No. 18 Wolverines Defeat No. 22 Cowboys in Series Finale

Sunday, March 20

Stillwater, Okla.

Noon CT

Michigan

12-5

Oklahoma State

13-7

Michigan

Oklahoma State

No. 18 Wolverines Defeat No. 22 Cowboys in Series Finale

3/20/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

March 20, 2016

Evan Hill

» Senior LHP Evan Hill improved to 3-1 on the year with the win, tallying six strikeouts and allowing just three hits.
» Carmen Benedetti, Jonathan Engelmann and Ako Thomas all went 2-4 on the day with a run scored.
» For the third game in a row, Michigan out-hit Oklahoma State, eight hits to four.

• Box Score

Site: Stillwater, Okla. (Reynolds Stadium)
Score: #18 Michigan 4, #22 Oklahoma State 2
Records: U-M (12-5), OSU (13-7)
Next U-M Event: Friday, March 25 -- vs. UIC (Wilpon Complex), 4 p.m.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Three scoring innings propelled the No. 18 University of Michigan baseball team to a 4-2 victory over No. 22 Oklahoma State on Sunday (March 20) inside Reynolds Stadium. The win occurred in the final game of a three-game series at the Cowboys' home stadium in Stillwater.

Senior lefty Evan Hill took the mound for the Maize and Blue in the victory, tossing five complete innings and appearing briefly in the bottom of the sixth. The starter struck out six batters and allowed just one run on just three hits.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, junior RHP Mac Lozer took the mound with no outs and two runners on. He allowed one to score on a sac fly but recorded three straight outs to end the inning.

In the bottom of the seventh, junior righty Keith Lehmann came out to pitch, facing four batters and allowing no runs on no hits. Junior Carmen Benedetti and sophomore Bryan Pall combined to finish out the eighth and ninth innings. Pall tallied three strikeouts on the day.

For the third game in a row, sophomore Jake Bivens led off the top of the first inning with an outfield single. He took second on the following walk to junior Matt Ramsay and advanced to third on a log flyout from Benedetti. With runners on the corners, a sacrifice flyout from junior Harrison Wenson allowed Bivens to take home for an early 1-0 lead.

Neither team scored again until the top of the fifth, when Michigan rallied for two runs on two hits and two free bases. Freshman Ako Thomas led off the inning with a strikeout, but hustled to first on the dropped-third strike. A sac bunt from Bivens pushed him to second, and a groundout allowed him to advance to third base with two outs on the board. Benedetti then came up clutch with an RBI single to right field, allowing Thomas to score and giving Michigan another baserunner. A 3-2 walk to Wenson pushed Benedetti into scoring position, just in time for an RBI single from Cody Bruder. The Wolverines ended the inning with a three-run lead.

Leading the contest by a 3-0 score, Michigan did not let up on offense. Freshmen Jonathan Engelmann jumpstarted another scoring inning in the top of the sixth with a one-out double, taking home on an RBI single from Thomas to push Michigan ahead by four.

The Wolverines held Oklahoma State scoreless until the bottom of the sixth inning, when two walks and a sacrifice fly pushed a run across the plate and ended the shutout. The Cowboys also added a run in the bottom of the eighth, but it was Michigan that came away with the 4-2 victory.

Backed by eight hits, the Maize and Blue out-hit Oklahoma State for the third game in a row, while Benedetti, Engelmann and Thomas all recorded multi-hit outings.

Tweet of the Game

That's the game! Michigan takes this one and improves to 12-5 on the year.#GoBlue #Team150 pic.twitter.com/mnm0MJ5b62

-- Michigan Baseball (@umichbaseball) March 20, 2016

No. 18 Michigan will return to play on Friday, March 25, when it hosts UIC in the Wolverines' home opening four-game series. First pitch for Friday's single contest is scheduled for 4 p.m. [ Tickets ]

Communications Contact: Katie Gwinn Hewitt