Michigan Caps Off Homestand with Win over WMU

Wednesday, March 22

Ann Arbor, Mich.

4:00 PM

Michigan

16-4

Western Michigan

9-8

Western Michigan

Michigan

3/22/2017 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

March 22, 2017

» Ako Thomas knocked in the defining go-ahead run with an RBI single in the bottom of the fourth.
» Jayce Vancena earned the victory in his first start of the season, while Jackson Lamb closed out the game for his fifth save.
» Michigan is now on a three-game win streak heading into Big Ten Conference play this weekend.

• Box Score

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Wilpon Complex)
Score: Michigan 6, Western Michigan 4
Records: U-M (16-4), WMU (9-8)
Next U-M Event: Friday, March 24 -- at Maryland (College Park, Md.), 6:30 p.m.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 18-ranked University of Michigan baseball team capped off a five-game homestand on Wednesday night (March 22) with a 6-4 victory over the visiting Western Michigan Broncos at the Wilpon Complex, home of Ray Fisher Stadium.

Michigan is now on a three-game win streak going into the Big Ten Conference opener this weekend.

Western Michigan got on the scoreboard first, plating three runs in the bottom of the second and forcing Michigan to come from behind.

After a scoreless third, however, the Wolverines came back strong in the fourth inning to tie the score and take the lead. Sophomore Miles Lewis jumpstarted the inning with one-out single up the middle, and a walk to senior Johnny Slater put two men on for the Maize and Blue. A passed bull then pushed the pair into scoring position, and an RBI double off the bat of senior Harrison Wenson allowed both Lewis and Slater to score. Sophomore Nick Poirier kept the inning going with a single down the left-field line to give Michigan runners on the corners, and a sacrifice fly from sophomore Jonathan Engelmann scored Wenson to tie the game at 3-all. Poirier then stole second to get into scoring position and advanced home for the go-ahead run on the following RBI single from sophomore Ako Thomas.

Michigan tacked on another run in the bottom of the following inning for a 5-3 lead. Senior Michael Brdar led off the inning with an outfield single and advanced to second on a base hit from junior Drew Lugbauer. Lewis then came up with the RBI single through the left side to score Brdar.

The Wolverines extended the lead to 6-3 in the bottom of the eighth inning as an RBI from junior Jake Bivens scored freshman Christan Bullock, and a lone Western Michigan run in the top of the ninth allowed the Maize and Blue to take home the 6-4 victory.

Junior Jayce Vancena took the mound for the Wolverines in his first start of the season and tossed a season-high five complete innings to earn the win. The righty allowed just four hits on the day and tied his season-high four strikeouts.

Following Vancena's departure, the Michigan bullpen was nearly flawless once again, allowing just one run on four hits. The bullpen featured appearances from freshman Karl Kauffmann, freshman Tommy Henry and senior Mac Lozer, before senior Jackson Lamb entered the game to earn his fifth save of the season.

Overall, the Wolverines recorded 10 hits on the day, with Wenson registering Michigan's lone hit for extra bases. Additionally, Thomas, Bivens, Poirier and Bullock each stole a base, while Thomas extended his reached-base streak to 20 games.

The No. 18-ranked Wolverines will return to action on Friday (March 24) when they kick off Big Ten Conference action at Maryland. First pitch for Friday's contest is set for 6:30 p.m. in College Park.

Communications Contact: Katie Gwinn Hewitt