Purdue Fort Wayne
Michigan
Quick Start Pushes Michigan Past IPFW
3/21/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 21, 2009
Ann Arbor, MI - The Michigan Wolverines put up a three-spot in the first inning and got a solid pitching performance in topping IPFW, 4-1 in Game 2 of their three-game series in Ann Arbor, Michigan on Saturday.
Michigan got to IPFW starter Stacy Herrold quickly. Second baseman Kevin Cislo and left fielder Kenny Fellows each singled to lead off the game.
Cislo would score on a sacrifice fly by center fielder Ryan LaMarre for a 1-0 lead.
Two batters later, first baseman Mike Dufek went the opposite way with his fifth home run of the season. His two-run blast made it 3-0 Wolverines after one inning.
IPFW would cut into that lead in the 2nd inning. First baseman Shaun VanDriessche led off the inning with a single to right. He advanced to second on a failed pickoff attempt by UM starter Eric Katzman. Katzman would then balk, moving VanDriessche to third. Those were the only two mistakes the Wolverines' hurler would make on the afternoon.
Senior catcher Devin Taylor brought VanDriessche home with a sacrifice fly to center, making it 3-1.
Michigan (13-5) would get that run back in their half of the inning on a suicide squeeze by shortstop Anthony Toth.
From there it was an absolute pitcher's duel.
Katzman worked 6.0 innings, striking out a career-high 10 Mastodons. He gave way to freshman reliever Matt Miller who pitched the final 3.0 innings. Miller surrendered just one hit, a lead-off single to VanDriessche in the ninth inning. Miller punched out five 'Dons.
Herrold got in the grove as well, facing just one batter over the minimum in his final six innings of work, but the early start was too much for IPFW to overcome, dropping Game 2 of the series 4-1.
Herrold struck out five in the loss, his first of the season (1-1).
It was the third win of the season for Katzman (3-1) and the second save of the year for Miller.
With the loss, IPFW fell to 5-9.
The finale of the series will be Sunday afternoon at 1:00 p.m.
~Dons~
