Page Twelve
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Tuesday, May 24, 1975I
P TfT M I ALu aM 2 1
I
By CLARKE COGSDILL
STEVE BENNETT, the Wisconsin right fielder, stepped into a
(Mark Weber pitch and drove it deep to left field. The crowd,
which filled Ray L. Fisher Stadium to near-capacity on a sunny
Saturday afternoon, watched in stunned silence.
Moby Benedict's Wolverines, who had taken the first game
4-2 from the Badgers, had battled back from an early 2-0 deficit
to take a 4-2 lead into the seventh inning of the nightcap. They
needed only one more out to clinch their first Big Ten cham-
pionship since 1961, when Don Lund was the coach.
Mark Grenkoski, whose third-inning triple had knocked in
Michigan's first run in the opener, raced back near the wall,
set himself up, and one-handed Bennett's blast. "We still
haven't come down yet," said Michigan coach Moby Bene-
dict.
His Wolverines, who won 24 out of their last 28 games
and finished 13-3 in the conference, are now busily preparing
themselves for the NCAA district tournament beginning this Fri-
day at Eastern Michin. Michigan faces Penn State in the open-
er, at 1 p.m., while EMU (33-17) will play Clemson.
Final exams delav Penn St.
The series had been scheduled to begin Thursday, but Penn
State's team is facing the roughest slants of all - finals - and
can't make it before Friday.
Chuck Rogers (7-2, 1.71) whose four-hitter in last Friday's
opener against Northwestern gave the Blue some momentum for
their weekend blitz, will take the hill for the first game, going
against Penn State's Mitch Lukevic. Lukevics' season stats (11-0,
0.70 ERA) look imposing, but Benedict isn't frightened.
"Records don't always mean that much," he said after
yesterday's practice. "I remember back in 1962, when we won
the NCAA title, we started the final with a pitcher - Fritz
Fisher - who had only a mediocre record. Everybody laugh-
ed at us. But we knew something they didn't."
Fisher, who had gained dubious fame when a gopherball
he gave Wisconsin's Pat Richter cost Michigan the 1962 Big Ten
title, hurled Michigan to a 3-1 win over Texas.
"The people who didn't show up Saturday missed some great
baseball," Benedict continued. "It wasn't just the spectacular
plays, either."
Spectacular plavs sparkle
But the spectacular plays deserve mention. In the second
inning of the second game, with a man on first, Grenoski raced
into foul territory after a fly hit by Badger shortstop Richard Lar-
son, hurled himself parallel to the ground, skidded, and some-
how came up with the ball. John Hnath followed with a triple to
give Wisconsin a short-lived lead, but Grenoski's play surely kept
a bad inning from becoming disasterous.
In a less critical situation later that same game, catcher
Ted Mahan made a diving sprawl to his lifet to save a third-
strike foul tip off the bat of Wisconsin's Duane Gustavson.
"But did you notice," Benedict asked, "how in a crucial situ-
ation with a man on third, Mahan kept the ball in front of him on
a pitch in the dirt? Absolutely critical."
"Jim Berra had two or three outstandingly tough balls at
short," Benedict continued. 'You'd better believe it," added as-
sistant Doug Swiss. "Those balls sometimes look easy from the
stands,but believe me, they were tough plays."
Nothing but praise
The praise continued. Dick Walterhouse, Benedict said, "work-
ed the pivot at second base as if he owned it." Mark Weber, who
had pitched a complete game against Northwestern the day be-
fore, came in the fourth inning of the second game with Badgers
on first and second, and shut them out the rest of the way. He
was simply "great."
Four runs in the third inning of Saturday's opener gave
captain Craig Forhan all he needed to scatter nine hits and
win his fifth game of the season. Triples by Grenoski and dh
Mike Parker, sandwiched around a sacrificefly by Walter-
house and a few walks, accounted for the runs.
The Badgers touched Larry Sorenson for single tallies in the
first two innings of the nightcap to put the Blue in the hole. Lee
Bauman, whose bid for Harvey Kueen's singles record fell short,
led off with a grounder up the middle, and advanced when Sor-
enson went wild on an attempted pickoff. He scored on a single
to center by Bennett.
In the second, dh Randy Johnson - who touched Michigan
for four hits all told - lined a single to right, and scored -on
Hnath's triple
Michigan took the lead in its half of the third. Walter-
house led off with a single, and Randy Hackney walked.
Pete Ross' deep fly moved Walterhouse to third, from where
he scored on Bill Haslerig's grounder. Haslerig took second
when Larson threw away the relay on a doubleplay.
Mahan walked, and Jeff James hit a shot which Badger
thirdbasemtn Larry Domnitz threw into centerfield non an at-
tempted force, scoring Haslerig,
The Wolverines added an insurance run in the fifth. Ross
singled, went to second on Haslerig's sacrifice, took third on a
balk, and scored on Mahan's sacrifice fly to center.
en take Big Ten
Mark Weber shuts another Wildcat down
AMAYA PROSTRATED
'M' netters rule lo op
By JON CHAVEZ Against Gonzalez, whom he He was forced to insert Hol-
Almost everything went as had beaten in straight sets ear- man into the lineup at No. 6
expected for Michigan at the lier in the Big Ten season, to replace Buddy Gallagher,
66th annual Big Ten tennis Amaya took the first set 6-3. who in turn moved up to No. 5
championships last weekend in - But then, according to Eisner, singles.
