the lone run for the Wolverines in Sunday's 3-1 loss to Indiana. Urban was 6-for-11 (.545) for the weekend series against the Hoosiers with three two-hit games. Urban has eight multi-hit games this season and he hit .438 (7-for-16) in five games last week to push his overall season batting average to .287 (33-for-115).

Junior/sophomore SS Anthony Toth was 3-for-5 Sunday vs. Indiana for his team-leading 16th multi-hit game of the season and his second three-hit game. Toth's previous season- and career-best game included three hits at Michigan State (April 17). Toth is hitting .338 (51-for-151) to rank third on the team. Toth hit .421 (8-for-19 in five games last week vs. Notre Dame and Indiana. Toth shares the team lead in Big Ten play with OF Kenny Fellows at .345 (20-for-58) and has hits in 23 of his last 27 games.

Freshman C/DH Coley Crank was 1-for-4 on Sunday vs. Indiana to extend his season-best hitting streak to four games as he hit .385 (5-for-13) with a double and a homer while playing in four of the five games this week vs. Notre Dame and Indiana. Crank is hitting .290 (18-for-62) in 31 games (18 starts).

Sophomore RHP Matt Miller retired all five batters he faced on Sunday vs. Indiana to close out the 3-1 loss to the Hoosiers. Miller (0-1) dropped his ERA to 2.88 and, in his last three outings -- against Michigan State, Notre Dame and Indiana -- he has pitched 7.0 innings and fanned 12 batters. Miller has 40 strikeouts in 34.1 innings for the season.

Contact: Matt Fancett (734) 763-4423