Thursday, April 15, 1999 - The Michigan Daily -15A
You ain't seen nothing
like the Mighty Quinn
By Chris Grandstaff
Daily Sports Writer
*For all intents and purposes, the
game was over when senior Kevin
Quinn came to the plate in the ninth
inning yesterday. Michigan trailed the
Golden Grizzlies 12-4 with one out in'
the ninth.
The stands were virtually empty
and the Wolverines looked as if they
were mentally exhausted.
Just then, Quinn slapped a single
through the infield for a base hit and
tuned on the jets when Oakland left-
Oder Eric Paul had trouble scooping
up the ball.
Quinn's hustle stretched the hit into
a double and gave the Wolverines new
life. But there was no fairytale ending
this.day as Michigan failed to score
any more runs.
Quinn's hustle, though, should be a
wakeup call for the rest of the
Wolverines.
AYesterday, they looked sluggish
mmitting three errors and going
hitless from the fourth inning on,
with the exception of Quinn's hit.
On a day when Wolverine fans had
very little to cheer for, Quinn was
having the best day of his Wolverine
career. He was 2-for-2 on the day,
with two runs and two walks. He also
played well in the field.
Yet, virtually no one was there to
notice.
pike many collegiate athletes
Quinn was a standout player in high
school - earning conference player
of the year in the Saginaw Valley
Conference and was named to the
Michigan All-State first team as a
senior.
But after entering the college
ranks, Quinn was just a half step
behind the talented superstars of the
collegiate level.
In four years, Quinn has amassed
only 23 career starts, but that hasn't
stopped him from coming to play
hard every day.
"Kevin Quinn hasn't gotten to play
a whole lot this season," Michigan
coach Geoff Zahn said. "He's a
tremendous team player, he came in
today and got a few hits and grabbed
an extra base in the ninth.
"He's a heads up player and he's
ready to play all the time. It's a real
tribute to him that he played the way
he did today having sat on the bench
for most of the season."
Even more impressive is the fact
that Quinn played so well despite a
sub par effort from the rest of the
team. Perhaps Quinn should be an
example of what hard work on every
play can do for you.
Come Friday, senior co-captain
Mike Cervenak will rightfully replace
Quinn at third base. But at least now
Zahn knows that should anyone be
struggling he has another player he
can count on to come off of the
bench.
"I feel really comfortable putting
him in late in the ball game if we need
a spark," Zahn said. "He's a very
good third baseman who can come in
if we need some defensive help, and
we saw today that he can do some
things with the bat too."
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'MM'in critical condition
Midweek frustrations leave Blue in confusion
By Geoff GagIon 'oh well we'll win this game' Zahn
Daily Sports Writer said. "We were a little slow, we waited
Bruised by a weekend of abuse doled around and it just didn't happen. We
out by Big Ten leader Ohio State, this know that you can't play that way."
week, the Michigan baseball team And hopefully for Zahn and his club
looked for redemption in its own back- that's the silver-lining in this weel 's
yard. painful lesson - that they realize they
What it found in back to back games can't play with such apathy and hopeto
against southeast Michigan neighbors, compete.
Oakland and Eastern Michigan, was a More than anything though, Michigan
pair of teams that proved it hasn't earned the ability to tape
weren't intimidated BASEBALL anybody for granted.
by the Wolverines Commentary "Oakland isn't that bad a team t'at
and were undaunted '-"& you can just go out and throw your
by seasons full of------------ gloves out on the field and win," Zabl
lopsided losses. said. "If you throw the ball over the mi-
Whatever resolve Michigan had to dle of the plate somebody's going to lit
turn its season around after three losses it."
to the Buckeyes last weekend faded Zahn's description of his team's me-
about as quickly as Eastern's ten minute tal preparedness and lack of intensityIs
trip from Ypsilanti on Tuesday. more than a sad description of a team in
The Eagles, eager to avenge a 12-3 the midst a struggle - its nothing shtrrt
drubbing a week earlier, roared out to of a challenge to an uninspired club.
score eight runs in the game's first two Michigan's showing yesterday boldly
innings before Michigan was able to proclaimed the need for revitalized lead-
take control of the situation and carve ership to rekindle the flame that lit the
out a 10-8 win. Wolverines to a solid conference start.
Though the Wolverines were able to "We're a senior laden team and wa're
slide past their upset-minded Washtenaw going to rise and fall with our seniors,
County rivals, in yesterday's match-up Zahn said.
with Oakland, they were not as success- This week, Michigan showed it may
ful. The Golden Grizzlies effectively be content to do the latter.
DAJ NA LINANu LJ8i
The Michigan men's baseball team, plagued by poor pitching and a lackluster per-
formance, dropped its game to Oakland University last night, 12-4. The victory
was the Golden Grizzlies first ever over the Wolverines.