Madison, Wisconsin. he "suffered heat prostration at A BIG TEN titlest at third
The Wolverines w on their a point midway in the second doubles last year, Holman re-
eighth straight conference title, set." snonded to the challenge bea-
sweeping seven of nine matches. Gonzalez, a former national tifdly by downing MSU's Kevin
Victor Amaya however, took ill junior doubles champion, was McNulty 7-6, 6-2 to win the No.
during his finals match against quick to seize the opportunity 6 singles crown.
Ohio State's Francisco Gonzalez, and took the next two sets 7-6, Eisner was also pleased with
and was foiled in his bid to win 6-4 and the match. the performance of freshman
a third straight No. 1 singles MICHIGAN'S only other loss Btddy Gallagher.
crown.
rW. were pleased to win the came at No. 3 doubles where After compiling an undefeat-
m rene championship," com- junior Jim Holman and fresh- ed Big Ten season at sixth sin-
coenecoach Brian Eisner man Brad Holland succumbed gIles, Gallagher replaced Jeff
"Overall, we played well. It wat to Badgers Marty Goldin and Miller at No. 5 singles and won
just unfortunate that we couldn't Erick Collen 6-4, 7-6. the division with a 6-1, 6-2
st all nine," Holland, one of two prize trouncing of Illini Charles Meu-
sweep freshmen that Eisner has this rise.
AS IT TURNED out, the one year, played quite well in his Gallagher then filled in at
singles match Michigan ex- first Big Ten tournament. Hol- first doubles for the ailing Ama-
pected to "win, they lost. man deserves a lot more credit. ya. Teaming with Fred DeJes-
Amaya, a junior from Holland, Earlier in the week Eisner us, the two capped a 6-3. 6-2
Michigan, was heavily favored found himself without the serv- victory o v e r Illinois' Glenn
to repeat as No. 1 singles cham- ices of No. 5 singles champ Jeff Hmmel and Kevin Kelso.
pion and become only the third Miller, who returned to New Displaying u n u s u a 1 depth,
player in conference history to Jersey because of a family ill- Michigan clinched the team title
win three consecutive titles. ness. a f t e r Saturday's semi - final
roiind.
- : ::;;v o.va.;. rWolverines E r i c Friedler,
i( Jerry Karzen and Fred DeJesus
M ajo r League Stan dings all repeated as Big Ten singles
champions.
AMERICAN LEAGUE NATIONAL LEAGUE WRAPPING UP his second
East East consecutive No. 2 singles title
w L Pet. GB w L Pet. GB DeJesus proved to Phil Kadesch
Millwaskee s9 13 .594 - Chieago 21nt13 .616 f icninta e a e
Boston 16 15 .516 2f Philadelphia 215 .11 of Wisconsin that he can de-
Detroit 15 16 .484 3y Pittsburgh 17 15 .531 3 - stroy anybody whenever he feels
Baslimsee 15 19 .441 New York 15 1 -.500 like it by blasting the Badger
New York 14 20 .412 t St. Loots 14 19 .424 6',/. 6-1, 6-2, on his home court.
Clevelan wes1t3 20 .394 6 Montrea 13 17 33 6 Junior Eric Friedler defend-
Oakland 21 14 .60 - L g West ed his No. 3 singles title easily
LesasAngelesno25 14 Mt-6 wth1
Texas 20 15 .571 1 Coinaes 2o i4 51 with a 6-4, 6-3 triumph over In-
Kansas City 20 18 52 Saneto 1 1 48 dianan Dan Richards.
Minnesota 16 16 .500 37 San Francisco 18 19 .513 6 Jerry Karzen captured the No.
Chicago 15 20 .429 6 Atlanta 18 21 .462 7 4 singles' crown by stopping
Yesterday's Games Bouston 13 27 .325 11 Minnesota freshman sensation
Hoston 10, Oakland 5 Yesterday's Games Mark Brandenburg 6-4, 6-4.
California 12, Cleveland 55San Francisco 6, Pittsburgh 4 ' l
New aork 5, Kansas City 1 Philadelphia 2, Houston 4 terzed thteam aptain, ler
Chicago 2, Baltimore s 5t. Lasts 0, San Dieto i teamed with Friedler to secure
Detroit 6, Minnesota 3 Chicago 2, Los Angeles 3 the No. 2 doubles and give
Today's Games Today's Games Michigan its seventh individual
Oakland (aBle 8-1) at Hoston Montreal (Fryman 4-0) at Atlan- title, 6-1, 7-5 over Badgers Mike
Kansas City (splittott 1-4) at New York (Koosman 3-i) at C - Barr and Craig Jones.
New York (Dobson 2-5), n. cinnati (Gullett 4-2), a. Final team standings: Mich-
Texas (Wright 1-2) at Milwaukee Philadelphia (Carlton 2-4) at igan 78; Wisconsin 32; Minne-
(Bcoberg 6-3), n. Housto (Richard 3-2), n~ sofa 30; Ohio State 29; Illinois
Detroit (Lolich 3-3) at Minne- 25 ; i a2;Migan S
sota (Goltz 2-3), n. ABA PLAYOFFS 2; Indiana 21; Michigan State
Baltimore (Palmer 6-2) at Chi- Indiana 94, Kentucky 86 17; Iowa 16; Northwestern sod
cago (Osteen 1-3), n. (Kentucky leads series 3-1) Purdue, 4 each.