Michigan Baseball: Michigan blast Michigan State

from MGoBlue.com
http://www.mgoblue.com/baseball/article.aspx?id=134734

Wolverines Down Spartans, Remain Perfect at Home

April 18, 2008

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Wilpon Baseball Complex/Ray Fisher Stadium)
Score: Michigan 8, Michigan State 3Record: Michigan (25-8, 12-1 Big Ten), Michigan State (13-18, 4-8 Big Ten.
Next U-M Event: Wednesday, April 19 -- at Michigan State (DH) (East Lansing, Mich.), 1:05 p.m.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan baseball program widened its lead in the Big Ten Conference standings with a 8-3 win against intrastate rival Michigan State Friday evening (April 18) in front of a season-best 2,814 fans in the Wilpon Baseball Complex, home to Ray Fisher Stadium. The victory lifts U-M's record to 10-0 at home this season.

Junior P/DH Zach Putnam (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer HS) upped his record to 4-0 for the season, pitching 7.0 strong innings, allowing just one run on four hits and striking out five. At the plate for the Wolverines (25-8, 12-1 Big Ten), fifth-year senior 2B Leif Mahler (Columbus, Ohio/St. Charles Prep) went 3-for-5 with two doubles and a pair of RBI.

Adding a spark to U-M’s lineup was senior/junior CF Kenny Fellows (Holt, Mich./Holt HS), who entered the game in a pinch-runner role in the bottom of the third and finished the game 1-for-2 with two RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base.
Michigan took the early advantage with a run in the bottom of the third inning. Freshman CF Ryan LaMarre (Jackson, Mich./Lumen Christi HS) led off the frame with a single to centerfield, but had to come out of the game after sliding awkwardly back into first base following a pickoff attempt. Fellows spelled LaMarre at first and was quickly sacrificed over to second base by junior SS Jason Christian (Loveland, Ohio/Loveland HS).

With one out in the inning, Mahler connected for his first of two doubles on the day, finding the gap in right-centerfield to bring Fellows around third for the 1-0 advantage.

Michigan State tied it up at 1-1 in the top of the fourth with two hits and a fielding error. The run was unearned as MSU’s Chris Roberts came around to score on the error. With a runner on third and one out, Putnam struck out Spartan rightfielder Justin Potes and got Eric Roof to bounce out to third, stranding the go-ahead runner 90 feet from home plate.

The Wolverines pulled away with a four-run fourth. Leading off the inning, junior 3B Adam Abraham (Grosse Pointe Park, Mich./South HS) blasted his third home run of the year over the wall in right field to give U-M the 2-1 edge. Senior LF Derek VanBuskirk (St. Clair, Mich./St. Clair HS) followed his fellow tri-captain with a double to left centerfield. Following a line out and a bounce out, VanBuskirk made it 3-1 when crossed home plate off an RBI single through the right side by Fellows.

Fellows then stole second, his third swipe of the year, and came home on a Christian single to right to make it 4-1. The score went to 5-1 on Mahler’s second RBI double of the game as Christian hustled around the bases completing the four-run inning.
Putnam helped his own cause in the next U-M at bat with a lead off triple that caromed off the 26-foot wall in left field. Sophomore RF Alan Oaks (White Lake, Mich./Divine Child HS) brought Putnam home with a sac fly to center field two batters later to make the score 6-2.

Michigan put up two more in the bottom of the seventh inning without registering a base hit. Following walks to Abraham and VanBuskirk to start the inning, Oaks' sac bunt moved the runners to second and third with one out. Sophomore C Chris Berset (Vienna, Va./Heights School) reached via the hit by pitch to load the bases.

Fellows then picked up an RBI with a walk to score Abraham, making the score 7-1. With four more balls thrown to Christian, VanBuskirk walked home for an 8-1 lead. Michigan State’s Peter Wolff got the next two batters to end the inning.

Sophomore P Mike Dufek (Scottsdale, Ariz./Desert Mountain HS) worked the final two innings, getting three outs via the K.

The Maize and Blue will now travel to East Lansing, Mich., for a doubleheader against the Spartans on Kobs Field. The two-game set will get underway with the first-pitch slated for 1:05 p.m.