Michigan
15-11
Delaware
13-11
Four Pitchers Combine for Shutout Win over Delaware; Second Game Cancelled
3/31/2018 3:13:00 PM | Baseball
» The win marks Michigan's 11th straight and tenth in a row at home.
» The shutout victory is the Wolverines' third this season.
» Michigan took the lead in the bottom of the first and never trailed as every starter reached base.
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Wilpon Complex)
Score: Michigan 11, Delaware 0
Records: U-M (15-11), DEL (13-11)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, April 1 -- vs. Delaware (Wilpon Complex), 1 p.m.Â
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan baseball team rallied for its 11th straight win on Saturday afternoon (March 31) as the pitching staff combined to hold Delaware scoreless for an 11-0 victory at the Wilpon Complex, home of Ray Fisher Stadium.
Michigan has now won 11 straight, including ten straight at home. The stretch marks a new record under head coach Erik Bakich, as the last 11-0 run by a Wolverine team came in 2008. The shutout win also marks Michigan's third of the season.
After a 1-2-3 outing by freshman starter Ben Dragani in the top of the first, Michigan took a quick lead in the bottom of the frame to go ahead, 3-0. Junior Ako Thomas led off with a base hit to the left-centerfield gap, and sophomore Christan Bullock reached on a fielding error. A single down the left field line by junior Jonathan Engelmann then scored Thomas, and a double-steal by Engelmann and Bullock gave Michigan two men in scoring position. A walk to junior Blake Nelson followed and loaded the bases, and a sacrifice flyout from redshirt junior Miles Lewis put the Wolverines up by two. Freshman Jesse Franklin followed with another sacrifice flyout, and Michigan took a 3-0 lead.
With Dragani and the defense continuing to hold the Blue Hens scoreless, the Wolverines added a run in the bottom of the second on a walk to freshman Jordan Nwogu and a throwing error on an attempted steal that allowed him to score from first.
Michigan added four runs to take an 8-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning on four hits, two Delaware errors, and a walk.
The Blue Hens did not put a man on base until the third inning, but loaded the bases in the seventh without scoring. Dragani allowed a hit and a walk in the frame, but junior righty Troy Miller came in for relief and recorded back-to-back strikeouts with the bases loaded to get Michigan out of the jam.
The Wolverines then rallied for three more runs in the bottom of the seventh inning for a double-digit lead. Franklin and redshirt freshman Harrison Salter each picked up a base hit and freshman Jack Blomgren knocked them in with a double down the left field line. A pinch-hit triple by sophomore Dominic Clementi then scored Blomgren easily to put Michigan up, 11-0.
Junior righty Jack Bredeson and senior lefty Austin Batka pitched one scoreless inning apiece to close out the game for the Wolverines.
Dragani improved to 2-0 on the season in his third career start. He struck out five and allowed a season-low four hits with four walks.
Every Wolverine starter reached base in the effort, as Michigan totaled 12 hits, including two for extra bases, and recorded four stolen bases. Thomas also improved his streak of reaching base safely to 26 consecutive games.
The weekend schedule originally included a doubleheader on Saturday (March 31), but heavy rain and gusts forced the cancellation of the second game.
Michigan and Delaware will wrap up the non-conference series on Sunday (April 1) with a single game at 1 p.m. at the Wilpon Complex, home of Ray Fisher Stadium. [Tickets]
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Dragani, Ben (2-0)
L: Hinton, Kyle (3-2)
Batting:
2B: Hutchins, Jordan 1
Batting:
2B: Franklin, Jesse 1 ; Blomgren, Jack 1
3B: Clementi, Dominic 1
RBI: Thomas, Ako 1 ; Clementi, Dominic 1 ; Engelmann, Jonathan 1 ; Nelson, Blake 1 ; Lewis, Miles 1 ; Franklin, Jesse 1 ; Nwogu, Jordan 1 ; Blomgren, Jack 2
SF: Lewis, Miles 1 ; Franklin, Jesse 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Thomas, Ako 1 ; Bullock, Christan 1 ; Engelmann, Jonathan 2 ; Franklin, Jesse 2 ; Nwogu, Jordan 2 ; Keener, Brock 1 ; Salter, Harrison 1 ; Blomgren, Jack 1
SB: Thomas, Ako 1 ; Bullock, Christan 1 ; Engelmann, Jonathan 2
PO: Nelson, Blake 1
