Dragani Shines in Relief as Michigan Falls to Stanford in Series Finale

Sunday, March 4

Palo Alto, Calif.

2:00 PM PT

Michigan

3-8

Stanford

11-1

Michigan

Stanford

Dragani Shines in Relief as Michigan Falls to Stanford in Series Finale

3/4/2018 9:38:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Katie Gwinn Hewitt

» Michigan out-hit Stanford, 11-7, but left seven runners on base.
» Freshman LHP Ben Dragani tossed four hitless innings of relief.
» The Wolverines will wrap up non-conference road play next weekend with three games at Lipscomb.

Site: Palo Alto, Calif. (Sunken Diamond)
Score: #8 Stanford 7, Michigan 5
Records: U-M (3-8), STAN (11-1)
Next U-M Event: Friday, March 9 -- at Lipscomb (Nashville, Tenn.), 4 p.m. CST,

PALO ALTO, Calif. -- The University of Michigan baseball team fell into an early hole, but couldn't rally its way out as the Wolverines took a 7-4 loss to Stanford in the series finale on Sunday (March 4). U-M finished with a 1-3 record in the four games against the Cardinal.

Stanford started off quickly with a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, thanks to a leadoff home run, a hit batter, an RBI double and an RBI single.

Michigan answered in the top of the second inning via a solo homer over the right-field wall by redshirt junior Miles Lewis to cut the deficit to two.

Stanford got the run back in the bottom of the second inning on a leadoff single and an run-scoring double, but the Wolverines again answered in the top of the third with a single from junior Ako Thomas, a double from sophomore Christan Bullock, and a run batted in from junior Jonathan Engelmann.

The Cardinal extended its lead to 5-2 in the bottom of the third after loading the bases with no outs on three walks. Sophomore Ben Dragani was then called to the mound in relief, and induced a double-play and a flyout to get out of the inning with just one run allowed.

Following a scoreless fourth, Michigan cut the Cardinal lead back to two as Bullock recorded a one-out single and took third on an Engelmann single before scoring on a wild pitch.

The Wolverines tacked on another in the top of the seventh as a sacrifice fly from Lewis allowed Bullock to score his second run of the day and bring Michigan within a run.

The momentum shifted in the bottom of the frame as Stanford extended its lead to 7-4 on a two-out walk and a two-run homer over the wall in left-center field.

With Michigan unable to score in the eighth and ninth innings, Stanford won the game to clinch the series.

Lewis led Michigan at the plate with a homer, a double and a sac fly, while Bullock scored a team-best two runs. As a team, the Wolverines out-hit the Cardinal, 11-7, and combined for five extra-base hits on the afternoon, four of which were doubles.

Senior righty Jayce Vancena took the loss for the Wolverines on the mound and fell to 0-2 on the season after surrendering four runs on five hits.

Junior William Tribucher tossed 0.2 innings of relief and allowed one run on no hits with three walks before Dragani took the mound in the bottom of the third. The sophomore tossed a career-high four innings of scoreless, hitless relief with three strikeouts.

Junior Jack Bredeson and freshman Angelo Smith combined to close out the seventh and eighth innings, allowing for a combined two runs on two hits.

The Wolverines will be back in action on Friday, March 9 when they kick off a three-day, three-game series at Lipscomb in Nashville, Tennessee. First pitch for Friday's contest is set for 4 p.m. CST, and the series will serve as Michigan's final non-conference road series of the season.