Franklin's First Blast Helps Vancena to First Win in U-M's Rout of Oakland

Tuesday, March 20

Ann Arbor, Mich.

4:00 PM

Michigan

8-11

Oakland

3-15

Oakland

Michigan

Jesse Franklin

Franklin's First Blast Helps Vancena to First Win in U-M's Rout of Oakland

3/20/2018 8:13:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Katie Gwinn Hewitt

» Senior starting pitcher Jayce Vancena picked up his first win of the season.
» Freshman Jesse Franklin went 2-for-4 and blasted his first career home run.
» Michigan improves to 4-1 at home on the year and will face Western Michigan on Wednesday (March 21).

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Wilpon Complex)
Score: Michigan 10, Oakland 3
Records: U-M (8-11), OAK (3-15)
Next U-M Event: Wednesday, March 21 -- vs. Western Michigan (Wilpon Complex), 4 p.m.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan baseball team extended its win streak to four on Tuesday (March 20) with a 10-3 win over Oakland University in the fifth contest of the Wolverines' seven-game homestand at the Wilpon Complex, home of Ray Fisher Stadium.

Senior right-handed pitcher Jayce Vancena earned his first win of the season after he threw five innings and allowed three runs on five hits. He struck out a season-high five and walked just one.

Sophomore Jack Weisenburger took the mound in the top of the sixth and tossed three hitless, scoreless innings of relief and tied his career high with four strikeouts before junior righty Troy Miller closed out the game with a scoreless ninth.

Following two scoreless innings to start the game, the Wolverines jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the third. Sophomore Christan Bullock and freshman Jesse Franklin reached base on back-to-back Oakland errors, then freshman Jack Blomgren was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Junior Ako Thomas cleared the bases with double to right-center field to give Michigan a 3-0 lead. Junior Blake Nelson continued the rally with a single up the middle to put runners on the corners and junior Jonathan Engelmann followed with a base hit through the right side to score Thomas.

Oakland answered with two runs in the top of the fourth on a single and an inside-the-park home run, then added a run in the fifth on a base hit and an run-scoring double.

The Wolverines did not score in the fourth or fifth innings, but took a 6-3 lead in the bottom of the sixth on a two-out double from Bullock and a two-run home run to left-center by freshman Jesse Franklin.The opposite-field homer was the first of his career.

Michigan extended its lead to 8-3 in the seventh on a two-run double from redshirt-freshman Harrison Salter and added another pair of runs in the eighth on a two-run single from Engelmann to go up, 10-3.

Michigan rapped 12 hits in the win, which included three for extra bases. Thomas, Nelson, Engelmann, and Franklin all recorded multi-hit efforts, and both Engelmann and Thomas each collected three runs batted in.

Tweet of the Game

B6 | Going oppo for his first career homer!

Franklin sends a two-run bomb to left center and Michigan takes a 6-3 lead! #goblue pic.twitter.com/b3EhYCtUAA
— Michigan Baseball (@umichbaseball) March 20, 2018

Michigan will return to play on Wednesday (March 21) and will host Western Michigan in midweek action. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. at the Wilpon Complex, home of Ray Fisher Stadium. [ Tickets ]