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8A - Thursday, April 10, 2008

The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

DAY FROZEN FOUR SEMIFINALS
COUNTDOWNDCLR
TO DENVER DENVERCWLORADO
MICHIGAN VS. NOTRE DAME I Today at 9 p.m.

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Junior Zach Putnam drove in four runs in Michigan's 12-4 win over Toledo
yesterday, leading the Wolverine offense.
Blue blasts
past Toledo
with12 runs

'I
.I

By CHRIS MESZAROS
Daily Sports Writer
over four games last week-
end, the Michigan baseball team
scored 11runs.
Yesterday, it scored 12.
The Wolverines (7-1 Big Ten,
18-8 overall) crossed the plate
four
times in TOLEDO 4
each of MICHIGAN 12
the first
three innings in a 12-4 win over
Toledo (3-3, 9-16).
Five different batters drove
in runs, led by juniors Zach Put-
nam (4 RBI), Kevin Cislo (3) and
senior Nate Recknagel (2).
But how Michigan scored
was more impressive than how
much.
The Wolverines hit three
home runs, including one by
Recknagel that cleared the 20-
foot wall beyond the left-field
wall..
"I fouled off two pitches,"
Recknagel said. "And the guy
just threw me a fastball right
down the middle and it's kind of
hard to miss."
After earning two leadoff
walks and getting thrown out on
an attempted steal to open the
bottom of the first, the Michigan
offense finally began to click.
Recknagel recorded a double for
the first hit of the game and Put-
nam followed with a three-run
homer to start the scoring.
The Wolverines contin-
ued their roll for the next two
innings, smacking 12 hits and
taking a 12-1 lead. Michigan

put the game away by the third
inning, allowing some of the
players on the bench to see
action.
"It's been awhile since we've
been able to get some guys in
there," Michigan coach Rich
Maloney said. "I told the guys,
good teams
are sup-
posed to CISLO
beat some
teams pret-
ty hand-
ily, and
we hadn't
done that -
in a while." YEAR:lauior
Cislo's
three RBI HOMETOWN:
came as a Novi, Mich.
bit of a sur- POSITION:
prise. At C
the top of enterfield
the lineup,
the junior
had only
eight RBI
all season before yesterday's
game.
"I just stayed consistent with
what I do at the plate," Cislo
said. "I just try to hit line drives
and get on base. I was hitting the
ball well, and when my team-
mates are getting hits, it's con-
tagious."
At times, the team struggled
to score runes last weekend
against Penn State, stranding
eighteen runners in their last
two games against the Nittany
Lions.
Butthe slumpbeganfarbefore
See BASEBALL, Page 10A

AP PHO (LEF T), CLIF REEDER/Daily
Michigan and Notre Dame will take the ice today for the NCAA semifinals in Denver. The Wolverines won both times the teams played against each other this season.

FAMILIAR FOES

By ANDY REID staunch defense to tally three unan-
Daily Sports Writer swered goals over the course of the
- --- - game and complete a 3-2 comeback.
DENVER - Seniors Kevin Porter Michigan coach Red Berenson
and Chad Kolarik, along with the remembers the game fondly, but the
rest of the Michigan hockey team's team can't dwell on it tonight.
freshman-laden roster, will skate "It was a great game, but we can't
onto the ice for their first Frozen live on that game," Berenson said. "I
Four appearance tonight. mean, it was months ago. We have
But beyond the expected hype, to have ourbestgame. They're a dif-
there's something strangely famil- ferent team now."
iar about the game. In fact, Notre Dame might just be
The opponent. the hottest team in the country.
The Wolverines square off After squeaking into the NCAA
against Notre Dame for the third Tournament following a lackluster
time this season after topping the showing in the CCHA Playoffs, the
Fighting Irish in both games of a Irish upset both New Hampshire
Jan. 18-19 series. and Michigan State to advance to
"They're a hot team right now, the program's first Frozen Four.
and they're going to want us really "Whatever they're doing, it's
bad after what we did to them in the working," defenseman Chris Sum-
first two games," freshman Louie mers said. "A lot of people on the
Caporusso said. outside are saying it'll be kind of a
Caporusso could be the reason walk to the final game, but that's not
for Notre Dame's added motivation. the mindset we have asa team."
In the series' lone game at Yost Michigan's biggest concern
Ice Arena, Caporusso broke a ten- tonight is figuring out a way to
sion-filled tie with just 20 seconds crack the Irish defense. Notre Dame
remaining on the clock. The Wol- boasts big, strong defensemen who
verines outworked Notre Dame's See FROZEN FOUR, Page 10A

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I

RODRIGOGAYA/Daily

Senior Kevin Porter will appear in his first Frozen Four today.


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