The Wolverines will enter the weekend on a five-game winning streak.
After sweeping Long Beach State at home over the weekend, the Michigan baseball team welcomed in Kent State on Tuesday afternoon with a 23-21 record and riding a four-game winning streak.
The Wolverines went with a bullpen game, and Kent State was able to find some success early on. In the third inning, the Golden Flashes got on the board twice courtesy of an RBI single and a throwing error by Michigan to grab a 2-0 lead. Michigan though, would even things up at 2-2 in the fourth inning, with Mack Timbrook hitting a sacrifice fly and Joe Longo scoring on a throwing error.
The game would be a pitchers’ duel from then on, until Kent State reclaimed the lead in the eighth inning, scoring on a wild pitch to make it 3-2. It would extend the lead to 4-2 in the ninth on an RBI double. Michigan however, wasn’t going down without a fight, as Mitch Voit would club a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to make it 4-4.
The game would head to extra innings, and Brandon Mann pitched a clean two innings to bring the game to the bottom of the eleventh inning. It was then that Stephen Hrustich would be the hero, hitting a two-run walk-off homer to give Michigan a 6-4 victory.
WALK-OFF HRustich!!!#GoBlue pic.twitter.com/9E7JgtNAAg
— Michigan Baseball (@umichbaseball) April 30, 2024
With its win on Tuesday afternoon, Michigan advanced to 24-21 on the year and now owns a five-game winning streak. After a lengthy homestand, the Wolverines will head out on the road, albeit for a short trip, to East Lansing to take on Michigan State for three games.
Michigan State enters the weekend with a 19-22 record on the year and is coming off a loss against Notre Dame on Tuesday night. On offense, the Spartans are led by senior outfielder Jack Frank and junior outfielder Nick Williams. Frank currently leads the team in OPS, with a mark of 1.036 on the year, and also has seven homers and 17 stolen bases. Williams currently has a .943 OPS and four homers.
Nick Powers and Joseph Dzierwa have been Michigan State’s horses on the mound this year, leading the team with 66.1 and 63.0 innings pitched, respectively. It hasn’t been the strongest of seasons for Powers, as he is currently sporting a 4.88 ERA and 1.31 WHIP on the year. Dzierwa has been slightly better, posting a 4.00 ERA this season, while striking out 67 batters.
When Michigan takes the field against the Spartans this weekend, it will be looking to continue climbing the conference standings with another series win. The Wolverines have yet to lose a series in conference play this year and currently sit in fifth place in the Big Ten. Another big weekend can also help the Wolverines as they continue to make a late push for a spot in the NCAA tournament at season’s end.
Weekend Schedule
Game 1: Friday, May 3, 6 p.m.
Game 2: Saturday, May 4, 3:30 p.m.
Game 3: Sunday, May 5, 2 p.m.