Wolverines Nip Wildcats, 3-1

Sunday, May 11

Ann Arbor, Mich.

1:00 PM

Northwestern

Michigan

5/11/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

May 11, 2003

Box Score

Michigan Box Score in PDF Format

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Michigan scored three runs in the third and fourth innings to hold on for a 3-1 win at Ray Fisher Stadium Sunday afternoon. With the loss, NU fell to 24-20 overall and 14-12 in the Big Ten.

Wolverine pitching proved to be the difference as NU scattered eight hits in the game but couldn't string any together as four Michigan double plays thwarted Wildcat rallies.

Michigan jumped out in front 1-0 in the top of the third inning as a single to right off Wildcat starter Dan Pohlman (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) plated the run. The runner reached on a fielder's choice, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on the hit.

Through the first four innings of play, NU sent 12 hitters to the plate as Michigan pitcher Phil Tognetti gave up two hits in those at-bats. Both base runners were quickly erased by double-play ground balls.

Michigan tacked on two more runs in the fourth as Pohlman walked the leadoff hitter who moved to second on a single through the left side and scored on a single to right. The second run scored on a groundball double play to Eric Roeder (Onsted, Mich./Onsted) at second base.

NU threatened in the top of the fifth, putting runners on second and third with no outs. A picture perfect bunt down the third-base line by third-baseman Josh Lieberman (Mundelein, Ill./Mundelein) was turned into a fielders choice out, as Travis Tharp (Boulder, Colo./Boulder) made a base-running error and was tagged out at third for the first out. A groundball double play ended the Wildcat threat with Michigan leading 3-0.

The Wildcats plated one run in the top of the ninth as a leadoff single by Roeder and a walk by left fielder Mark Ori (Niles, Ill./Maine South) was followed by a put-out at third on a dropped Jon Mikrut (Wauconda, Ill./Carmel) fly ball to left field. Following the out at third, Michigan brought in left-handed Ali Husain to face the left-handed hitting David Gresky (North Royalton, Ohio/St. Ignatius). Husain hit Gresky with the pitch to load the bases, bringing up left-handed Travis Tharp (Boulder, Colo./Boudler). Tharp hit a bouncing ground ball up the middle that was mishandled by the Wolverine shortstop, which allowed a run to score. With the bases loaded and one out, Lieberman hit into a game-ending 6-4-3 double play.