April 4, 2009
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - A pitchers duel between Calvin Grumley and Eric Katzman quickly turned into a home run derby as the Wolverines belted five home runs en route to a 9-5 victory over the Penn State baseball team in the nightcap of a Saturday doubleheader. Penn State (16-12 overall, 2-3 Big Ten) won the first game of the twinbill, 6-4, in extra innings.
Grumley (Johnsonburg, Pa.) and Katzman exchanged zeroes on the scoreboard through the first five and a half innings; only seven combined hits were totaled during that time frame. Grumley pitched six innings, allowing three earned runs and eight hits while giving up one walk.
Louie Picconi (North Merrick, N.Y.) had a season-high two hits and two RBIs. Mike Deese (Roswell, Ga.) had two RBIs, a double and a run, and Blake Lynd (Deer Park, Texas) had an RBI.
For the Wolverines (18-9 overall, 3-2 Big Ten), Ryan LaMarre went 4-for-5 with two homers and five RBIs. In the two games, LaMarre had six hits, two doubles, two home runs and seven RBIs.
Grumley stranded one runner on base in each of the first five innings, leaving Michigan unable to manufacture any production.
Michigan produced two runs in the sixth via home runs that cleared the brick wall in left field. LaMarre jacked a home run to left to start the frame before, two batters later, Alan Oaks sent a solo shot for the fences to give Michigan a two-run lead.
Penn State quickly replied with five runs in the seventh. Deese produced a jolt for the Nittany Lions with a stand-up double down the left-field line. Cory Wine (Stillwater, Okla.) legged out a single to shortstop, moving Deese home before swiping second base. Penn State capitalized on Michigan miscues. Picconi singled up the middle past a diving shortstop to score Deese and Wine, and moved to second on a high throw by centerfielder LaMarre. Lynd beat out a dribbler to the right side of the infield to bring Ben Heath (Huntersville, N.C.) home. Two more would score from a second errant throw on a ball hit by Ryan Boonie (State College, Pa.) to third base, giving Penn State a 5-2 lead.
The Wolverines generated five runs of their own in the bottom of the inning off four hits. Tim Kalczynski tattooed a lead-off home run to left field, cutting the lead to two. Two free passes and a single tied the game at five apiece before Mike Dufek hooked a ball around the left field foul pole to provide Michigan with a two-run lead.
Penn State had an opportunity to cut it close in the eighth. Deese again reached to start the inning with a single and advanced on a passed ball; however, Katzman and Mike Dudek struck out one and pressed two flyball outs to end the threat.
The Wolverines and Nittany Lions return to action on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. The start time was moved ahead due to impending weather scheduled for Sunday afternoon.
GAME NOTES: Attendance for the two-game set was 1,050...Jordan Steranka extended his hitting streak to 11 games...Game duration was 2:39