Michigan
32-12, 10-5
Rutgers
23-23, 6-10
Offensive Onslaught Propels Michigan to Victory over Rutgers
5/6/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 6, 2016
» Michigan scored seven runs in the bottom of the fifth, three in the sixth and four in the seventh to string together 14 runs.
» Junior Harrison Wenson blasted his first career grand slam with a moon shot over the left-centerfield field fence in the bottom of the seventh inning. The homer is his sixth of the season.
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Wilpon Complex)
Score: #21 Michigan 14, Rutgers 1
Records: U-M (32-12, 10-5 Big Ten), Rutgers (23-23, 6-10 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, May 7 -- vs. Rutgers (Wilpon Complex), 6 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Junior lefty starter Brett Adcock struck out 11 batters in six innings on Friday night (May 6) as the No. 21-ranked University of Michigan baseball team defeated Rutgers by a 14-1 score at the Wilpon Complex, home of Ray Fisher Stadium. Neither team scored through the first four innings, but a seven-run fifth inning from one of the top offenses in the country gave the Wolverines the ammunition needed to pull off a 13-run win.
The Wolverines were led defensively by Adcock, who recorded 11 strikeouts in just six innings pitched and earned the win for the Wolverines. The lefty starter allowed just one run in the outing, walking three and surrendering just five hits.
Following Adcock's performance was sophomore Jayce Vancena, who tossed two scoreless innings and gave up just two hits on the day. Freshman Troy Miller closed out the game, allowing a leadoff hit in the top of the ninth but recording three straight outs to strand the runner.
Michigan looked to put the first runs on the board in the bottom of the second inning when senior Cody Bruder and sophomore Drew Lugbauer hit back-to-back shots through the left side was unable to score. In the top of the third, Rutgers threatened with the bases loaded, but back-to-back strikeouts from Adcock got the Wolverines out of the inning unscathed. On a double steal by the Scarlet Knights in top of the fifth, Rutgers got the go-ahead run to pull ahead of the Wolverines, 1-0.
The Scarlet Knights' lead was cut short, however, as the Wolverine offense exploded in the bottom of the fifth. Freshman Ako Thomas led off with an infield single down the third-base line, and sophomore Jake Bivens followed with a full-count walk to keep the momentum going. Junior Carmen Benedetti then blasted a two-RBI double to the right-centerfield gap to push the Wolverines ahead, 2-1. A bloop single from junior Harrison Wenson then scored Benedetti, and junior Harrison Wenson himself scored on the following double from Bruder. The scoring continued on the next play as Lugbauer double to the centerfield wall to score Bruder, and senior Dominic Jamett wrapped up the rally with his second career homer -- a two-run shot over the 26-foot tall left-field wall.
Despite a 7-1 lead, Michigan added another three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, highlighted by RBI doubles from Bivens and Lugbauer. The biggest hit of the day came in the bottom of the seventh, however, as two walks and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases and allowed Wenson to blast his first career grand slam with a moon shot over the left-centerfield fence.
Overall, the Wolverines tallied 13 hits in the victory, walking six times and stealing three bases. Six of nine Michigan starters recorded an RBI in the win.
B7 | GRAND SLAM!!! Wenson unloads a pitch to left-center for his 6th HR of the year, and the first Michigan slam since May 17, 2013. #GoBlue
-- Michigan Baseball (@umichbaseball) May 7, 2016
No. 21 Michigan faces Rutgers in the second game of the series tomorrow evening (Saturday, May 7) at 6 p.m. at the Wilpon Complex, home of Fisher Stadium. The Wolverines wrap up their three-game Big Ten Conference series with the Scarlet Knights on Sunday afternoon (May 8), Mother's Day, with a first pitch scheduled for noon.
Communications Contact: Katie Gwinn Hewitt
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Adcock, Brett (6-3)
L: Brey, Howie (5-4)
Batting:
2B: Devish, R.J. 1
SH: Campbell, Christian 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Devish, R.J. 1
SB: Devish, R.J. 1 ; Marcinczyk, Tom 1
HBP: Campbell, Christian 1
Batting:
2B: Ramsay, Matt 1 ; Benedetti, Carmen 1 ; Bruder, Cody 1 ; Lugbauer, Drew 2
HR: Wenson, Harrison 1 ; Jamett, Dominic 1
RBI: Ramsay, Matt 1 ; Benedetti, Carmen 2 ; Wenson, Harrison 5 ; Bruder, Cody 1 ; Lugbauer, Drew 2 ; Jamett, Dominic 2
SH: Bivens, Jake 1 ; Ramsay, Matt 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Bivens, Jake 3 ; Ramsay, Matt 2 ; Benedetti, Carmen 2 ; Wenson, Harrison 2 ; Bruder, Cody 2 ; Lugbauer, Drew 1 ; Jamett, Dominic 1 ; Thomas, Ako 1
SB: Bivens, Jake 2 ; Ramsay, Matt 1
HBP: Benedetti, Carmen 1 ; Bruder, Cody 1
