The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - April 17, 2006 - 5B
SUICIDE SQUEEZE
Baseball
Friday's Game:
OHIO STATE 3
LP: Dan DeLucia (5-2)
MICHIGAN 14
WP: Zach Putnam (2-0)
Saturday's Game 1:
OHIO STATE 1
LP: Cory Luebke (4-3)
MICHIGAN 7
WP: Paul Hammond (2-3)
Saturday's Game 2:
OHIO STATE I
LP: Jake Hale (1-3)
MICHIGAN 2
WP: Chris Fetter (4-1)
Sunday's Game:
OHIO STATE 4
LP: J. B. Shuck (5-1)
MICHIGAN 5
WP: Andrew Hess (2-0)
A sweep of epic proportions
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Leif Mahler
Michigan
Mahler stroked six hits in four games,
boosting his team-leading average to .365.
He had the game-winning hit in Saturday's
second game, dumping a single into no-
man's land between the rightfielder and
first baseman to drive in A. J. Scheidt from
second base.
NOTABLE QUOTABLE
"It's nice to have a weekend
where you don't have to be per-
fect."
- Fifth-year senior pitcher Paul Ham-
mond on the Wolverines' early leads through-
out the series.
Hitters and pitchers
combine to lead
victorious Wolverines
By Colt Rosensweig
Daily Sports Writer
Due in large part to consistent and timely
hitting, Michigan completed its first sweep
of Ohio State since 1987. Instead of falling
behind in the first few frames and trying to
mount a comeback, the Wolverines scored
°
early and often. Ohio
State held a lead for just
half an inning over the
entire weekend.
Game two of Sat-
urday's doubleheader
epitomized Michigan's
consistency under pres-
sure. With two on and two out in the sec-
ond inning, senior Mike Schmidt blasted
a home run over the leftfield wall. The
same situation presented itself in the very
next inning, and freshman Adam Abraham
responded the same way - with a two-out,
three-run homer to left.
The Wolverines were clutch in Sunday's
finale, as well. When Ohio State took a 1-0
lead in the first inning, Michigan answered
with three runs of its own, stringing
together four straight base hits after the
first pitch of the game plunked junior Eric
Rose.
"The irony is, in the Northwestern series,
we couldn't buy a hit," Michigan coach
Rich Maloney said. "(Against) Toledo, we
had 19 hits, but we left 14 runners on. We
really hit the ball well in this series, and
I'm proud of the guys. I'm excited about
our lineup. I think we have power through-
out the lineup, and it's starting to show a
little bit. ... If the pitching continues to
move forward like it is, if we play good
defenseLand we do get- the timely hit, then
BUCKEYES
Continued from page 1B
The Wolverines held a comfortable 5-2 lead
outs in the top of the ninth. The win seemed teml
we'll be a tough team to beat."
The sweep left the Wolverines with a
confident, triumphant glow. They didn't
just beat a top Big Ten team; they also van-
quished their fiercest rival.
"You never want to lose to Ohio State,
and that's why three-of-four (from) Ohio
State wouldn't have been (satisfactory),
because we would have had to lose one,"
senior co-captain A. J. Scheidt said. "Pull-
ing off four games is just incredible. It
wasn't something I could have predicted or
expected, but now that it's happened I'm
going to enjoy it."
THROWING GOOSE EGGS: Before allowing a
run in the sixth inning of Saturday's first
game, fifth-year senior Paul Hammond had
pitched 19 consecutive scoreless innings,
a streak that extended back to Michigan's
first Big Ten series, against Northwest-
ern. Hammond immediately began a new
streak after giving up the run, pitching a
scoreless seventh inning to close out his
complete game, 7-1 win.
"Hammond gave us a tremendous lift,"
Maloney said. "I'm really happy for him,
because he's from Ohio, and he wanted
that game in the worst way. I'm just real-
ly proud of him. We needed a champion
effort, and he gave it to us."
The Mason, Ohio, native had just one of
the many brilliant showings from Wolver-
ine pitchers in the series. Against an Ohio
State team that came into the weekend
leading the Big Ten in hitting, Hammond
and his fellow hurlers allowed just nine
runs over four games.
"(Throwing a string of scoreless innings)
is something that you work hard to do, but
you don't expect," Hammond said. "You
just go out in =every inning and try to set
.5
Home runs
Mike Schmidt
7
BY THE NUMBERS
Number of innings this weekend in
which Ohio State had a lead over
Michigan.
Runs Doug Pickens 26
Hits Leif Mahler 38
RBI Eric Rose 26
Average Mahler .365
BIG TEN STANDINGS
Team Big Ten Overall
1. Northwestern 9-3 12-19
2. Michigan 8-4 20-12
3. Purdue 7-5 20-11
4. Ohio State 6-6 20-11
Minnesota 6-6 18-14
Michigan State 6-6 17-15
7. Iowa 5-7 15-17
Penn State 5-7 11-23
9. Illinois 4-8 16-16
'M' STAT LEADERS
Mike Schmidt had six hits in the Ohio State series, including two home runs.
