'M' Nine secures playoff berth
H. Jose Bosch
Daily Sports WriterMay 22nd, 2005
STATE COLLEGE — The Wolverines needed just one win over the weekend to secure a spot in the Big Ten tournament.
They made a statement and collecting three instead.
The Michigan baseball team capped off a successful weekend with a 8-4 victory over Penn State, improving its overall record to 40-15 and finishing the Big Ten season with a 17-12 record.
Michigan put on a clinic in its series against Penn State (13-19 Big Ten, 28-27 overall). The Wolverines displayed solid pitching, great defense and clutch hitting to show the Nittany Lions — and, more importantly, the rest of the Big Ten — that they are hitting their stride at just the right time this season.
“We’re very confident,” senior Matt Butler said. “Now that we have a little momentum going, and we’re getting back to the winning track that we had early on in the season, we don’t really fear anyone we play.”
Things finally started to go Michigan’s way offensively yesterday, when the team scored four runs in the second inning against Penn State starter Matt Carroll.
The inning started inconspicuously with junior A.J. Scheidt popping out to the shortstop for the inning’s first out. But sophomore Leif Mahler then started things off with a single up the middle. Sophomore Eric Rose followed as he slapped a single just past the diving third baseman Scott Gaffney to put runners on first and second.
Junior Chris Getz notched his second hit of the game — another scorcher past Gaffney — to score Mahler from second base. Rose advanced to third when the throw from the outfield bounced high over the cut-off man’s outstretched glove.
With runners on first and third, freshman Doug Pickens drilled the ball off the tip of the third baseman’s glove, scoring Rose. After senior Kyle Bohm popped out, a single from Butler loaded the bases for senior Jeff Kunkel, who drove in the final two runs of the inning with a single through the hole between first and second base.
“We definitely kicked it up a notch today,” Michigan coach Rich Maloney said. “The guys really wanted to get to 40 (wins), and it was nice to see them accomplish that.”
The Wolverines’ bats had a difficult time breaking out, producing just 12 runs in the first three games while winning two by a combined three runs.
On Friday afternoon, the Wolverines fell to the Nittany Lions, 4-3, in 11 innings.
Bohm was Michigan’s only source of runs that day, driving in all three. The starting first baseman went 2-for-5 including a towering two- run home run in the first inning over the left-centerfield fence.
The Nittany Lions won the game in the 11th inning when Gaffney hit a single that fell just short of the charging Rose in center, scoring Penn State third baseman Colin Runt from second base.
“Give (Penn State) credit,” Maloney said. “They battled and fought their way back, and they didn’t give up.”
Michigan came back strong on Saturday, sweeping the doubleheader by scores of 5-4 and 4-2.
Acting as the closer in both games, senior Derek Feldkamp threw six innings — allowing only three hits and striking out one while shutting down the Nittany Lion bats.
“I thought Derek Feldkamp was outstanding,” Maloney said. “I thought he pitched today. We know he has an excellent arm, but I thought he was really pitching.”
The Wolverines’ three wins marks the first time since 1989 that Michigan has won at least 40 games in a season. That year, the Wolverines won 49 games and reached the NCAA Regionals, where they were defeated by Witchita State.
Printed from www.michigandaily.com on Sat, 26 May 2012 19:00:56 -0400