From a shootout to a shutout, this weekend provided all kinds of
excitement for the Michigan baseball team.
With its 7-0 shutout of Youngstown State (2-7) yesterday, the
team finished the weekend with two wins out of three games.
Michigan has won five out of its last six games.
“Anytime you go on the road, you want to win a series and
get some confidence,” coach Rich Maloney said.
Yesterday, the Wolverines (5-6) rode the arm of pitcher Michael
Penn at the end of the Kentucky Invitational. Penn dominated the
Penguins for all nine innings, never allowing a runner past second
base.
“Michael Penn gave us a great lift today, as our pitching
had been struggling a bit,” Maloney said. “We are still
trying to find ourselves, but this helped.”
Unlike every previous game this year, the Wolverines never
trailed and did not need to make a comeback.
The Wolverines took a 2-0 lead in the third inning, capitalizing
on one of many Penguin errors. Junior left-fielder Chris Burhans
reached second on a dropped fly ball to center. Burhans scored from
third on a two-out single by sophomore third baseman A.J.
Scheidt.
Michigan got another unearned run in the sixth inning after
Burhans and junior first baseman Kyle Bohm singled. Burhans scored
when Scheidt’s fly to left was dropped. Sophomore second
baseman Chris Getz had a run-scoring single in the seventh, the
first earned run of the day scored by the Wolverines.
Penn took over from there, walking one and fanning two to record
his third career complete game and his second shutout.
“If we can get our pitching under control, we have the
opportunity to be a good, solid team,” Maloney said.
While yesterday’s game showcased solid pitching and good
hitting, Saturday’s game against Kentucky (12-4) was a
different story.
The Wolverines fell behind early 6-0, but fought back to tie the
game at eight in the fifth inning. Junior outfielder Matt Butler
hit a long three-run homer and added a fourth RBI in the eighth
inning. Bohm collected his third game in the last two weeks with
three or more hits, and he hit his first homer as a Wolverine.
“Us coming back has been a characteristic of this team all
year long,” Maloney said. “The guys always thought they
could win the game.”
Ultimately the Wolverines fell to Kentucky 15-14, but fought
back to end the game with confidence, which showed in
yesterday’s game.