Pitching problemfor
GRIZZLIES
ContInued from Page 10A
- to Texas A&M on March 21.
The game also marked Oakland's
first victory over Michigan in five
attempts.
"They came out and wanted it a lot
more than we did," senior Brian
Bush said. "We came out flat. We
came out not ready to play, and they
took it to us."
Pitching was the key for the
Grizzlies, as sophomore Jason
Roberts pitched 4.2 innings of relief,
giving up no runs on just one hit and
striking out six.
Sophomore Adam Sokoll also
gave a solid performance for
Oakland, pitching a scoreless final
inning and striking out two.
"The kids came out and threw
strikes," Avery said. "You keep
things simple that way and you've
got the chance to stay in the ball-
game."
Similar to their game the previous
day against Eastern, the Wolverines
had a freshman struggle in the early
innings. Starter Kirk Taylor gave up
five runs on five hits in four innings
before he was relieved by another
freshman, Phil Lobert.
Lobert turned in a solid perfor-
mance for Michigan, giving up no
runs on just two hits and striking out
two in only his second appearance
for the Wolverines.
This weekend, Michigan will trav-
el to No. 21 Minnesota (7-1, 24-7) to
face the Big Ten-leading Golden
Gophers in a four-game series.
mauled Michigan to earn their first-ever
win over the Wolverines, 12-4.
Michigan coach Geoff Zahn said he
couldn't take anything away from
Oakland - they outplayed his club.
"We were flat today, there's no ques-
tion about it," Zahn said. "... Oakland
was just the better team today."
Both Zahn and his team realize
Oakland shouldn't have been.
Desperately hoping to capitalize on
strong midweek showings against teams
they should have steamrolled, Michigan
is now forced to stumble into Minnesota.
It will do battle with the Gophers this
weekend reeling on the heels of the mid-
week split.
But more than simply coming up
short in what could have proved to be a
moral-building midweek stand, the
Wolverines showed the dangers of com-
placency.
More frightening, though, for a veter-
an team eyeing a post-season berth, once
rattled, the squad failed to show the
resilience that defined them as a team
earlier spring.
Oakland stormed out of the gates to
grab a 4-0 lead yesterday, and from
there, the Wolverines simply watched
the Grizzlies pick them apart, tallying
seven runs in the ninth inning.
In underestimating the strength of the
Oakland attack, Michigan was forced to
hopelessly try to dig itself out of a hole it
couldn't surmount.
"Our guys kind of sat back and said
S esterday s OX SCOre
OAKLAND (12)
AB R H RBI BB SO PO A
Kimball,ss 5 2 2 2 1.0 2 2
Haris, rf 6 2 2 2 0 1 1 0
Paul,If 3 3 2 1 2 0 3 0
Hardin,1lb 5 2 5 3 1 0 11 0
VanRobays,c3 1 0 0 1 1 8 2
Patterson. 3b5 0 0 1 0 2 0 2
Simmons,cf 4 1 1 0 1 0 1 0
Crossley, 2b 3 0 0 1 1 1 1 6
Prater,dh 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 0
Varon, ph 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Green, ph 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0.
Totals 36 12 12 109 627 12
E: none OP: 1 LOB: 11 28: 2 (Harris, Paul) 38: 1
SHardin) HR: none SS: none CS: none SF: 2 (Paul,
Crossley) SH: 1(Van Robays)
MICHIGAN (4)
A, R H ,BBBsOPO A
Scales, 2b 2 0 0 0 2 1 2 2.
Sanborndh 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0
Dines, ph 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
Bush, cf 4 0 1 0 0 2 0 1.
Alcarez, rf 4 0 0 0 .0 1 6 0'
Bobeda,lIf 2 1 1 0 1 0 0 0'
Cervanek, phl1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
PappIf 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Seestedt lb 4 0 0 0 0 1 8 0'
Parrish, c 4 1 1 1 0 1 6. 0k
Qunn, 3b 2 2 2 0 2 0 2,1
LaRosa, ss 4 0 2 2 0 2 2 5~
Totals 31 4 6 4 6 9 27 9,
E: 3 (Scales, LaRosa, Reid) DP: 2 LOB: 7 28: 2
(Parrish, Quinn) 38: (LaRosa) HR. none SB: none,
CS: 1 (Bush)
Ohio State ............2 2 4 310100--13
Michigan.............011 060110-10,
Michigan
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DANA LINNANE/Daily
Yesterday, the Wolverines were misfiring on all cylinders as several costly errors
resulted In Oakland's scoring spurt.
At: Ray Fisher Stadium
Attendance: 287
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Before.
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