'M' can blame it on the wind

Strong wind neutralizes solid effort from catcher Parrish

On a gusty day, a falcon can sail effortlessly along, hardly flapping its wings to keep moving.

The Bowling Green Falcons experienced one of those days yesterday, beating the Michigan baseball team, 9-5, behind a strong wind blowing out to right field.

Bowling Green hitters took advantage of the air current at three different times in the game, hitting two opposite field home runs and benefitting from Michigan second baseman Bobby Scales' second-inning error.

Scales misjudged Bob Niemet's leadoff pop fly, allowing the wind to blow the ball into shallow right field.

Lee Morrison followed with a shot to right, the first of the two homers, which the wind carried out of the ballpark.

Morrison's round-tripper ignited a four-run inning that tied the game at four after just two innings.

The Falcons would score five more runs in the following inning behind Bob Niemet's leadoff homer to right, which was once again helped by the wind.

Michigan killer: Niemet is quickly living up to the title of "Michigan killer."

In addition to his game-winning hit yesterday, Niemet went 5-for-5 when the Wolverines hosted Bowling Green a week ago.

All or nothing: Michigan catcher/designated hitter David Parrish found himself in the starting lineup yesterday - somewhat of a rarity for him - and he picked up his seventh hit of the season.

But just as he has done all season, Parrish refused to settle for just a single, belting a home run over the left-field fence.

Of his seven hits this year, two have been doubles and three have been homers.

Parrish, the son of former Tiger Lance Parrish, is an all-or-nothing hitter. He is still hitting a dismal .179 on the season, but the freshman's slugging percentage of .462 is more than respectable.

Parrish has also hit some of Michigan's longest home runs of the season. He took yesterday's shot out to left field - a difficult task since the wind was blowing to right.

But his greatest feat came during the season-opening Texas trip, when Parrish connected and drove one off the light pole in the first game of his Michigan career.

04-15-98