10. Indiana
4-8
12-20
them down as best you can. Looking back,
it's awesome."
TAKE ME OUT WITH THE CROWD: Michigan
had an extra man this weekend in the form
of the 3,878 fans that flocked to the Fish for
the Ohio State series. Friday and Saturday,
the crowds were especially noisy and sup-
portive, giving the team an extra boost.
with two
porarily in
jeopardy after leftfielder Mike Schmidt dropped a flyout to
let in a run. Ohio State shortstop Jedediah Stephen drove in
another runner to cut the deficit to 5-4. But with the tying
run on first, Jenzen shut the door on a Buckeye rally, forc-
ing designated hitter Adam Schneider to line out to center-
fielder Eric Rose. The last out of the game marked Jenzen's
first career save, the first Michigan sweep of a Big Ten team
since it performed the feat against Indiana last year, and the
Wolverines' first sweep against Ohio State since 1987.
"That was pressure right there," Maloney said. "When
you drop a ball in leftfield, and you thought the game
was over and you were all relieved, and, then, all of the
sudden, you have to still contend. Then, you throw a
great pitch, and the guy bloops one out to center, that is
getting tight. But (Jenzen) found a way to get it done, and
that is awesome."
Michigan's first game of the series wasn't nearly as
difficult as the last one. The Maize and Blue pummeled
the Buckeyes 14-3, with eight Wolverines recording at
least two hits, and freshman pitcher Zach Putnam win-
ning his first career Big Ten start. The Ann Arbor native
allowed just one run over 7 1/3 innings, for the second
win of his career.
The precedent set in Friday's night game was evident in
the first half of Saturday's doubleheader. Michigan again
dominated Ohio State, winning convincingly, 7-1, behind
five scoreless innings from senior Paul Hammond, and
three RBI and a home run each from Schmidt and fresh-
man Adam Abraham.
The back end of the doubleheader was as dramatic as
baseball gets.
With the game deadlocked at one run apiece in extra
innings, Columbus native Leif Mahler hit a bloop single
over first baseman J.B. Shuck and in front of rightfielder
Wes Schirtzinger to drive in senior A. J. Scheidt for the
walk-off win.
The dramatic victory was exciting, but the sweep was
exhilarating.
"This was a huge series for us, especially taking three of
four from Minnesota and then taking all four here," sopho-
more Doug Pickens said. "That is huge. That puts us in a
really good spot going into the rest of the Big Ten, and it is
always good to beat the Bucks."
LEADS
Continued from page:
tremendously. When
sitting on the bench
scoreboard says 0-0 in
(inning), you can't help
that the pressure is on.I
have a weekend where
have to be perfect."
In all four series g
team scored within
two innings. Onlyc
Ohio State score b
Wolverines. Even the
gan stormed back in
tom half of the sam
erasing the Buckeye1
three runs of its own.
"We've been behi
all year long untili
Maloney said. "Witht
percentages, you kne
or later we were goi
Even on a chilly and overcast Easter
Sunday, almost 600 spectators came out
to watch the Wolverines complete their
sweep of the Buckeyes.
"(The atmosphere) was outstanding,"
Maloney said. "It means a lot to our team
that we have a nice crowd, and certainly a
boisterous crowd, so that's exciting."3
some hits. I think this team
can hit. I've said it all along.
1B Hitting can be contagious. It
you are can be contagious in a nega-
and the tive way if you're not hitting,
n the fifth and you hope that you're able
but know to survive those times. Then
It's nice to there are times when it's con-
you don't tagious and everyone is on fire.
We've got a little bit of that fire
ames, the right now."
the first The Wolverines will look for
once did the fire to continue burning in the
efore the team's upcoming series against
n, Michi- Purdue.
the bot- "Coming out with a sweep
e inning, against Ohio State is awesome,"
lead with sophomore Nate Recknagel said.
"We're riding high going into
ind early this Purdue series, playing great
recently," ball. We're swinging the bats
the law of well, and our pitchers are throw-
:w sooner ing well, so we'll be very confi-
ng to get dent going in."
