Irish fail to convert chances in 8-4 loss
By: JOE HETTLER
Sports Editor
Pete Ogilvie didn't pitch well Tuesday against Michigan, but his teammates didn't help him much either.
Michigan used a strong pitching performance from starter Drew Taylor (5-1) and two RBIs each from Brock Koman, Jake Fox and Matt Butler to upset Notre Dame 8-4 at Fifth Third Ballpark in Comstock, Mich.
Ogilvie struggled through three innings of work, giving up four earned runs, walking four and hitting a batter. It was Ogilvie's second start since his being out of the rotation for several weeks with a sore shoulder.
"It wasn't one of Peter's best games," Irish coach Paul Mainieri said. "His control problems were his demise and that's just not [characteristic] of him."
Tyler Jones relived Ogilvie in the fourth and allowed three earned runs on four hits in just 1 1/3 innings of work.
Notre Dame's bats couldn't bail their pitchers out either, failing to knock in runs at crucial points throughout the game.
Catcher Javi Sanchez left a runner on second in the fifth when he grounded out to the Michigan second baseman. Third baseman Greg Lopez struck out with men on first and second in the sixth after the Irish had cut the Wolverine lead to 7-3.
With one out in the seventh, the Big East's leading RBI producer, Irish first baseman Matt Edwards, went down swinging with one out and second baseman Steve Sollmann on third. Notre Dame's cleanup hitter, centerfielder Kris Billmaier, ended the inning by popping up to first base.
"We had our chances, but didn't get enough guys to come through," Mainieri said. "We had guys get one good at-bat, when we needed two good at-bats."
The Wolverines jumped on the Irish early, scoring a pair of runs in the third and fourth innings before adding three more in the fifth.
After Ogilvie walked the first two batters in the fourth inning, Jones entered the game and induced a fly out before giving up a two-run double to Butler.
Jones yielded a hit, a stolen base and another hit to begin the fifth, pushing Michigan's edge to 5-0. Fox then doubled to put runners on second and third. Jones retired the next Wolverine before being yanked for reliever Matt Laird, who gave up an RBI hit and a sacrifice fly before retiring the third out in the inning.
Notre Dame fought back in the sixth inning, scoring three times, thanks to RBI singles from shortstop Matt Macri, right fielder Cody Rizzo and designated hitter Matt Bransfield. Macri led the Irish at the platewith three hits, two runs scored and an RBI in the game.
But the Irish could never recover from the seven-run deficit..
"We dug ourselves a hole and couldn't get out of it," Mainieri said.
All Sports Stories for Wednesday, May 7, 2003
