Freshman Duo Guides Michigan to Series Sweep of Bowling Green

Sunday, March 18

Ann Arbor, Mich.

1:00 PM

Michigan

7-11

Bowling Green

3-16

Bowling Green

Michigan

Freshman Duo Guides Michigan to Series Sweep of Bowling Green

3/18/2018 6:10:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Katie Gwinn Hewitt

» Ben Dragani pitched seven innings with six strikeouts and no walks to earn his first career win.
» Jordan Nwogu went 3-for-4 with two runs batted in.
» William Tribucher struck out five batters in two innings of relief to earn the save.
» Michigan's series finale win over Bowling Green marks the Wolverines' first series sweep of the season.

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Wilpon Complex)
Score: Michigan 5, Bowling Green 4
Records: U-M (7-11), BGSU (3-16)
Next U-M Event: Tuesday, March 20 -- vs. Oakland (Wilpon Complex), 4 p.m.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- A 3-for-4 effort from freshman Jordan Nwogu combined with lights-out pitching from freshman Ben Dragani and junior William Tribucher allowed the University of Michigan baseball team to execute its first series sweep on Sunday (March 18) as the Wolverines rallied for a 5-4 victory over Bowling Green at the Wilpon Complex, home of Ray Fisher Stadium.

In his first career start, Dragani took the mound and threw a perfect 1-2-3 first inning to send Michigan to the dugout for its first at-bat. The Wolverines put a man on in the bottom of the frame with a base hit by junior Jonathan Engelmann, but neither team score in the first.

Bowling Green gained momentum in the top of the second after a leadoff single. Dragani answered with a strikeout, but a bunt single gave the Falcons runners at first and second base. After a fielder's choice erased the lead runner on a play at third, a passed ball during the ensuing at-bat put runners on the corners for the Falcons. A base hit through the left side then gave Bowling Green a 1-0 lead.

Following a scoreless turn at bat in the second, Michigan answered in the bottom of the third inning to tie the score at 1. Freshman Jack Blomgren got the inning started with a leadoff walk before stealing both second and third base. After a walk to junior Ako Thomas put runners on the corners, a 6-4-3 double play allowed Blomgren to score and tie the game.

Michigan manufactured another run in the fourth inning thanks to a leadoff double from Nwogu, a sacrifice bunt from junior Blake Nelson, and a sacrifice fly by redshirt-senior Miles Lewis to give Michigan a 2-1 lead.

U-M scored again in the fifth inning to extend its lead to 3-1. A one-out double off the bat of Thomas jump-started the rally, and an single by sophomore Dominic Clementi gave the Wolverines runners on the corners. Thomas then scored easily on a fielder's choice to put Michigan up by two.

After a scoreless sixth inning, Michigan used three hits and a walk to force a 5-1 lead in the bottom of the seventh. Thomas led things off with a base hit to center field, and Clementi followed with an infield single that resulted in a Bowling Green throwing error and allowed Thomas to advance to third. With runners on the corners, a walk to junior Matthew Schmidt loaded the bases for Nwogu, who followed with a clutch two-RBI single through the left side to push the Maize and Blue advantage to four runs.

Despite plating just one run through the first seven innings, Bowling Green rallied in the top of the eighth. Back-to-back singles and a hit batsman quickly loaded the bases for the Falcons with no outs, and a double down the left-field line scored two. Another Falcon reached on an error that scored one more run and cut the deficit to 5-4, and a bunt single quickly loaded the bases again. In spite of the surge, Michigan reliever William Tribucher responded with three consecutive strikeouts to hold the Wolverine lead and send the Maize and Blue back to the dugout.

Neither team scored the remainder of the game, which allowed Michigan to clinch the 5-4 victory and claim its first series sweep of the 2018 season.

Dragani earned the win after tossing a career-high seven innings and scattering just five hits with no walks. One unearned run scored during his time on the mound, and he struck out a career-high six. The freshman also retired the side in order in five of seven innings pitched, and the win marked the first of his career.

With two innings of relief, Tribucher earned his first save of the season. The junior lefty allowed just one hit and one walk but struck out five.

Offensively, Michigan totaled 11 hits and walked three times in the victory. Nwogu led the Wolverines with a 3-for-4 outing, while Thomas recorded two hits and scored twice to extend his streak of reaching base to 18 games.

Tweet of the Game

T8 | Bowling Green adds a run on a bunt single, but tribucher gets THREE STRAIGHT Ks to retire the side with the bases loaded. #goblue pic.twitter.com/vOnOFwINPu
— Michigan Baseball (@umichbaseball) March 18, 2018

The Wolverines will be back in action Tuesday (March 20) when they host Oakland to make up their postponed contest originally scheduled for March 13. First pitch is slated for 4 p.m. at the Wilpon Complex, home of Ray Fisher Stadium. [ Tickets ]