Baseball: Buckeyes Drop Game 1 to UM, 4-1 – Ohio State Buckeyes
5/2/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Ann Arbor, Mich. In a game dominated by pitching, Michigan scored two insurance runs in the seventh inning and rode the complete game of Zach Putnam to a 4-1 victory over Ohio State in the dedication game for Ray Fischer Stadium Friday in Ann Arbor.
Putnam scattered seven hits and improved to 6-0 on the season. Jake Hale, who was solid for the Buckeyes for six innings, dropped to 5-2 with the loss. The Buckeyes are now 23-19 overall and 10-10 in the Big Ten. League-leading Michigan is 32-10 and 18-3, respectively.
J.B. Shuck had four of Ohio State’s hits, all singles. Michigan also collected seven singles with four different players scoring runs and delivering RBI singles.
“We just have to be more determined at the plate when we have runners in scoring position,” Ohio State coach Bob Todd said. “Nobody is going to give us anything. We just have to be more determined. Michigan got timely hits. They won with the same amount of hits as we had.”
Ohio State scored first with Cory Kovanda scoring a first-inning run on a Zach Hurley groundout. Michigan came back to tie in their half of the second, Alan Oaks scoring from second on a single by Chris Berset.
The Wolverines loaded the bases with one out in the fourth, but Hale was able to get out of the inning after giving up just one run, that coming on a sacrifice fly by Jason Christian.
Michigan led, 2-1, through the five innings as each team’s pitchers remained in control of things. Each pitcher had allowed just three hits up to that point. Putnam had coaxed Ohio State hitters into 13 groundouts while Hale helped himself with five assists, including starting an inning-ending double play in the fifth.
The Buckeyes had runners on second and third in the sixth and seventh innings, respectively, but couldn’t plate a run. Hale stayed sharp with a one-two-three inning in the sixth.
Michigan’s big guns finally collected multiple hits in the seventh. Nate Recknagel drove in his 53rd RBI with a single and Putnam notched his 41st with another single. That prompted a pitching change, Alex Wimmers coming in for Hale. Wimmers, in perhaps his biggest stage to date, threw strikes to get the next two batters and end the inning. Hale’s final line: 6.1 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 3 K.
The Buckeyes had a man on in each of the eighth and ninth innings but could do nothing more against Putnam. Eric Best pitched the eighth for the Buckeyes. Although two men got on, both were picked off base by alert plays from catcher Dan Burkhart and Best.
The teams will try to play two more Saturday, weather permitting. The start time has been moved up to 1:05 p.m. for the first game due to the threat of late afternoon showers.
Game Notes and More…
- A jersey situation had J.B. Shuck in jersey No. 7 rather than his No. 4. It turned out to be a lucky 7. He had four singles off Putnam.
- Zach Hurley, Justin Miller and Cory Rupert had Ohio State’s other three hits.
- The Michigan infield stayed busy. First baseman Nate Recknagel had 20 putouts and players playing second, third and short had 18 assists.
- Dan DeLucia (1-3; 5.77 ERA) will go against 6-8 Chris Fetter (7-1; 2.73 ERA) in game one of the double header Saturday. Dean Wolosiansky (6-2; 2.84) will be on the mound against Travis Smith (4-1; 3.82) in game two.
- Fred Wilpon, owner of the New York Mets, was the principle donor to Michigan’s renovated, 2,500-seat baseball facility, now called the Wilpon Baseball & Softball Complex. The baseball stadium Ray Fischer Stadium was dedicated prior to the game.
###OhioStateBuckeyes.com###
