Michigan Baseball outclassed by No. 15 Oregon Ducks in weekend series

The Michigan baseball team didn’t have much of an answer for the red-hot Oregon bats this weekend as the 15th ranked Ducks topped the Wolverines in a three-game series.

The Michigan Wolverines baseball team hit the road over the weekend for a difficult series against the No. 15 Oregon Ducks. The Ducks were the preseason favorite to win the Big Ten, and they are living up to the lofty expectations so far. They put on an impressive offensive show this weekend and ended up taking the series against the Wolverines.

Here is how it all went down:

Game 1: Oregon wins by mercy in series-opening blowout

This game didn’t go well for Michigan, as Oregon’s bats were too much to handle. David Lally Jr. got the start on the rubber for Michigan, and he was able to keep the Ducks quiet in the first two innings. However, things got out of hand in the third.

Oregon put up five runs in the third inning to take complete control of the game, and it followed that up with a three-spot in the fourth to go up 8-0. Michigan showed some life in the top of the fifth as Greg Pace Jr. got the Wolverines on the board with a solo shot, and Mitch Voit made it 8-2 with an RBI single.

The Ducks squashed any hopes of a comeback in the bottom of the fifth inning, as they added six more runs. The game ended up being called after the seventh inning due to the mercy rule. Oregon took this one, 15-2.

Game 2: Oregon takes the series with another convincing win

This game was pretty much a mirror image of the first loss that Michigan wanted to forget. Michigan was able to hang around in this one for longer, but it was a similar result.

Oregon jumped on top in the first inning after quickly putting two runs on the board. Neither team scored again until the fourth inning, when Cole Caruso tied the game with a two-run bomb. An RBI single from Brayden Jeffries then put the Wolverines on top in the fifth.

Michigan was looking good, but everything went downhill after that.

The Ducks reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the fifth with four runs, and they proceeded to add six more runs throughout the next two innings to take a commanding nine-run lead. They needed just one run in the bottom of the eighth to win another one by the mercy rule, and they got it. Oregon took this game, 13-3. Dylan Vigue suffered the loss on the mound for the Wolverines.

Game 3: Michigan salvages the series with win in back-and-forth slugfest

The series finale was a lot of fun, as both teams traded blows throughout the game.

The Wolverines were playing from behind, as Oregon got on the board first with a solo home run. However, Colby Turner and Cole Caruso both drove in runs in the third inning to give Michigan a 2-1 lead.

Oregon tied the game in the bottom of the third, but Michigan took the lead right back on a Matt Spear triple in the fourth. Brayden Jefferis knocked in a run as well, and the Wolverines were up 4-2.

Michigan took control of the game in the fifth when Jeter Ybarra hit a two-run shot to make it 6-2, but Oregon wasn’t going to go down with a fight. The Ducks knocked in five runs in the bottom of the fifth, and the Wolverines were all of a sudden down a run.

Turner came up with another massive hit in the top of the sixth, as a grand slam put Michigan right back on top, 10-7. The Wolverines extended the lead in the eighth inning with two walks while the bases were loaded.

The Ducks made things interesting with a three-run shot in the bottom of the eighth to get within two runs, and a solo shot in the ninth made it 12-11. Max Debeic shut the door to earn the save, however, and Michigan avoided getting swept. Will Rogers got the win on the hill.

Up next

The Wolverines now have a bit of a break before returning to Big Ten action. They have two mid-week battles against Akron and Oakland before a weekend series against Mount St. Mary’s. The Wolverines will then play Toledo next week before a weekend series against Iowa that begins April 18.

Michigan will take on 9-22 Akron on Tuesday at Ray Fisher Stadium in Ann Arbor. The game will get underway at 4 p.m. ET and will be streaming on B1G+.

The Wolverines will square off with the 8-25 Oakland Golden Grizzlies at 4 p.m. on Wednesday. That game will also be at Ray Fisher Stadium and streaming on B1G+.