SPORTS
Tuesday, May 17, 1983

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Page 16,

The Michigan Daily

Batsmen turn attention to playoffs

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By PAUL HELGREN
It wasn't easy, it wasn't pretty and it
didn't mean much, but the Purdue
series is over and Michigan can now
concentrate on more important things
like next weekend's Big Ten playoffs,
which the Wolverines will be hosting.
Despite taking three of four games
from the slumping Boilermakers, it
was a tough series for Michigan. Pur-
due took the first game of the series, 3-
2, on Saturday behind the pitching of
Matt Kinzer (6-5) and with the help of
an unearned run in the seventh inning.
The Wolverines captured the second
game, 11-6, and also both games on
Sunday but did not play as well as coach
Bud Middaugh would have liked.
"WE HIT the ball well enough," Mid-
daugh said, "(but) we never really got
into our offense all weekend. We broke
down defensively. Our second base-
shortstop play left alot to be desired."
No one is more aware of this than All-
American second baseman Jeff Jacob-
son.
"This was the worse series I've ever
had," the senior co-captain said,
shaking his head in disgust. The usually
sure-handed Jacobson had three errors
for the series.
IT WAS Jacobson's error in game two
on Sunday that allowed Purdue to tie
the score in the seventh inning. With
one out and a runner on first,
designated hitter Nick Bizoukas hit into
what looked to be a game ending double
play grounder to shortstop Barry

Wolverines take three of
four from Boilermakers

Larkin. But Larkin's throw handcuffed
Jacobson, he dropped the ball and both
runners were safe. A Tim Karazim wild
pitch and two-run single by Bob Ber-
nard later, the game was tied.
Luckily for Jacobson he was given
the chance to redeem himself in the bot-
tom half of the inning. And the Glen-
view, Illinois native came through luck
the clutch player he usually is. With
Barry Larkin on second, Jacobson hita
bouncing ball through the middle that
just eluded Purdue shortstop Elam
Rossy and gave Michigan the 5-4 win.,
The Wolverines did not need a rally in
Sunday's first game, however, as Scott
Kamieniecki hurled a three-hit, 2-0
shutout. More importantly the Redford
St. Mary's prep star did not walk a
single batter. Not bad for a guy who had
walked 25 batters in his previous 28 %
innings.
"I FEEL a lot better now,"
Kamieniecki said. "I'm ina groove."
Is Kamieniecki ready for the
challenge of next weekend's Big Ten
tournament? "Oh yeah" he said grin-
ning.
It's a good thing he's ready because

the Wolverines need him now more
than ever. With Rich Stoll out for the
season and with Dave Kopf's status
questionable (sore arm), Bud Mid-
daugh is searching for someone besides
junior Gary Wayne to give him a strong
outing in the conference tournament.
MICHIGAN faces Big Ten West
runner-up Iowa on Friday. Iowa, which
is only 7-7 in the Big Ten, dropped a
doubleheader to Minnesota Sunday but
clinched a playoff spot when North-
western lost three games to Illinois.
Friday's other game features West
champ Minnesota (12-2) and East run-
ner-up Michigan State (8-6).
Coach Middaugh hopes that his team
will not run into a pitcher in the playoffs
like Purdue's Matt Kinzer. Kinzer only
struck out two Wolverines but he did not
walk a batter and yielded only one ex-
tra-base hit, a first-inning double to
Chris Sabo. Michigan hurler Wayne
was pretty impressive himself, putting
down seven Boilermakers on strikes
while only giving up two earned runs on
a first inning P.J. Dietrick home run.
The loss was only Wayne's second

against seven victories, and his first
defeat since the Spring trip.
Saturday's second game was a sloppy
one, with seven errors committed by
the two clubs. Michigan scored 10 runs
in the first three innings and coasted 'ot
an 11-6 victory. Freshman Casey Close
(5-1) went the distance for only the
second time this year.
PURDUE'S Bill Banker only gave up
two runs and seven hits to Michigan in
the first game on Sunday. Unfor-
tunately for the struggling Banker (0-
7), Kamieniecki's three-hit gem did
him one better. Shortstop Barry Larkin
scored the only run Kamieniecki
needed when he opened the Wolverine
first with a single, stole second, advan-
ced to third on a wild throw and then
scored on a Jacobson fly ball.
In the finale third baseman Sabo's
pinch-hit, two-run homer and catcher
Rich Bair's double and triple gave
Michigan the lead before they had to
rally for the win in the seventh.
Reliever Karazim came in for starter
Dan Disher in the first inning and went
the rest of the way for his third victory.
Purdue coach Dave Alexander sum-
med up his team's efforts in the series
by saying, "I'm sure (Michigan)
didn't play as well as they could have,
but it was a little bit of both, really. We
played about as well as we possibly
could."

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No question about it. Michigan's Jeff
Jacobson applies a successful tag to
this Boilermaker last weekend. Just
ask the umpire.

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Daily Photo by JEFF SCHRIER