Michigan Claims OSU Series at Bill Davis Stadium for Second Straight Year – Ohio State Buckeyes
4/25/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 25, 2004
Box Score
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Michigan broke a scoreless tie in the fourth inning by scoring nine runs en route to a 13-2 victory against Ohio State Sunday at Bill Davis Stadium that clinched the second straight 3-1 series win against the Buckeyes on their home field. The Wolverines are the only visiting team to win a conference series in the eight-year history of Bill Davis Stadium.
OSU starter Dan DeLucia (Fr., Columbus, Ohio/Bishop Watterson) walked the first two batters of the fourth inning and hit the third to load the bases. A ground out by Brad Roblin scored Eric Rose and then a double down the right-field line by A.J. Scheidt gave the Wolverines a 3-0 lead. Jeff Kunkel followed with a double to score Scheidt for the fourth Michigan run.
Brandon Roberts singled through the right side to put runners at the corners before a pitching change. Jesse Paciorek (Jr., Lakewood, Ohio/Lakewood) replaced DeLucia and immediately allowed a single by Leif Mahler through the left side to score Kunkel to give Michigan a 6-0 lead. Chris Getz reached on a fielder’s choice that caught Mahler at second and was able to score along with Roberts on a two-RBI double by Rose.
DeLucia had started strong retiring nine of the first 10 batters, only walking Brad Roblin with one out in the second. He allowed the first six runs on three hits, three walks and one hit batsman. He had only one strikeout in falling to 1-2 on the year. Paciorek was responsible for the other three runs in the inning after allowing three hits and one walk.
The Buckeyes finally got to Michigan starter Paul Hammond, the first left-handed starter used by the Wolverines in the series. After sitting down in order the first 10 batters of the game, Mike Rabin (Jr., West Chester, Ohio/Lakota East) delivered a one-out single through the right side to become the first Ohio State base runner of the day. Steve Caravati (Jr., Dover, Ohio/Dover) followed with a single to left field and then Jedidiah Stephen (So., Caldwell, Ohio/Shenandoah) doubled inside the third-base bag and down the left-field line to score both Rabin and Caravati to make the score 9-2.
Michigan added a run in the fourth after three straight one-out hits off Trey Fausnaugh (Fr., Circleville, Ohio/Westfall) to take a 10-2 lead. Scheidt singled, moved third on a single by Kunkel and then scored on a single to right field by Roberts. The Buckeyes got out of the inning with a 5-4-3 double play.
Ohio State kept Michigan off the scoreboard in the sixth and seventh inning, but could not get anything going offensively itself. Rabin had a one-out single in the sixth, stole second and got to third on a fly out, but that was the closest the Buckeyes could get to home. Caravati drew a walk in the inning, but another fly out left runners at the corners. Jason Zoeller (Fr., Verona, Pa./Shady Side Academy) doubled with one out in the seventh, but was stranded there after a fly out and a pop out.
Michigan (22-15 overall, 10-6 Big Ten) scored three runs in the top of the eighth to extend its lead to 13-2, the final margin of victory.
Kunkel finished 3-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored to lead Michigan. Four other Wolverines added two hits each as they out-hit Ohio State 13-6. Hammond picked up the win, going 8.0 innings, allowing the two runs in the fourth inning with two walks. He did not have a strikeout in the game. Rabin was the only Buckeye to have multiple hits.
Ohio State (19-17, 9-7) resumes play Wednesday when it plays host to Bowling Green at 6:35 p.m. The game will be Buck-A-Burger night and will be broadcast by NPR 820 (WOSU-AM).