SUNDAY'S GAME
Ohio State 4, Michigan 5
Ohio State (20-11, 6-6) Michigan (20-12, 8-4)
Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI
Angle CF 2 2 1 1 RoseCF 3 1 1 2
AROUND THE- BIG TEN
Friday's results:
MICHIGAN 14, Ohio State 3
Northwestern 19, ILLINOIS 18
INDIANA 8, Purdue 4
Minnesota 9, IOwA 0
PENN STATE 10, Michigan State 9 (10)
Saturday's results:
MICHIGAN 7, 2 Ohio State 1, 1 (8)
Northwestern 7, 7 ILLINOIS 3, 6 (12)
INDIANA 3, 2 Purdue 2, 5
Minnesota 5, 1 IOwA 2, 3
Michigan State 9, 6 PENN STATE 5 (8), 4 (9)
Sunday's results:
MICHIGAN 5, Ohio State 4
ILLINOIS 3, Northwestern 1 (7)
Purdue 25, INDIANA 8
Minnesota 12, IOwA 1
PENN STATE 12, Michigan State 11
* Home teams in caps
DIAMOND GRADES
The four Daily baseball writers will grade the team
on four different aspects of the game each weekend.
Sure, baseballs may be simple, but we're classic.
SATURDAY'S GAME 2
Ohio State 1, Michigan 2 (8)
Ohio State (20-10, 6-5)
Player AS R H B
Angle CF 4 0 2 0
Zizzo LF 4 0 1 0
Michigan (19-12, 7-4)
Player AB R H BI
Rose CF 2 1 0 0
Colt Rosensweig
Mahler SS
4 0 1 1
Zizzo LF
5 0 2 0 Mahler SS
3 1 2 0
Fryer C 2 0 1 0 Kunkel C
Bourquin 3B 3
Stephen SS 3
Cau'baugh DH 4
Schirtzinger RF3
Kennedy 18 3
Shuck 2B 3
Hale P 0
Totals 29
0
0
0
0
00
10
00
10
Pickens 2B/RF
Recknagel lB
Cislo 2B
V'Buskirk RF/1B
2 0 1 0 Fryer C 5 0 2 1 Pickens 2B/RF 4 1
1 0 1 1 Bourquin 3B 5 1 1 0 Recknagel 1B 4 0
2 0 0 0 Stephen SS 5 0 2 1 Cislo PR/2B 0 0
0 0 0 0 Schneider DH 5 1 1 0 V'Buskirk RF/IB4 0
3 0 1 0 Schirtzinger RF4 0 0 0 Abraham DH 4 0
3 0 0 0 Miller1B 4 0 1 0 Kunkel C 4 0
1 0
2 1
0 0
1 1
2 0
1 0
1 1 0 Abraham DH
DEFENSE
The Wolverines made five
errors in the series, but
allowed just one unearned
run. And Michigan never
let the miscues derail its
ambitions for a sweep.
PITCHING
Pitchers brought their best
stuff for the Buckeyes.
Starters gave up only four
runs, and relievers allowed only
five. Even when the offense
mustered just two runs, the
pitching only gave up one.
OFFENSE
Offense was easy and often,
timely and clutch. Twenty-one
runs in the first two games,
a walk-off single in the third
game and five more runs
in the last game against
the top team in the Big Ten
deserves five baseballs.
0 0 0 Scheidt 3B 3 1 0 0
0 0 0 Schmidt LF 2 0 2 0
FetterP 0 0 0 0
Murray P 0 0 0 0
1 7 1 222 7 2
R H E
001 000 00 - 1 7 0
100 000 01 - 2 7 2
Kennedy 2B 4 0 3 0 Scheidt 3B 3 1 0 0
Shuck P 0 0 0 0 Schmidt LF 4 1 1 0
Barker P 0 0 0 0 HessP 0 0 0 0
Meister P 0 0 0 0 Jenzen P 0 0 0 0
Totals 39 4133 33 5114
R H E
Chris Herring
Ohio State
Michigan
Ohio State
Michigan
100 100 002 - 4 13 1
300 000 02X - 5 11 1
E - Ohio State 0; Michigan 2: Mahler (9), Schmidt
(1) . DP - Ohio State 2; Michigan 2. LOB - Ohio
State 8; Michigan 5. HBP - Ohio State 1: Fryer;
Michigan 1: Pickens. 2B - None. 3B - None. HR
- None. BB - Ohio State 2: Fryer, Stephen; Michigan
4: Rose 2, Kunkel, Recknagel. SB - Ohio State 0;
Michigan 1: Rose (15). CS - Michigan: Schmidt (2).
E - Ohio State 1: Schirtzinger (2); Michigan 1: Schmidt (2)
. DP - None. LOB - Ohio State 11; Michigan 12. 2B - Ohio
State 2: Fryer (6), Kennedy (3); Michigan 2: VanBuskirk
(6), Schmidt (3). 3B- None. HR - None. BB - Ohio State
2: Angle 2; Michigan 6: Rose, Mahler, Pickens, Cislo, Van
Buskirk, Scheidt. SB - Ohio State 0; Michigan 2: Rose
(16), Pickens (5). CS - Michigan: VanBuskirk (2).
David Murray