Michigan Baseball: Michigan wins Big Ten Tournament

from MGoBlue.com
http://www.mgoblue.com/baseball/article.aspx?id=138750

Michigan Rallies Past Purdue to Win Big Ten Tournament

May 24, 2008
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Wilpon Complex)
Event: Big Ten Tournament
Score: #18 Michigan 3, Purdue 2
Records: U-M (45-12), Purdue (32-26)
Next U-M Game: Friday, May 30 -- NCAA Regional (Site TBA)

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 18-ranked and No. 1-seeded University of Michigan baseball team claimed its eighth Big Ten Conference Tournament championship with a 3-2 victory over No. 2-seeded Purdue University Saturday night (May 24) in the Wilpon Baseball Complex, home of Ray Fisher Stadium.

Senior/junior Michael Powers (St. Clair Shores, Mich./South Lake HS) shut down the Boilermakers over the final two innings for his third save in as many days and was named the tournament Most Outstanding Player. Junior CF Kevin Cislo (Novi, Mich./Novi HS) led the way offensively with three hits and scored the game-winning run on a wild pitch in the top of the seventh inning.

The Wolverines threatened in each of the first four innings, as they had runners on second and third with two outs, but Purdue's starter Tony Sedlmeyer held them off the scoreboard.

The Boilermakers struck first with two runs in the bottom of the second inning when CF Jon Moore and SS Nick Overmyer had RBI hits in the frame. Designated hitter Tony Jaffe led off the inning with a walk and scored on the ensuing at-bat, as Moore doubled to left-centerfield, giving PU the 1-0 lead.

Following a sacrifice bunt to advance Moore to third, Overmeyer singled through the right side past a diving Leif Mahler (Columbus, Ohio/St. Charles Prep) at second base to bring Moore down the line for the 2-0 advantage.

In the bottom of the third inning, the Boilermakers had chances to increase their lead, as they had runners on second and third with one out against Michigan's sophomore starting pitcher Eric Katzman (Harrington Park, N.J./Northern Valley Old Tappan HS). However, Katzman induced a ground ball to SS Jason Christian (Loveland, Ohio/Loveland HS), who held the runners and got the out at first.

Freshman RHP Tyler Burgoon (Defiance, Ohio/Defiance HS) then entered the game and got Moore to ground out to junior tri-captain 3B Adam Abraham (Grosse Pointe, Mich./South HS) to end the inning.

Michigan cut the deficit to 2-1 in the top of the fifth. Abraham began the rally with a two-out walk. Cislo followed with a double down the leftfield line, and when Jordan Comadena had trouble fielding the ball, Abraham motored around the bases for a 2-1 ballgame.

One inning later, freshman RF Ryan LaMarre (Jackson, Mich./Lumen Christi HS) tied the game with his second home run of the season. The leadoff hitter in the frame took a 1-2 pitch to the deepest part of the park and over the 395-foot wall in centerfield to tie the score at 2-2.

Burgoon gave up a leadoff double in the bottom half of the sixth, but he retired the next three batters in order, bringing the Wolverines back to the plate in the top of the seventh.

With one out, Cislo ripped his second double of the game, again to leftfield. The junior speedster advanced to third on a Derek VanBuskirk (St. Clair, Mich./St. Clair HS) bounceout to second base. During the next at-bat, Cislo scored the winning run when Andy Loomis threw just his second wild pitch of the year. As soon as the ball bounced past the catcher, Cislo broke for home and scored without a throw, giving the Wolverines the 3-2 lead.

In his final inning of work, Burgoon put the Boilermakers down in order, setting himself up for his second win of the season. The freshman gave way to Powers in the bottom of the eighth and the senior/junior registered the first two outs of the inning by striking out the first two batters he faced. Following a single by Jaffe, pinch-runner Kyle Reesing was thrown out attempting to steal second base as senior C Nate Recknagel (Lake Orion, Mich./Lake Orion HS) threw to Mahler, who applied the tag.

Powers closed the door in the bottom of the ninth but not before PU put two runners on with two outs. Drew Madia singled to centerfield and Brandon Haveman walked, putting runners on first and second for Ben Wolgamot. Wolgamot worked the count to 2-2, but Powers earned his third K of the game and ninth of the weekend when he blew a fastball by him to give Michigan the Big Ten Tournament title.

With the victory U-M earned an automatic berth into the NCAA Championship. The field will be announced live on ESPN Monday (May 26) at 12:30 p.m.