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'M' baseball has no mercy on Detroit

It's not often that you score 12 runs in a baseball game. It's even less often that you score 12 runs in a baseball game -- and lose by double-digits. That's what happened to Detroit, though, in yesterday's nonconference game with Michigan. Michigan made a mockery of the Titans, cruising to a 22-12 win at the Campbell Complex in Detroit. The game, originally scheduled for nine innings, was called when the Wolverines held a 10-run lead after the seventh.

Michigan coach Geoff Zahn probably would've played a lot of people regardless.

Even if his Wolverines hadn't scored 11 runs in the first inning.

Yes, 11.

Michigan (9-3 Big Ten, 14-16 overall) has won 13 of its last 16 games. Detroit fell to 14-10.

The Wolverines were able to use the blowout to play16 different players, including four pitchers. In the last 16 innings Michigan has played, 13 pitchers have seen action.

Senior pitcher Bryan Gorak started on the mound for Detroit, but he was sent to the showers after retiring just one batter. He got the Wolverines' leadoff man, Mike Cervenak, to ground to short to start the game. But that was the extent of his success.

The Wolverines loaded the bases on a pair of singles and a pair of walks, and then Gorak completely folded. The senior forced in three runs by hitting two batters and walking another.

The final book on Gorak: one-third of an inning pitched, three walks, two hit-batsmen, seven earned runs and a sigh of relief when he finally got taken out of the game.

His replacement, Dean Rovinelli, didn't fare any better. An error scored a run but kept the bases full, until Cervenak cleared them with a three-run double. Three batters later, Michigan's Kelly Dransfeldt collected his second hit of the inning, blasting a three-run homer -- his sixth -- off the scoreboard in centerfield.

In the first inning, Dransfeldt was 2-for-2 with a homer, a single, two runs and three RBI.

To their credit, the Titans didn't exactly lie down and quit. They roughed up Michigan starter Luke Bonner for four first-inning runs. The freshman had control trouble, walking four and hitting two in three innings. He did manage to pick up his first collegiate win, however.

Mike Hribernik, Chris Hesse and Mario Garza Jr. also saw action on the mound for the Wolverines.

When it was all said and done, Michigan's offense reigned supreme. Dransfeldt and Kirk Beerman had three hits apiece, and the Besco twins combined to go 3-for-7 with five runs and six RBI. Bobby Scales and Jason Alcaraz each reached base five times, and neither one would make the press release.

The Wolverines travel to Evanston this weekend for a four-game series with Northwestern. The Wildcats are 5-3 in the Big Ten and are led by junior leftfielder Mike Stritch, who is hitting .380 with eight round-trippers.

Stritch is just one member of a potent Northwestern offense, though. Eleven Wildcats are above .300 for the season -- six of them .345 or better.

Michigan will need a strong weekend to stay ahead of the rest of the league. Illinois is just a half-game back at 8-3, and Penn State is 7-4.