Michigan Baseball: Michigan beats Western Michigan

from MGoBlue.com

http://www.mgoblue.com/baseball/article.aspx?id=136102

Wolverines Ride Recknagel to Victory Over Broncos

April 29, 2008
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Wilpon Complex)

Score: #22 Michigan 7, Western Michigan 4
Records: U-M (31-10), WMU (21-16-1)

Next U-M Game: Friday, May 2 -- vs. Ohio State (Wilpon Complex), 6:35 p.m.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 22-ranked University of Michigan baseball team improved to 12-0 at home in the Wilpon Baseball Complex, home to Ray Fisher Stadium, with a 7-4 win against Western Michigan Tuesday evening (April 29). Senior 1B Nate Recknagel (Lake Orion, Mich./Lake Orion HS) paced the Wolverines (31-9), going 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored, including the game-winner. Recknagel fell a triple shy of hitting for the cycle, as the senior slugger hit a homer in the first inning, a single in the third, and a double in the fourth.

Sophomore Eric Katzman (Harrington Park, N.J./Northern Valley Old Tappan HS) earned his first win of the season, throwing two scoreless innings out of the bullpen. Sophomore/freshman Matt Gerbe (Shelby Township, Mich./Eisenhower HS) recorded the final two outs of the game, both on strikeouts.

Recknagel gave the Maize and Blue the early 1-0 lead as he blasted his 18th home run of the season on the first pitch he saw from Broncos starter Brian Schutzbach in the first inning. The home run moved the senior slugger into sole possession of second place on the Michigan all-time single-season home run list.

Western tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the third as Zach Gentile singled in Pedro Dager. Dager singled earlier in the frame with one out and moved to third following a walk and a wild pitch. The Broncos loaded the bases in the inning, but with two outs Michigan freshman starter Kolby Wood (Eau Claire, Mich,/Berrien Springs HS) struck out Matthew Abro looking to end the threat.

Michigan responded with two runs in the bottom of the frame. Junior Jason Christian (Loveland, Ohio/Loveland HS) scored on a Recknagel single, and fifth-year senior 2B Leif Mahler (Columbus, Ohio/St. Charles Prep) scored on an Adam Abraham (Grosse Pointe Park, Mich./South HS) double. Christian began the inning with a double into the rightfield corner and moved to third on a throwing error by the pitcher on Mahler's sacrifice bunt attempt. That set up Recknagel's second RBI of the day, on a sharp single to leftfield. Abraham gave the Wolverines a two-run lead two batters later as he blistered the ball off the 26-foot wall in leftfield, pushing the score to 3-1.

That lead was short-lived, however, as WMU put up two runs in the ensuing inning. Joe Sheets led off the frame with a single to third and advanced to second on a throwing error. He scored one batter later, as Kyle Galbraith singled back up the middle to cut the deficit to 3-2. Dager sent a ball into centerfield that fell out of the centerfielder's glove, allowing Galbraith to score the unearned run and knot the score at 3-3.

Recknagel again gave U-M a one-run lead when he ripped an RBI double into leftfield in the bottom half of the inning for a 4-3 Wolverine advantage. After sophomore C Chris Berset (Vienna, Va./Heights School), who walked to lead off the inning, was moved to third via a sacrifice bunt and a bouncer back to the pitcher, Recknagel drove him home with his third RBI of the ballgame.

The score remained the same until the top of the sixth, when Gentile's RBI single made it 4-4. The Broncos loaded the bases against Katzman, but the sophomore lefty got Chris Lewis to fly out to rightfielder Alan Oaks (White Lake, Mich./Divine Child HS) after a seven-pitch battle.

In the top of the seventh the Broncos threatened again, as Sheets led off with a single into rightfield for WMU's 10th hit of the game. He was sacrificed to second with one out but was stranded as Derek Mosher lined out to Christian and Kevan Hess struck out looking.

In the bottom of the frame, Recknagel led off with a four-pitch walk, followed by a pair of hit batsmen as junior P/DH Zach Putnam (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer HS) and Abraham were plunked on back-to-back pitches to load the bases. Junior Kevin Cislo (Novi, Mich./Novi HS) pinch hit for Oaks and bounced to the second baseman, who was unable to turn the double play as Cislo beat the throw to first. Recknagel was able to score on the play to put the Wolverines ahead for good at 5-4. Michigan added a second run in the inning, as Putnam came down the line from third on a single by Berset for a 6-4 Wolverine advantage.

Following a run in the bottom of the eighth to make the score 7-4, Gerbe was called out of the Wolverine bullpen to close the door. Gerbe did just that as he fanned the only two batters he faced, with the final out of the ballgame coming via a three-pitch K.

The Wolverines will return to Big Ten Conference play when they welcome the Ohio State Buckeyes for a four-game series starting Friday (May 2) wth the dedication game of the Wilpon Baseball Complex, home of Ray Fisher Stadium. Pregame festivities will begin at 6:20 p.m. and will conclude with the ceremonial first pitch by New York Mets principle owner, CEO and president Fred Wilpon.