Page 16-Friday, May 23, 1980-The Michigan Daily
Blue batsmen roil, 9-4
4
The Wol'
six-inning
freshman
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Michigan,
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Michigan
double elii
now adva
winner of3
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Ontiveros, Miller spark victory
By JON WELLS Evans, and Jeff Jacobson, accounted Keilitz yanked starting pitcher Mark In the third inning Central Michigan
verines combined a sparkling for eight of Michigan's twelve hits, Fellows, because of a back spasm, to evened the contest with three runs off
relief performance by drove in seven runs, and scored- six. start the second, and the Wolverine Dawson, two of them earned. The rally
Steve Ontiveros with a Michigan coach Bud Middaugh was bats came alive for three runs, got started when Andy Kruse and Meier
afternoon from the lower quick to acknowledge the value of his CENTRAL'S NEW pitcher, loser matched back-to-back one-out singles
he lineup to quell Central less-known players. Mike Brecht, struck out Jim Paciorek to centerfield. With the next batter at
9-4, in the opening game of "When you have a Foussianes, a to start the inning, but Gerry Hool and the plate, Hool attempted to call time
Mideast baseball regionals Paciorek, and a Hool, they're going to Wagner lined singles to put runners on out, causing Dawson to stop in mid-
tadium yesterday. get most of the attention. But we first and third. Miller then laid down a wind-up for a balk, advancing the run-
eating the Chippewas, depend on the Youngs, Millers and perfect squeeze bunt that scooted past ners to second and third.
got off on the good foot in the Wagners and they came through the charging Brecht for base hit and a After a run-scoring-ground out and an
nination tournament as they today." run. Evans capped the rally with a two- intentional walk to Dave Pagel, Blue
nce to play Nebraska, the Both teams went down in order in the run double that eluded Chippewa cen- leftfielder Fred Erdmann misplayed
yesterday's second game, 12- first, but Chippewa skipper, Dave terfielderiRandy Meier. Cary Kipke's single for an error, two
sham Young. meJ1-runs, and a tie score.
v, v.. 0 - .. b
THE AIR was stagnant and the tem-
perature was a sweltering 85 degrees,
but Ontiveros, the winning pitcher, and
first baseman Tim Miller were equal to
the heat.
Ontiveros (8-6 overall) came into the
game in the fourth in relief of starter
Scott Dawson with the score tied 3-3.
The freshman righthander cruised
through the next five innings, shutting
out the Chippewas and surrendering
only two singles and a walk. Central
Michigan, now 0-1 in the tournament
and slated to play Brigham Young in
tomorrow's first game, finally nicked
Ontiveros for an inconsequential run in
the-ninth.
"YEH, I WAS kinda pumped," said
Ontiveros. "I was very excited. I tried
to throw strikes as hard as possible and
let the defense do it behind me."
Miller was the game's standout at the
plate as he led the hot-hitting second
half of the Michigan batting order with
the game-winning hit, a solo home run
off the scoreboard in right in the fourth,
two singles, and two runs batted in. The
performance was especially sweet for
the big first baseman who has had some
problems at the plate this year.
"It felt good to come through in a
game like this," said Miller. "I know
I'm a better player than I've showed
this year. I had a good year last year
and I'm starting to feel like I did then."
THE LAST FOUR hitters in the
lineup, Chuck Wagner, Miller, Tony
THE REMAINDER of the offensive
slate belonged to the Wolverines as tley
added a single run in the fourth, three in
the fifth, and two solo tallies in the sixth
and seventh.
After Miller had put Michigan ahead
4-3 with his fourth inning home run,
Jacobson opened the fifth by taking a
Brecht fastball on the ribs. Two outs
later, Foussianes and Paciorek walked
to load the bases and Chippewa shor-
tstop Doug Wabeke took what should
have been Hool's inning-ending ground
ball and threw it wide of his second
baseman for an error and a run.
