from MGoBlue.comhttp://www.mgoblue.com/baseball/article.aspx?id=136354#
U-M Celebrates Dedication Game With Win Over Ohio State
May 2, 2008
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Wilpon Complex)
Score: #22 Michigan 4, Ohio State 1
Records: U-M (32-10, 18-3 Big Ten), OSU (23-19, 10-10 Big Ten)
Next U-M Game: Saturday, May 3 -- vs. Ohio State (Wilpon Complex), 1:05 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 22-ranked University of Michigan baseball team claimed a 4-1 victory against Ohio State Friday evening (May 2) in front of 2,234 fans in the Dedication Game of the newly constructed Wilpon Baseball Complex, home of Ray Fisher Stadium. Junior RHP/DH Zach Putnam (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer HS) improved to 5-0 for the year, tossing the Wolverines' first nine-inning complete game of the season.
Putnam struck out two and scattered seven hits, pacing the Wolverines (32-10, 18-3) to their 12th straight win in the new ballpark (12-0).
At the plate, seven of 10 U-M batters recorded a hit, led by junior SS Jason Christian (Loveland, Ohio/Loveland HS) who reached all three times, finishing 1-1 with a run scored and the game-winning RBI on a sac fly in the fourth.
Ohio State took an early 1-0 lead when the Buckeyes loaded the bases with one out. A hit batsman followed by a pair of singles put three Buckeyes on base. The fifth batter in the inning, Zach Hurley, gave OSU a 1-0 advantage when he bounced out to senior 1B Nate Recknagel (Lake Orion, Mich./Lake Orion) for the second out of the frame. The groundout scored Cory Kovanda from third and moved the other two runners up to second and third. Putnam got out of the jam, getting Cory Rupert to bounce out to Christian to end the inning.
Michigan knotted the score at 1-1 in the bottom of the third inning when sophomore C Chris Berset (Vienna, Va./Heights School) singled into rightfield to score classmate Alan Oaks (White Lake, Mich./Divine Child HS) from second with one out. Oaks reached on a full-count walk and advanced to second when Hale threw errantly to first.
During the ensuing at bat, Berset sent a 2-1 pitch into right, allowing Oaks to come charging around third base and slide around the catchers tag to tie the game at 1-1.
In the bottom of the fourth, senior LF Derek VanBuskirk (St. Clair, Mich./St. Clair HS) and Oaks each started the inning with a single to put two runners on with no outs.
Berset then laid down a sac bunt to advance the runners to second and third. One batter later, U-M loaded the bases when junior CF Kevin Cislo (Novi, Mich./Novi HS) was hit in the foot.
Christian lifted an o-2 pitch with a long fly ball into leftfield, bringing VanBuskirk into score from third. The RBI gave U-M a 2-1 lead -- an advantage it would not relinquish.
OSU had a chance to tie the score in the top of the seventh. Rupert led off inning with a single right back up the middle and quickly stole second base to put a runner in scoring position with no outs.
He was advanced to third on bounce out to Recknagel but was stranded 90 feet from home. Putnam ended the threat, retiring Dan Burkhart on a shallow fly to leftfield and getting Tyler Engle to bounce out to Christian at short.
Michigan took that momentum and increased its lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the frame. With one out, Christian and Mahler put together back-to-back singles to bring Recknagel to the plate with a runner in scoring position. The senior slugger gave U-M a two-run advantage, sending a sharp single into left. The ball was hit deep enough to score Christian from second for the 3-1 lead. Putnam made it 4-1 one batter later with a single into left field, scoring Mahler from second base.
Putnam allowed just two base runners the rest of the way, inducing an OSU groundout to Mahler for the final out.
Michigan and Ohio State return to action for game two and three of the four-game series Saturday afternoon (May 3). Game time for the doubleheader has been moved up to 1:05 p.m., as inclement weather is in the forecasted later in the evening.
Photos:
http://www.mgoblue.com/Common/PhotogalleryCenter.aspx?albumId=136420
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