Michigan unable to keep its momentum rolling in conference play.
Yet to lose a series in conference play this year, the Michigan baseball team took a short trip up the road to East Lansing to take on Michigan State over the weekend for three games. Michigan entered the weekend on a hot streak and sought to keep climbing in the Big Ten standings as part of a late season push.
Friday’s game would get off to a quick, yet interesting, start for Michigan, as Mitch Voit would score the game’s first run on a balk, putting Michigan up 1-0 in the first inning. Michigan State would answer right back though with an RBI single to tie the game up in the bottom of the frame.
The Spartans would jump out to a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning on a solo homer, but Michigan would rally to tie the game in the eighth inning, interestingly enough, on another balk. The score would hold at 2-2, and the game would head to extra innings, where Michigan State would come away with a 3-2 victory in the tenth, scoring on a sacrifice fly.
In the loss, Michigan’s Chase Allen was terrific on the mound for much of the game. He would pitch seven innings, surrendering only five hits and two earned runs. Despite taking the loss, Jacob Denner was alright in relief as well, pitching 2.2 innings before surrendering a run.
Michigan State went right back to work on Saturday, striking for two runs in the first inning. Mack Timbrook would drive in a run for Michigan in the second, but Michigan State would respond with a solo homer to go up 3-1. Stephen Hrustich would tie the game in the top of the third with a two-run homer of his own.
Through the third and fourth innings, the Spartans kept swinging the bat well, jumping out to a 7-3 lead and ultimately chasing Dylan Vigue from the game. Homers from Collin Priest and Will Rogers in the fifth and sixth innings, respectively though, would help Michigan trim the deficit to 7-6. After another Michigan State run in the sixth, Jonathan Kim would homer in the eighth to tie the game at 8-8.
Back and better than ever!
Jonathan Kim with the homer to tie the game! #GoBLue pic.twitter.com/bL7y2fSuMt
— Michigan Baseball (@umichbaseball) May 4, 2024
In the end, though, Michigan State’s offense just proved to be too much. The Spartans would grab the lead in the bottom of the eighth on a solo homer to go ahead 9-8, and dealt the deathblow on a three-run homer to go up 12-8, which would be the final score.
Looking to salvage the weekend with a win, Michigan got on the board first to go up 1-0 on a Michigan State throwing error in the first inning. A solo homer in the first and a two-run shot in the second though would give the Spartans a quick 3-1 lead. Another RBI single in the third would push their lead to 4-1.
Michigan would show some fight in the fourth inning, as Mack Timbrook would connect for a three-run shot to tie the game. Jonathan Kim would then hit his second homer of the weekend to put Michigan up 5-4, but the Spartans would claw back in the bottom of the fourth for three runs to go up 7-5.
MACK. TIMBROOK. GAME. TIED. #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/dULOxLxtbK
— Michigan Baseball (@umichbaseball) May 5, 2024
Timbrook would drive in another run with a double in the fifth to make the score 7-6, but Michigan State would answer right back with a solo homer in the bottom of the frame to go back up 8-6. Michigan would tack on another run in the sixth on a Mitch Voit homer and managed to tack on another in the ninth to tie the game at 8-8.
In extra innings, Michigan would get two scoreless innings from Ricky Kidd and one from Jacob Denner. The Wolverines were able to keep the Spartans off the board while scoring two runs in the twelfth courtesy of Cole Caruso and Joe Longo singles. Michigan was able to hold on for a 10-8 win to avoid the sweep.
With the series loss, Michigan’s record is still above .500, but the Wolverines now stand at 25-23 on the year. Fortunately, Michigan has four chances at home this week to get the momentum back on its side, as the team will welcome in Central Michigan for its mid-week game on Tuesday night and Purdue for three games over the weekend.