No. 14 Wolverines Fall to Santa Clara in Road Loss

Sunday, February 28

Santa Clara, Calif.

6:00 PM PT

Michigan

5-2

Santa Clara

5-3

Michigan

Santa Clara

2/29/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

Feb. 29, 2016

Baseball

» Junior Harrison Wenson batted in each of Michigan's three runs with a homer in the fifth and a two-run single in the sixth.
» Senior Cody Bruder led the Wolverines with three hits on the night and has recorded a hit in six of Michigan's seven games.
» Despite a five-game win streak to start the season, the Sunday night loss marks two straight for the Wolverines.

• Box Score

Site: Santa Clara, Calif. (Schott Stadium)
Score: Santa Clara 5, #14 Michigan 3
Records: U-M (5-2), SC (5-3)
Next U-M Event: Monday, Feb. 29 -- at California (Berkeley, Calif.), 7 p.m. PST

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- The No. 14-ranked University of Michigan baseball team dropped its second straight contest on Sunday night (Feb. 28) with a 5-3 loss to the Santa Clara Broncos at Schott Stadium. Junior Harrison Wenson batted in each of Michigan's three runs on the night.

After a scoreless first inning, Santa Clara scored first in the night contest, plating a runner in the bottom of the second on a hit-by-pitch and an RBI double.

With Michigan unable to answer in the top of the third, the Broncos rallied in the bottom frame of the inning to score three more runs on four hits and a walk.

Trailing for the third time this season, the Wolverine offense threatened with runners on third in both the second and third innings, but a tough Santa Clara defense yielded no runs until the top of the fifth. Wenson led off the inning with a long homerun over the leftfield wall, marking his third homer of the season. Despite the following single to junior Michael Brdar and walk to senior Matt Ramsay, Michigan ended the inning with the lone run.

Trailing 4-1, the Wolverines got the offense going in the top of the sixth when sophomore Drew Lugbauer led off with a walk and senior Cody Bruder quickly followed with a first-pitch single to left field. A sacrifice bunt from Johnny Slater then pushed both runners into scoring position, and it was again Wenson who came up clutch with a two-RBI single down the left-field line. The offensive push ended in three runs scored for the Wolverines, who entered the bottom of the sixth trailing by just one.

Santa Clara tacked on a run in the bottom of the sixth on a walk and a double, extending the Bronco lead to two and holding the lead from there.

Senior lefty Evan Hill took the mound for Michigan in the loss, tossing 4.1 innings and striking out four. He allowed just one walk and six hits in the outing.

Junior RHP Keith Lehmann relieved Hill in the bottom of the fifth, shutting down the next two batters and stranding a Santa Clara runner at third base. He left the game in the sixth, recording one inning pitched, with a strikeout and a run.

Coming into to relieve Lehmann in the bottom of the sixth was sophomore righty Bryan Pall, who struck out both batters in between a walk and a Michigan fielding error. Pall also pitched the seventh and into the eighth, recording five strikeouts and allowing just one hit overall.

Junior Mac Lozer finished out the game, coming to the mound with two outs in the eighth and striking out his only batter faced.

The Wolverines ended the contest with nine hits and four walks.

Making his first career start from the designated hitter position was freshman Jonathan Engelmann, who captured his first career hit on a triple to the centerfield wall in the top of the third inning.

Despite no hits on the night, junior Carmen Benedetti extends his reached-base streak to seven games, taking first on a hit-by-pitch in the fourth inning.

Michigan will continue its road swing with a contest at No. 12 California on Monday evening (Feb. 29). First pitch for the night contest is scheduled for 7 p.m. PST in Berkeley, California.

Postgame Audio

Communications Contact: Katie Gwinn