Early Runs Hold Up in Wolverine Win Over Eagles

Tuesday, March 30

Ann Arbor, Mich.

3:00 PM

Michigan

13-9

Eastern Michigan

10-15

Eastern Michigan

Michigan

3/30/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

March 30, 2010

• Box Score | Notes | Photo Gallery |

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Wilpon Baseball Complex)
Score: Michigan 8, Eastern Michigan 6
Records: U-M (13-9), Eastern Michigan (10-15)
Attendance: 781
Next U-M Event: Friday, April 2 -- at Indiana (Bloomington, Ind.), 3 p.m.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan baseball team's seven runs in the second and third proved to be enough as the Wolverines hung on to an 8-6 victory over Eastern Michigan on Thursday afternoon (March 30) at the Wilpon Baseball Complex, home of historic Ray Fisher Stadium.

Freshman shortstop Derek Dennis (Ada, Mich./Forest Hills Central) went 2-for-4 with three runs batted in to lead the charge from the bottom of the lineup. Sophomore third baseman John Lorenz (Frankfurt, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) and senior leftfielder Mike Kittle (Clarkston, Mich./Clarkston) each knocked in two.

Senior pitcher Eric Katzman (Harrington Park, N.J./Northern Valley Old Tappan) got the victory, going three innings and allowing two hits and an unearned run.

Michigan built a 7-1 lead through the first three innings for Katzman. The Wolverines got three singles, two walks and a hit batter en route to a four-run second. Sophomore designated hitter Coley Crank (Pinole, Calif./Pinole Valley) and senior first baseman Mike Dufek (Scottsdale, Ariz./Desert Mountain) reached to open up the third inning before Crank came around to score on a double into the leftfield corner off the bat of Lorenz. The remaining two runners scored on successive plays to put U-M up by a 7-1 margin.

Eastern Michigan whittled away at the Michigan lead with one run in the fifth inning and four in the seventh, but the Wolverines maintained their advantage with a run following the stretch.

Crank and Dufek once again sparked the scoring with a walk and a bullet off the leftfield fence with nobody out. After back-to-back strikeouts, Kittle parachuted a ball into leftfield, scoring Crank and putting the Maize and Blue ahead by an 8-6 score. Junior pitcher Tyler Burgoon (Defiance, Ohio/Defiance) made it stand up, striking out a game-high four batters over a scoreless 2.1 innings for his second save of the season.

Michigan opens the Big Ten portion of its schedule with Indiana on Friday (April 2) at 3 p.m. in Bloomington, Ind.

Contact: Ryan Sosin (734) 763-4423