Wagner, who has becomea bona fide
clutch hitter in recent weeks, made the
miscue sting with a two-run single to
center that upped the Wolverine lead to
7-3.
Michigan's final two runs came on a
RBI single by Paciorek in the sixth and
Jacobson's two-out RBI double that
scored Evans all the way from first in
the seventh.
Central Michigan's only run off On-
tiveros came in the last of the ninth
when Mike Ward doubled and scored on
Mark Vanderlinden's single when
Paciorek's tthrow to the plate sailed
over the head of Hool.
The Wolverines continue tournament
play this afternoon at 4 p.m. when they
take on the winner of yesterday's
second game. Middaugh will start
junior righthander Mark Clinton (5-3,
2.45). Michigan's regular leftfielder,
Randy Wroten has been sent home with
mononucleosis and will not see action in
the tournament.
MICHIGAN'S JIM PACIOREK laces a Mike Brecht fastball to left field for a
run-scoring single in the ninth inning against Central Michigan in the opening
game of the NCAA Mideast Regional Tournament. The run upped the Wolverine
lead to 8-3 and the Blue nine went on to down the Chippewas 9-4.
'M' MOUNDSMEN PREPARED:
Pitching staff crucial to success
4
By DREW SHARP
There is an old baseball cliche which
says that pitching is 70 per cent of the
game.
Well, if that's true, the value of a
reliable pitching staff rises immensely
when the team is involved in a play-off
series.
Michigan would not be representing
the Big Ten in the NCAA Mideast
Regional had it not been for the sterling
performances this season of three
freshman pitchers.
Steve Ontiveros, the winning pitcher
in the Wolverines' 9-4 victory over Cen-
tral Michigan yesterday, Scott Dawson
andScott Elam had a combined overall
season record of 21 wins and seven
losses.
Staff ace junior Mark Clinton adds a
finishing touch which gives Michigan
one of the better pitching corps of the
entire college ranks.
By being in a play-off situation, a
coach might want to change his usual
strategy in determining his pitching
rotation.
"I don't have any set plan for the use
of my pitchers during the play-offs,"
said Michigan Coach Bud Middaugh. "I
have a great amount of faith in all of my
pitchers and I'll go with whoever is hot
and who has had what I would consider
to be a sufficient amount of rest."
Dawson was considered the "hot"
pitcher and was given the start in
yesterday's game but he was relieved
by Ontiveros in the fourth inning.
"Scott just didn't have it in him
today," continued Middaugh. "He
wasn't as sharp as he usually is, so I
decided to take him out early. This way,
I could possibly bring him into another
game if I need to, since he didn't throw
too many pitches."
Although Middaugh confesses not to
have a set strategy for his pitchers; it is
apparent that the first-year coach is
always out to get that added edge over
his opponent.
Case in point: Middaugh has Clinton
scheduled to start today against
Nebraska. The Cornhuskers' line-up
consists of sluggers who would love to
have a steady diet of fastballs pitched
to them. Clinton is the Wolverines'
premier curve ball pitcher. Middaugh
is hoping that off-speed pitches will cool
down the torrid Nebraska bats.
CMU............ 003 000 001-
MICHIGAN ..... 030 1311 100 -
Fellows. Brecht (2). Delude (5) and Kruse
Dawson. Ontiveros (4) andNooil
WP--Dawson LP-Brecht
[IR-Miller (4)
LOB-Ce:tral Michigan 6, Michigan 5
Timue;243-Att. 2,313
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BILLBOARD
In the nightcap of NCAA Mideast
Regional doubleheader at Fisher
Stadium yesterday, the Big Eight run-
ners-up Nebraska Cornhuskers
defeated the Brigham Young Cougars
12-0.
Nebraska will face Michigan today at
4 p.m. In the opening game, Brigham
Young will take on Central Michigan
with the loser of the contest being
eliminated from the regional.
Tickets are $3.00 and can be pur-
chased at the Fisher Stadium gate.
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