from MGoBlue.comhttp://www.mgoblue.com/baseball/article.aspx?id=137106
Fetter, Recknagel Star in Series-Opening Win at Minnesota
May 9, 2008
Site: Minneapolis, Minn. (Siebert Field)
Score: #19 Michigan 4, Minnesota 2
Records: U-M (36-11, 21-4 Big Ten), Minnesota (18-31, 8-17 Big Ten)
Next Game: Saturday, May 10 -- DH at Minnesota (Minneapolis, Minn.), 2:35 p.m. CDT
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- Senior/junior RHP Chris Fetter (Carmel, Ind./Carmel HS) and senior C Nate Recknagel (Lake Orion, Mich./Lake Orion HS) led the No. 19-ranked University of Michigan baseball team to a 4-2 win at Minnesota in the series opener Friday night (May 9) at Siebert Field.
Fetter took a one-hitter into the ninth inning and ended up tossing 8.1 dominant innings en route to his ninth win of the season (9-1). The righthander struck out 10 (five looking) and allowed three hits and two runs, both coming in the bottom of the ninth on a two-run homer.
Offensively, Recknagel led the charge for the Wolverines (36-11, 21-4 Big Ten), going 3-for-3 and connecting for his 19th home run of the season in the top of the fourth inning to give U-M a 1-0 advantage. In addition, the senior scored twice and reached all five times he stepped the plate, adding an intentional walk and a hit by pitch.
Recknagel's blast, which came on a 1-1 count and traveled over the left-centerfield wall, proved to be the game-winner, improving his team-leading total to 11. He tied Casey Close (1983-86) for first place on the Michigan single-season home run list.
Fetter hit the first batter of the game on a 3-2 count, but he was able to get out of the inning as the next the Gophers went down in order. The first Minnesota hitter again reached in the bottom of the second, but a double play and on the first pitch of the at-bat by Tom Steidl put two outs on the board. Fetter then induced a flyout to junior CF Kevin Cislo (Novi, Mich./Novi HS) to get out of the second inning in just eight pitches.
Cislo helped preserve the lead with his glove in the seventh. Leading off the frame, Nate Hanson drilled the ball to the right-centerfield gap and appeared to have an extra-base hit, but Cislo came sprinting over and made a sliding catch, picking the ball off the warning track dirt.
U-M extended its lead in the top of the eighth. Fifth-year senior 2B Leif Mahler (Columbus, Ohio/St. Charles Prep) reached on an error by the shortstop and advanced to second on Recknagel's third hit of the day. The two each moved up a base when junior 3B Adam Abraham (Grosse Pointe Park, Mich./South HS) laid down a sacrifice bunt for the first out of the inning. Following a walk to senior LF/1B Derek VanBuskirk (St. Clair, Mich./St. Clair HS), Cislo placed a single into centerfield to drive home Mahler for a 2-0 lead. Senior/junior OF Kenny Fellows (Holt, Mich./Holt HS) extended the lead to 3-0 with an RBI fielder's choice one batter later.
After a ninth-inning RBI by Abraham, Fetter came back out to the mound in the bottom of the ninth inning. He registered the first out of the frame with his 10th K of the ballgame, striking out Gopher LF Eric Decker for the third time of the day. However, the ensuing batter reached with a single into right and Hanson followed with a two-run home run that hit off the top of the wall in left before it fell over to cut the Wolverines' lead in half.
Senior/junior Michael Powers (St. Clair Shores, Mich./South Lake HS) relieved Fetter one hitter later and closed for the Maize and Blue, getting the two Gophers he faced. Powers earned his third save of the year by striking out Steidl looking to end the game.
Michigan and Minnesota return to the Siebert Field for a doubleheader Saturday afternoon (May 10). The two games will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network with the first pitch scheduled for 2:36 p.m. CDT. Michigan is 2-0 when appearing on the BTN this season.
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My Take:
Michigan can clinch the Big Ten this weekend if things go right of course. They are looking to really good going into the tournament in a few weeks and need to continue the good play especially if they want to host a regional (which is likely) and a chance at a super regional if things could work out and some teams get beat.
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