May 4, 2011
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NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Michigan’s Garrett Stevens lined a two-out, two-run RBI single off the glove of Notre Dame closer Dan Slania into centerfield to breakup a 3-3 tie in the top of the 10th inning. Wolverines’ reliever Jake Engels then struck out Irish sophomore C Joe Hudson with the bases loaded to end the game and give Michigan a 5-3 victory Wednesday night at Frank Eck Stadium. The Wolverines improved to 15-28, while Notre Dame dropped to 16-23-1.
Ben Ballantine picked up the victory for Michigan and improved to 2-1. The righty allowed a couple hits in 1.0 scoreless inning. Engels collected his third save of the season.
Slania was charged with the loss and dropped to 1-3. He allowed two runs on two hits in 2.0 innings. Slania struck out four, but was also victimized by four walks.
The Irish rallied in the bottom of the ninth to send the game into extra-innings. Fifth-year senior RF Herman Petzold opened the inning with a double and came around to score on senior pinch hitter David Casey’s RBI single. With the game now tied, 3-3, Hudson followed with a walk to move the winning run into scoring position, but senior SS Mick Doyle struck out swinging. Sophomore DH Adam Norton followed with another free pass to load the bases for senior 3B Greg Sherry, but Ballantine, Michigan’s third pitcher of the inning, got Sherry looking at a called third strike.
Slania ran into trouble in the 10th. Michael O’Neill led off the frame with a single and promptly stole second base. After an intentional walk, Slania nailed O’Neill at third base on a nice defensive play on a sacrifice bunt attempt. He then got Derek Dennis to foul out, but issued another walk to load the bases with two outs. Slania quickly got ahead in the count 0-2, but left a fastball up in the zone and Stevens lined it sharply back up the box. Slania did appear to get a glove on the line drive, but not enough to prevent it from rolling into shallow centerfield.
Down 5-3 heading to the bottom of the 10th, the Irish battled to the very end and all with two outs. After freshman 3B Eric Jagielo scorched a line drive right at the Wolverine left fielder for the first out and Petzold flew out, freshman 1B Trey Mancini singled to left field. Junior CF Alex Robinson followed with a single to centerfield. Ballantine then plunked pinch hitter Matt Scioscia to load the bases.
Ballantine fell behind Hudson 1-0 and was pulled for Engels, who missed the strike one on his first two offering to push the count to 3-0. Engels came back with consecutive called strikes to make the count full, 3-2. He then got Hudson swinging to end the game.
Petzold paced the Irish attack with his third game of the season with three hits. He went 3-for-5 with two runs scored. Robinson was the only other Notre Dame player with more than a hit. He went 2-for-5.
Notre Dame freshman LHP Anthony McIver did not factor in the decision, but pitched extremely well. The southpaw allowed just one earned run (three runs overall) on five hits in 7.0 innings. McIver struck out five and walked three. He was victimized by a pair of Irish errors with two outs that eventually lead to a couple of unearned runs. McIver registered his first quality start of 2011 and the Notre Dame pitching staff’s 27th of the year.
Notre Dame grabbed the game’s first lead, 1-0, in the bottom of the second inning. Petzold and Robinson recorded back-to-back singles and sophomore LF Charlie Markson followed with a walk to load the bases with nobody out, but the Irish were only able to come away with one run. Senior C Cameron McConnell followed with a sacrifice fly that not only scored Petzold, but also advanced Robinson to third base. Doyle struck out swinging and Norton fouled out to end the threat.
Michigan answered with a solo home run off the bat of Coley Crank in the top of the fourth to tie the score, 1-1. The long ball was Crank’s seventh of the season and second in as many days against the Irish. He drilled a game-winning solo home run in the bottom of the eighth inning of last night’s 2-1 victory by the Wolverines.
Michigan grabbed a 2-1 advantage in the fifth. McIver punched out the first two Wolverines of the inning, but Brett Winger reached on an error from Jagielo at third base to extend the frame. McIver then issued a walk on four straight pitches before Patrick Biondi laced an RBI single back-up-the-middle.
Notre Dame immediately answered with a run of its own in the home half of the fifth inning. Sherry drove in Doyle with a one-out RBI single to make the score, 2-2. The inning ended just as quickly as it began–Jagielo smoked a ball to centerfield, but Biondi made a spectacular diving catch and followed with an accurate throw to tag Sherry for a double play.
The Wolverines regained the lead, 3-2, in the top of the seventh due in large part to another Notre Dame defensive miscue. With one out and runners on first and second, McIver got Biondi to ground weakly to Sherry at second base. Sherry stepped on second for one out, but his throw sailed over Mancini’s head, which allowed a run to score.
Notre Dame opens a critical BIG EAST series against Rutgers with a doubleheader at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. The Irish and Scarlet Knights will conclude the series at noon on Sunday. All three games will be broadcast live on WHME Harvest 103.1 FM and at UND.com. Live stats will also be available via GameTracker.
As always, please visit UND.com regularly for full coverage of all Notre Dame athletics news and events.
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