May 25, 2005
Box Score
CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS - It took extra innings to decide the first game of the 2005 Big Ten Conference Baseball Tournament. In what was a pitching-dominated game for 12 innings, Ohio State prevailed 7-3 over Michigan to advance in the winners bracket here Wednesday (May 25) at Illinois Field on the campus of the University of Illinois.
The game will go down in the conference record book as the longest in Big Ten tournament history and saw the Scarlet and Grey score four runs in the top of the 13th inning to defeat the Wolverines and improve their record to 36-17 overall. Michigan falls into the consolation bracket of the double-elimination tournament with an overall record of 40-16.
Two defensive lapses by the Wolverines would allow the first runs to be plated in the opening round contest. A pass ball by Michigan catcher Jeff Kunkel allowed two runners to advance into scoring position with two down in the second inning. Paul Farinacci hit a grounder toward Maize and Blue shortstop Leif Mahler who was unable to field the ball cleanly. The Buckeyes would have two runners cross the plate to take a 2-0 lead on the sophomore's error.
Michigan got on the board in the home-half of the fourth when designated hitter Brad Roblin hit a long fly ball into the gap in right center. Kunkel was able to come all the way around from first on the double to cut the Buckeye lead in half.
Both pitchers - Jim Brauer for Michigan and Dan DeLucia for Ohio State - had excellent outings on Wednesday. A senior, Brauer only surrendered five hits and with no earned runs in 10 innings of work, while the sophomore DeLucia threw 7 1/3 innings, striking out eight and giving up only one run.
Michigan would threaten to tie it up in the bottom of the eighth. After Chris Getz singled to leftfield and advanced on a sacrifice bunt, Ohio State Head Coach Bob Todd made the call to the bullpen. Rory Meister came in and got Kyle Bohm to fly out to centerfield and Matt Butler to ground out to short to end the inning and keep OSU on top heading into the ninth.
With one out in the bottom of the ninth the Wolverines were threatening after Brad Roblin stole second after reaching on a single. A.J. Scheidt then grounded a single up the middle which scored Roblin easily from second to tie the game. Scheidt advanced on a ground out to third by Mahler to put the winning run in scoring position. The number nine hitter, Doug Pickens, earned a walk which brought up the lead-off hitter, Chris Getz. Meister would get Getz to ground to short where Jedidiah Stephen flipped it to second to force out Pickens and send the game into extra innings
In his first inning of work, Derek Feldkamp issued a walk and a single to Steve Caravati and Ronnie Bourquin respectively. With only one out, the second team All-Big Ten member got Jason Zoeller to ground into the 6-4-3 double play to put a halt to the Buckeye threat in the top of the 11th.
Ohio State had runners on first and second again in the top of the 12th with only one away. After Eric Fryer lined out to shortstop and Wes Schirtzinger was almost doubled off second base, Matt Angle lined a single to right field which scored Schirtzinger from second to give OSU a 3-2 lead heading into the last of the 12th.
With one out, Michigan's Doug Pickens doubled off the leftfield wall and stood at second representing the tying run. A deep drive all the way to the track in left-center by Chris Getz scored Pickens to tie the game. Getz would reach third after centerfielder Mike Rabin was unable to field the ball cleanly. Ohio State then made the decision to walk the next two batters intentionally to set up the double play and a force at every base. Clean-up hitter Matt Butler then grounded a pitch to first baseman Kyle Bohm who began the 3-2-3 double play to end the 12th inning.
Ronnie Bourquin's single to right field put runners on the corners for OSU with nobody out in the 13th inning. A chopper by Jason Zoeller went just over the glove of A.J. Scheidt to score pinch-runner Jacob Howell and put OSU up 4-3. Zoeller would coast into second base with a double while Bourquin now stood at third. An intentional walk to Schirtzinger set up the double play and a force at all bases. Jedidiah Stephen then hit into a 5-2 double play for the first two outs of the inning. Paul Farinacci would then all but seal an OSU win with a blast over the scoreboard in leftfield for a three-run homer to make the score 7-3 in favor of Ohio State on his second round-tripper of the year.
However, Michigan wouldn't go quietly in its half of the 13th. With one out, U-M had runners on first and third. Rory Meister, now in his sixth inning of relief, struck out Leif Mahler for the second out and ended the game by fanning Doug Pickens on a high fastball.
Feldkamp received the loss for Michigan and drops to 9-4 on the season while Meister improves to 8-0 and picks up his fifth win in the last week and a half - all in relief.
Ohio State will play on in the winners bracket against either top seeded Illinois or second seeded Purdue on Thursday (May 26) while Michigan will play the first game of the consolation bracket on Thursday at 12:05 p.m. central time against the loser of Wednesday's second opening round game between Minnesota and Iowa.
